There are two main differences between hemp for technical applications and textile applications. For technical applications such as composites, insulation material, and growing mediums, the fibres should not necessarily be fine as for textiles. Secondly, the time required for good retting is shorter than time used for textiles, allowing later-flowering varieties to be chosen. Varieties that flower later in the season grow longer and therefore produce higher yields in tonnes per hectare. These plants are taller and thicker, and thus also yield more woody parts, so-called shives or hurds, which are suitable for construction materials and animal bedding, among other applications.
Separating fibres and shives does take more effort for late-harvested varieties than for early ones. Good (field) retting then is of special importance. In areas such as the northern part of the Netherlands, where the field retting is less performative (ยง5.4) with later harvest time, this creates some difficulties.
In the Netherlands, the three most commonly grown cultivars today are USO 31, Felina 32 and Futura 75. However, new hemp varieties continue to be developed.