The legal cannabis market is projected to reach $73.6 billion by the latter half of this decade, yet in order to realise this commercial potential, cultivators must ensure that the genetics they invest in are optimised to meet their needs. At present, however, an industry-wide paucity of performance data and quality control means that growers are left stabbing in the dark when purchasing cultivars, often leading to expensive losses.
To remedy this, PharmaSeeds supplies growers with fully licensed and compliant cannabis genetics that have been proven to match their specific commercial and agronomic requirements.
As a unique cannabis genetics consultancy and supply service, PharmaSeeds empowers cultivators through science-based, data-driven cultivar selection, so they can rest assured that the seeds they sow will provide the desired results, cycle after cycle.
“Our due diligence process surpasses anything that the cannabis industry has seen before, and provides unprecedented assurances as to the quality and reliability of the materials we supply,” explains PharmaSeeds’ Managing Director, Tom Raikes.
With 20 years of experience as a leading figure within the cannabis industry, Raikes has unparalleled knowledge of the shortcomings of the cannabis supply chain, and is passionate about putting these right.
“We go the extra mile in order to verify that all the breeders we work with are fully licensed and that their seed handling procedures are certified to meet international standards,” he continues.
Working with leading plant scientists, PharmaSeeds conducts an in-depth assessment of every cultivar, ensuring it has been rigorously tested for germination rates, feminisation rates, plant physiology and cannabinoid yield in a range of different growing conditions.
n this way, we are able to ensure that all of our materials meet the highest standards of plant health, performance and quality, while also complying with country-specific phytosanitary regulations. Crucially, this level of due diligence enables us to provide licensed producers with detailed, verifiable performance data on every cultivar, thereby de-risking the selection process and allowing cultivators to proceed with supreme confidence in their genetics
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For every cultivar that passes our due diligence protocol, PharmaSeeds tracks and records an extensive array of agronomic metrics, all of which are stored in our cannabis genetics library, PhytoLog. This information is then analysed by our plant scientists in order to help licensed producers identify the optimal cultivars for their needs and maximise their return on investment.
“By keeping track of seed performance statistics in a range of different environments over numerous cycles, we are able to log each cultivar’s level of resistance to various pests, pathogens and climatic conditions, in addition to analysing cannabinoid and terpene content,” explains Dr. Gary Yates, Chief Scientific Officer at PharmaSeeds.
Following an extensive and distinguished academic career, Dr. Yates is now helping us to revolutionize our understanding of cannabis genetics.
“In PhytoLog, we have created the world’s first cannabis database featuring extensive genetic adaptations, and can therefore help licensed producers pinpoint cultivars that are guaranteed to thrive in their environment while satisfying all their phenotypic requirements,” he says.
After working with licensed producers to determine their exact commercial requirements, PharmaSeeds harnesses the data stored in PhytoLog to provide a highly refined list of genetically suitable cultivars.
For instance, a licensed producer may desire a particular cannabinoid profile, yet their environment may present challenges such as extreme humidity or temperature, or a high prevalence of certain pests or pathogens.
Ordinarily, finding a suitable cultivar would involve a costly process of trial and error, yet our personalised Genetic Recommendation Report allows licensed producers to immediately identify cultivars that are highly adapted to meet their needs.
Given the challenges associated with growing new and unfamiliar cultivars, many growers require continued support beyond the genetics selection process. PharmaSeeds’ industry-leading plant scientists therefore work with each individual grower to devise a tailored cultivation plan, guiding them through those all-important first cycles. To further enhance chances of success, PharmaSeeds also researches the latest seed priming and coating technologies that can speed up germination, boost plant health and increase yield.
Historically, cannabis breeders have focussed on creating high-THC strains, often at the expense of other genetic traits. Yet as new legal markets emerge, it is necessary to develop cultivars with alternative chemical profiles and a wider array of adaptations to suit new growing environments.
“For this reason, we are committed to investing in breeders as well as growers, and have developed a range of fair commercial agreements that are designed to foster innovation and genetic diversity,” says Raikes.
“For instance, through intellectual property registration and pay-per-use contracts, breeders receive a sustained revenue stream for their genetics, incentivising them to continually improve their cultivars and target new, commercially interesting adaptations.”
Furthermore, via PhytoLog we continue to update our cultivar performance data, enabling us to feed back to breeders so that they may refine and improve their genetics. At this critical juncture in the history of the cannabis industry, solutions such as this are empowering our clients to unlock the full commercial and medical potential of the cannabis genome.
1 Grandview Research, Legal Marijuana Market Size, Share & Trends Report Legal Marijuana Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report , published Feb 2020