Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. (CVE:PLAN) said it has received encouraging results from a hemp plant grow trial that began in March 2018, using its signature Z1 zeolite.
Zeolite is a mineral that looks like light gray gravel when dug up from the ground. It has a wide range of application, including as an additive to soil for cannabis plants.
The company said the trial included two popular grow mediums used in the cannabis industry, although only one of the two grow mediums has enough data to address at this time.
The company said the initial release is not yet concluded, however, results appeared positive, showing that the addition of Z1 zeolite improved nutrient and water preservation.
"It is quite remarkable that the addition of our signature Z1 zeolite has shown the ability to conserve nutrients and water. The results we have received on the organic grow medium appear to demonstrate reduced water consumption by up to 12.5 per cent while improving bud yield by up to 7.4 per cent," said Steve Harpur, chief executive officer of Progressive Planet Solutions.
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"The results are extremely encouraging towards our effort to prove the efficacy of Z1 zeolite as a component of commercial grow mediums used in the cannabis industry. Based on these attributes, we believe our Z1 zeolite is something growers of all sizes should consider."
The company said although both plant tissue and soil pathology determinations were completed, data still requires compilation.
Overall, results showed that Z1 zeolite could improve the performance of the organic grow medium for growth of hemp plants.
Plants which were potted in the organic grow medium required less application of water than the plants planted without Z1 zeolite in the grow medium, the company said.
In addition to soil moisture conservation, substantially more nutrients were retained as measured by the nutrient content of the leachate for each plant. Further, plant tissue demonstrated higher nutrient content when the organic grow medium contained Z1 zeolite.
Shares of Progressive Planet were at C$0.06 on Monday.