Arcadia Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:RKDA) (FRA:17D) has announced that four of its GoodHemp varieties have all passed the rigorous standards of the national Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) variety review board.
The four varieties are Rogue, Umpqua, Santiam and Potomac, the company said in a statement Tuesday.
"In an emerging industry such as hemp, where variable quality of seed has historically plagued growers, being able to provide the quality assurance that AOSCA certification brings is critical," said Randy Shultz, chief technology officer of Arcadia Biosciences.
READ: Arcadia Biosciences signs definitive agreements for a private placement, priced on an at-the-market basis, to raise gross proceeds of approximately $25.1M
"We are pleased to be setting the bar for quality, uniformity and performance in the hemp seed industry and look forward to supporting growers with superior genetics to enable successful outcomes for them and for the industry as a whole," Shultz added.
Chet Boruff, CEO of AOSCA, said the goal of seed certification is to maintain varietal purity to ensure that growers receive the pure, high-quality seed they expect.
"Hemp varieties that have successfully passed through the AOSCA variety review process are eligible for the production of certified hemp seed, transplants or clones, following AOSCA standards,” Boruff explained. “The variety review is conducted by representatives of seed certifying agencies, academia, the seed industry, and USDA, following requirements established in the U.S Seed Act, to make certain new varieties are distinct, uniform and stable.”
"AOSCA certification signifies to the industry that GoodHemp seed is produced to the highest standards for genetic purity, uniformity, high germination and feminization rates, and varietal identity. It also enables sales in states such as Florida, that require AOSCA certified hemp seed for planting," said Shultz.
The four AOSCA-certified GoodHemp varieties are described as follows:
- Umpqua: CBD dominant, early photoperiod variety for both the smokable and CBD extraction markets. Prized for its unique terpene profile. (Available now.)
- Rogue: CBD dominant, high yielding intermediate photoperiod variety for the CBD extraction markets. Brings exceptional yields under low planting densities. (Available now.)
- Santiam: CBD dominant, early photoperiod variety with exceptional utility in northern latitudes for both the smokable and CBD extraction markets. Delivers step-change yield potential. (Available now.)
- Potomac: CBD dominant, full season photoperiod. Produces large plants and a heavy yield, best suited for biomass. (Available soon.)
GoodHemp is Arcadia's commercial portfolio of genetically superior hemp seeds, transplants and extracts introduced in 2019. Since then, Arcadia has been rapid-prototyping novel non-GM hemp varieties that target quality and performance characteristics highly desired by growers to overcome their greatest challenges – working directly with them in-field deployment and monitoring to accelerate their speed to success.
This new and proprietary discovery process, ArcaTech, combines Arcadia's modern breeding science and genomics technology with real-time market intelligence from the field.
Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham