Genotyping and breeding new hemp varieties

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Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest cultivated plants by humankind. Arguably, it is also one of the most**versatile plants that are able to provide us with high-quality food, feed, medicine, clothing and shelter. At the**same time, due to years of restriction, hemp is severely understudied at all levels including genetic and**phenotypic variations. As a result, genetics-assisted breeding of new cultivars is significantly hampered. We**are partnering with Terramax Corporation, one of the largest hemp seed producers in Canada, to study**variations in genomics and phenomics of various hemp cultivars and to develop efficient genotyping and**epigenotyping techniques as well as genetics- and epigenetics-assisted breeding approaches. We aim to initiate**breeding several hemp varieties with improved traits, such as seed yield, biomass, the oil and protein content,**pathogen and drought tolerance among others. The project has several important intellectual, economic, social,**educational and environmental benefits. It will contribute to the development and promotion of one of the most**sustainable agricultural and health products associated with Cannabis, including food (oil, proteins, fiber),**structural materials (fibers), medicines (oils infused with alkaloids) and many other products.