GoodHemp Varieties Earn Seed Certification

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., a leader in science-based approaches to enhancing the quality and nutritional value of crops and food ingredients, announced that four of its GoodHemp varieties – Rogue, Umpqua, Santiam and Potomac – have all passed the rigorous standards of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) variety review board.

“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, Ph.D., chief technology officer of Arcadia Biosciences. “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.”

The four AOSCA-certified GoodHemp varieties are:

• 

  Umpqua by GoodHemp

  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.)

“The goal of seed certification is to maintain varietal purity to ensure that growers receive the pure, high quality seed they expect,” said Chet Boruff, chief executive officer of AOSCA. “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. 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.

GoodHemp is Arcadia’s commercial portfolio of 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.

For more information about GoodHemp’s seed varieties, visit www.growgoodhemp.com.