Presentation
Genomics research and proper plant breeding practices for nascent industries like cannabis, including hemp, are critical for the efficient and predictable development of plant varieties with commercially valuable traits. These varieties support the large-scale production of consistent, stable, and profitable crops.
Modern-day large-scale agronomic crops have benefited from decades of professional breeding programs to streamline production systems. The success of cannabis and hemp cultivation hinges on similar systems to provide efficient mechanical harvesting and target desirable characteristics like disease- and pest-resistance, yield, and performance across different growing environments. This ensures a stable supply chain for ingredients derived from these crops and growers’ compliance with federal and state regulations.
Dr. Vaught will discuss how embracing genomics-driven breeding technologies will allow growers in the cannabis industry and beyond to produce reliable, consistent, and profitable crops at scale. He will draw on knowledge gained from his company’s industry-leading breeding platform, FRB’s support and collaboration of hemp genome research at UC Davis, and its recently opened breeding program branch at CRAG-IRTA.