New West Genetics Debuts New Hemp Seed Bred for Row Crop Farmers
Director of Genetics, Dr John McKay talking to growers and industry partners. New West Genetics Debuts New Hemp Seed Bred for Row Crop Farmers Bringing Row Crop Production Principles to the Hemp Industry for Sustainability and Scalability Fort Collins, Colo., Sept. 14 – Today, at an exclusive unveiling of New West Genetics’ unparalleled breeding program, the company officially introduced ABOUND, a line of hemp varieties specifically bred for row crop farmers. For the hemp industry to have a future, it must be scalable to ensure a stable supply chain with quality products. Row crop farmers are key to the industry’s future. “Row crop production principles are the answer to a sustainable hemp industry and row crop farmers are vital to move the hemp industry to the next level by cultivating and producing high-quality hemp at scale,” said New West Genetics President Wendy Mosher. The ABOUND varieties are backed by seven years of research and development by breeders and geneticists with experience in traditional crops like corn, rice, and canola. ABOUND varieties are bred to produce both nutritious grain and high-CBD flower, enabling two revenue streams for growers. Importantly, farmers can use existing farm machinery to direct seed and harvest the crop, greatly reducing manual labor and increasing their return on investment. “The costly manual-labor required for feminized-only hemp seed production is not a scalable option. We saw this in the 2019 season when many farmers ended up upside down [...]
New West Genetics Awarded High-Value Hemp Patent Claims
(June 25, 2019. Fort Collins, CO. ) Today New West Genetics (NWG) announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has allowed the Company’s patent claims for novel hemp varieties. This patent is the first to claim commercial hemp varieties that combine market valued traits with adaption for large-scale field production. A snapshot of those traits includes enhanced cannabinoids and terpene compositions, coupled with stable low THC content to mitigate regulatory risk. Years of research are required to successfully demonstrate patentability of crop traits. Yet with the historic hemp prohibition in the US, active commercial breeding by crop scientists did not occur prior to 2014. As CEO Wendy Mosher explained, “We launched our research in 2014, and utilized intensive phenotyping and a very narrow selection filter over multiple generations. That foundation enabled us to file a first-of-its-kind patent application. We have closely watched this patent progress through the examination pipeline; from provisional filing to published application, and from office action to the notice of allowable claims. This milestone further cements NWG’s first-mover status and demonstrates our dedication to data-based improvements that move hemp into a viable commercial option for agriculture.” All of NWG’s crop varieties are bred traditionally and informed by whole-genome analysis; resulting in high yielding, precision bred products that are made without transgenic (GMO) technologies. Rich Fletcher, the lead inventor on the patent and NWG’s Director of Breeding noted “More than ten generations of work and data were incorporated into this patent filing, which defines genetics that are novel [...]