“Our varieties can give at least 15% higher yield than the standard cannabis varieties. Yet many growers are unaware and are afraid to change what they’re used to,” says Mads Ulrik Pedersen, Founder of Nordic Supreme. The Danish company is an authorized and legal breeding company, focused on developing improved genetics for cannabis growers. “The way most grow now is with mother plants. We want to professionalize the market by having growers buy seeds from us. That way, growers can skip the mother plant process, save money, greatly reduce the risk of disease and get an even production.”
Improving production
“We’re one of the very few licensed cannabis genetics companies in Europe. Most of the seeds sourced out there are still coming from illegal productions. Therefore, we’ve been seeing a huge interest from seed traders, as they want a fully legal source,” Mads explains. Nordic Supreme is working on pure, healthy plants that have a high yield and better disease resistance. “We look at cannabinoids, plant behavior, and plant health. We have almost 10,000 genetics in our system. We select the best and cross-breed them, always improving and making the line stronger. Normally, growers focus on yield and cannabinoids, especially high THC and terpenes. On the medical side, plant health is very important, as you cannot sell a plant with mildew or botrytis.”
Yet having the right genetics is not always a priority for cannabis growers, Mads explains. “In the tomato industry, everybody knows the tomato varieties have to be resistant to botrytis and mildew. But in cannabis, it is not yet like that. It has been a huge challenge for growers, who have had to throw out a lot of their production due to diseases. Yet many are still unaware of just how much of a difference proper genetics makes. In addition to disease resistance, yield could be increased by at least 15%, for example. Because the cannabis space is still new, growers seem to be afraid of changing what they are used to.”
Nordic Supreme’s current focus is developing F1 hybrid seeds. “These will create an even production, high yield. We are looking into developing F1 autoflowers, so that they will not be dependent on 12 hours of darkness. Growers would no longer need to have their own mother plants, meaning they can save money, and get an even production. This would solve a lot of growers’ challenges and professionalize the industry.”
The European market
With lots of developments occurring in Europe, Mads hopes that the market won’t resemble the North American one. “Over there, everybody is producing so much that the market is oversaturated. The U.S. market wasn’t very highly regulated, which we seem to be doing better here in Europe. I hope the European market matures into a balance of supply and demand,” Mads says. At the moment, Germany in particular seems to be a major opportunity for both growers and Nordic Supreme. “It is also a great development for patients, who will now have regulated places to buy from.”
For more information:
Nordic Supreme
[email protected]
www.nordic-supreme.com