oNeed for breeding
nEuropean hemp varieties historically have been bred for fiber or to a lesser extent dual purpose (seed & fiber)
n
nonly 6% of varieties grown in Canada are Canadian bred
n
naverage hemp yields are still low compared to other commodity crops (i.e. flax)
n
nhemp has been less intensively bred than other crops and so retains a high level of genetic diversity
n
nopportunities exist to breed for specific properties (i.e. GLA, SDA)
n
nCurrent breeding projects for seed and fiber in Ontario and Western Canada