The importance of having pathogen-free and strong starting material cannot be overstated. Growing cannabis at scale, whether for adult-use or medical purposes, is a particularly financially intensive endeavor. Discarding an entire crop due to a sudden disease outbreak can seriously hinder the future of a cannabis operation. There are cannabis nurseries that provide safe and clean starting material, and tissue culture is one of the best methods to ensure that. On the other hand, dealing with seeds can be very challenging due to the uncertainties they bring. However, 3Rivers Biotech is currently working on a new concept for the cannabis industry: synthetic seeds.
"We focus on plant health," says Jack Munz from 3Rivers Biotech, "returning vigor and quality to plants that are subject to pathogen pressures." Every grower is rightfully concerned about an HLVD outbreak, especially because of its high seed transmission rates. That is why 3Rivers Biotech has turned to synthetic seeds as a preferred method of propagation. "The idea of synthetic seeds started around since the '60s or '70s. However, nothing was formally established into a tangible research effort until the 80s" Jack says. "They started in agriculture, with crops like carrots and citrus being the first published attempts."
What even are synthetic seeds?
Synthetic seeds mimic the three main components of natural seeds: the embryo, the endosperm, and the seed coat. Jack explains, "The embryo can be any tissue derived from the starting material—whether it's a shoot tip, callus, or even a somatic embryo." The endosperm is replaced by a nutrient solution in a semi-solid gel, into which the tissue culture sample, or explant, is placed. "We take that gel and make a seed coat," he adds.
3Rivers Biotech produces hydrated synthetic seeds. While the desiccated form is more challenging due to the drying process, both types are designed to mimic natural seeds. "The desiccation process can have species-specific success. Some plant species don't take well to drying out," Jack explains.
One advantage of synthetic seeds, especially in cannabis, is that they are always feminized. "They come from female moms," Jack explains, "and there's nothing we need to do additionally to feminize them. They're clones—mirror images of the parent plant." This ensures genetic uniformity, a critical factor in commercial cannabis cultivation.
Though synthetic seeds are commercially viable for storage and transport, Jack acknowledges there is still work to be done for direct soil planting. "We've had varying levels of success with that. Right now, we put them into tissue culture first." He is currently developing a rooting protocol so synthetic seeds can be more easily placed into plugs for germination.
One of the benefits of synthetic seeds is that they help reduce the likelihood of mutation. "We're slowing the metabolism of the plants, so there's less cell division and less chance of mutation," Jack says. This leads to a more stable and healthy product, although he notes that "it does take a little more time—about 3 to 6 weeks—for the plants to catch up again."
The hidden cost of normal seeds
While synthetic seeds are more expensive to produce compared to regular seeds, Jack points out that the additional cost can be justified. "If the parent plants weren't regularly tested for HLVD, you could end up with a bunch of contaminated seeds. So that raises the cost of regular seeds. Synthetic seeds offer a cleaner, pathogen-free alternative. It would be much, much more expensive to deal with contaminated seeds or an outbreak. Synthetic seeds take that risk out of the equation, so a grower wouldn't incur unexpected expenses."
Additionally, Jack sees potential for synthetic seeds to preserve genetic diversity. "If you get a bag of seeds and pick your favorite through a pheno hunt, you can use synthetic seeds to preserve that phenotype," he explains. This could allow growers to maintain a broader array of genetic availability without the need to keep hundreds of plants alive. "Instead of tossing the rest, we can keep them alive forever," Jack says.
At the same time, there's always the argument that when growers outsource their clones, they may lose uniqueness, as their genetic diversity is dictated by the library of the nursery in question. At 3Rivers Biotech, all tissue culture materials are licensed under a clear legal structure. "Everything we bring to tissue culture doesn't belong to us. We just hold it for you," Jack clarifies. The company continues its research and development efforts to refine the use of synthetic seeds, with hopes of offering growers a reliable and efficient option for cannabis cultivation.
For more information:
3Rivers Biotech
360-232-4140 (US)
6O4-761-454O (CANADA)
[email protected]
3riversbiotech.com