While still in its infancy compared to other major agronomic crops, hemp genetics are evolving at a frantic pace as breeders try to keep up with today’s discerning cannabis producer. Keep reading for a closer look at some of the latest varieties on the market (some also included in the slideshow above). Note: Due to the uneven nature in which breeders present information about their hemp varieties, we were unable to obtain complete testing information on several of the varieties presented within this article. As always, we advise all growers request and review each variety’s official Certificate of Analysis [CoA] prior to making a genetics purchase or signing any agreements with a seed provider.)

 Cultivar: Auto Tsunami

Breeder: Beacon Hemp (Santa Rosa, CA)

Offerings: Feminized Seed (autoflower)

Testing: CBD:THC RATIO: 24:1 – 32:1 (12% to 15% maximum cannabinoid potential)

Terpene Profile: Sharp haze, lemon pledge (limonene), terpinolene dominant

Auto Tsunami is recommended for greenhouse production where blackout curtains (day neutral variety) are not in use. The cultivar produces short, bushy plants with a high flower to shoot/leaf ratio. Hemp flowers are large, bright green, and expansive with white pistils.

Cultivar: Auto Tune

Breeder: Beacon Hemp (Santa Rosa, CA)

Offerings: Feminized Seed (autoflower)

Testing: CBD:THC Ratio: 24:1 – 32:1; 12% to 15% total cannabinoid profile

Terpene Profile: Terpinolene dominant with sweet and musky undertones

Auto Tune is a hybrid cross of Beacon’s popular Auto Tsunami × Auto Pivot strains. The plants grow in an upright manner with extremely long terminal flower development. The flowers are large and dense with long colas forming at the crown.

Cultivar: Matterhorn CBG

Breeder: High Grade Hemp Seed (Longmont, CO) via partner and fellow hemp breeder, Matthias Ghidossi, founder of Swiss Cannabinoid

Offerings: Starts and Feminized Seeds

Testing: CBG 15%; THC 0.09%

Terpene profile: Effervescent lemon and lime with skunky notes of hops.

Germination rate: 95%

Feminization rate: 98% (one male for every 4,000 females)

High Grade Hemp Seeds’ (HGHS) Matterhorn CBG line of genetics are a solid choice for both greenhouse and field production. This remarkably vigorous strain was bred from the industrial hemp strain Carmagnola, which has been farmed for fiber and CBD in Europe for more than 15 years. You can expect substantial height and girth. It is a resilient plant that grows in almost every environment. Matterhorn CBG has two years of field trials and has proven itself to be uniform, stable, and unique, and its easy THC compliance reportedly makes it a good option for farmers looking to get into the CBG market or to diversify, according to HGHS.

 Cultivar: ABOUND

Breeder: New West Genetics (Fort Collins, CO)

Offerings: Seed, USDA Certified Organic or Conventional

Testing: THC: 0.2% max; no data on CBD content available

Germination: 90%

Purity: 99.6%

New West Genetics’ (NWG) ABOUND Hemp Seed is a dioecious seed bred for enhanced CBD production dual crop. This cultivar flowers 56 days after planting (108 days to maturity), and the grower can harvest both grain and flower. This strain is currently under Association of Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) varietal certification evaluation and according to NWG the cultivar has proven genetically stable in multiple agronomic and chemotypic traits.

Cultivar: NWG-ELITE and NWG-ELITEse

Breeder: New West Genetics (Fort Collins, CO)

Offerings: Seed, conventional

Testing: THC 0.2% max; no data on CBD content available;

Germination: 93%

Purity: 99.3%

NWG-ELITE & NWG-ELITEse are dioecious seeds bred for high yield grain production, and NWG-ELITE specifically was the first U.S.-bred hemp cultivar to pass a Department of Agriculture THC Trial. This AOSCA-certified variety — another hemp industry first — flowers at 53 days post-planting, and its stable height phenotype makes it ideal for mechanical planting and harvesting in the field.

 Cultivar: Panakeia

Breeder: Hemp Trading (Spain, EU)

Offerings: Feminized Seed

U.S. Distribution via Tesoro Genetics and Front Range Biosciences; Canadian Distribution via Cannabis Orchards;

Testing: CBG: 18%; THC: 0.00%; CBD: 0.00%

Panakeia is reportedly the first hemp variety free of psychoactive components with high CBG, according to its breeders. The variety contains no THC and has a high concentration of CBG (18%). That means a double achievement: not only THC has been eliminated, but the concentration of CBG has been increased. Panakeia is on Health Canada’s official list of approved cultivars.

Cultivar: S1

Breeder: Sunrise Genetics (Fort Collins, CO)

Offerings: Clone only for 2020

Testing: CBD: 8% to13% range; THC: 0.15-0.25 range

Terpene Profile: Pinene/Mycrene dominant; piney and musky/earth overtones

As an early flowerer and finisher, S1 has a small, wide, yet compact growth habit amenable to high planting densities, thus making it a good candidate for greenhouse and indoor production.

Cultivar: FL58

Breeder: Sunrise Genetics (Fort Collins, CO)

Offerings: Clone only for 2020

Testing: 5% to 11% CBD; THC: 0.2%

Terpene Profile: Caryophyllenne and Pinene/Mycrene dominant; peppery/spice overtones with piney/earthy undertones

If you’re looking for a late planter, look no further than FL58, the cultivar that produces the lowest amounts of THC among Sunrise’s offerings for 2020. A medium-sized plant with small numbers of dense, large flowers. Considered the safest option in Sunrise’s 2020 catalog due to its late onset of THC production (therefore an early harvest would conceivably be THC compliant).

Cultivar: Purple Cowboy

Breeder: Trilogene Seeds (Denver, CO)

Offerings: Seed

Testing: CBD: 9.4% THC (Delta9): 0.081%

Terpene Profile: A sweet undertone of grape mixed with a grassy grease of motor oil and spicy Kentucky bluegrass clippings, and aroma notes of purple soda pop and peppery cherries.

Trilogene describes its Purple Cowboy CBD-dominant cultivar as one of its best varieties for greenhouse production: “A plant that grows like a Jewish menorah…array of shades of green buds mixed with six or seven different pistil colors; phenotypic expressive…and packs a punch in both vigor and yield.” (Editor’s Note: All Trilogene seed cultivars are Delta-9 THC Compliant [>0.3%] but growers must closely monitor Total THC percentages close to harvest to ensure compliance)

Cultivar: Superwoman S1

Breeder: Trilogene Seeds (Denver, CO)

Offerings: Seed

Testing: CBD 14% THC (Delta 9): 0.087

Terpene Profile: A garlicky flavor profile of grenadine-covered cherries with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, with a cheesy funk aroma of sweet cherries and garlic pepper.

Superwoman S1 is a balanced hybrid bred for its unique ability to thrive in multiple climates. Plant expresses a “complex profile of 50 shades of green intertwined with a light-to-dark series of orange pistils and faded fan leaves.” (Editor’s Note: All Trilogene seed cultivars are Delta-9 THC Compliant (>0.3%) but growers must closely monitor Total THC percentages close to harvest to ensure compliance)

Considerations for Hemp Variety Selection

During a recent online presentation, Beacon Hemp CEO Nick Stromberg shared his top tips for things growers need to consider when selecting hemp genetics.

1. What is your budget?
2. What type of hemp product are you growing for? (i.e., extraction, smokable flower, fiber, seed, etc.)
3. How are you harvesting, drying, and processing (end process) the hemp?
4. When is your growing season?
5. What is your most analogous crop?
6. What type of equipment do you have access to?
7. How are you propagating your starts?