Cannabis is an immature crop following decades of prohibition. Think corn roughly a hundred years ago. So when it comes to trait development, the possibilities are endless.

In 2013, the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers identified a “market pull” for tomatoes with differentiated flavour.

Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered a family of genes that make plants resistant to a broad range of plant diseases. Over the last several years, they have been working with Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) to further develop these genes, using a reverse genetics platform founded on Deep Variant Scanning (DVS).

Platform Genetics Inc. is on a mission to make breeding more efficient. The two-year-old venture is Vineland’s first spin-off company to be born of its work in advancing Canada’s horticulture industry.