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Aurora banks on auto-flowering research

Published on September 26, 2024 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Adobe stock/the oz.

Edmonton-based Aurora Cannabis says it is pioneering ground-breaking research in auto-flowering technology.

“Auto-flowering is a genetic characteristic that automatically transitions the plant from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage rather than relying on changes in light cycles,” the company explains in a Sept. 17 news release.

Or as the website THCuniversity.org explains it: “An auto-flowering cannabis seed is a type of cannabis seed that has been bred to flower automatically based on age rather than changes in the light cycle.”

“This innovative work … will support future breeding strategies, and can be leveraged to revolutionize outdoor cannabis cultivation in high-latitude regions, such as Canada,” the Aurora release says.

“Our recent work on auto-flowering will be a game changer for cannabis and hemp production,” says Jose Celedon, director or breeding and genetics for Aurora in the release.

“Most of the commercially grown cannabis is photoperiod sensitive, meaning that plants require shifts in day length to trigger flowering. While this can be controlled readily in indoor production, it is a limitation for outdoor cultivation,” the release says. Aurora’s new genetic patent enables it “to identify and select for the auto flowering trait,” the company adds.

The release concludes: “Aurora’s commitment to research and innovation has generated tangible results for the company, significantly improving potency and yield, thereby driving down cost per gram and increasing overall efficiency.”