Evening sky with layered cloud over a South Island horizon

Breeding hemp for short, wet southern seasons.

An independent plant breeding research programme in New Zealand, selecting for plants that finish early, resist mould and carry distinctive chemistry. Nothing here is for sale.

What we are selecting for

Early finish
Southern autumns close in fast. We record when each plant finishes against one fixed criterion, so the earliest plants are chosen on evidence rather than memory.
Mould resistance
Cool nights and heavy dews put dense flowers at risk. Every plant is scored for botrytis through the late season, and the survivors carry the programme forward.
Distinctive chemistry
Cannabinoid and terpene profiles, including CBD and CBG, are measured by accredited laboratory testing, then compared across plants. The target is new profiles, not copies of existing ones. Read how these compounds fit together.
Healthy soil biology
We test Korean Natural Farming inputs and living-soil practice as part of the growing system, and log what changes.

How a season runs

  1. Germinate. Seed is started indoors and every seedling is labelled before it is potted.
  2. Grow out. Plants are raised as individuals, each at its own spot, so differences between plants show up clearly.
  3. Select. Plants are scored on finish date, mould and chemistry. Only the strongest few are kept.
  4. Carry forward. Keepers are propagated and re-tested the next season, this time with replicates.
Hemp seeds on damp paper towel, several with a white root just emerging, above a seedling tray
Germination on the bench. The white tips are roots starting to emerge.
A row of black pots filled with potting mix and a layer of perlite and vermiculite, ready for planting
Pots prepared for transplanting.

Every plant is recorded from seed

Each plant gets a permanent ID and a QR label the day it is sown. From then on, watering, measurements, photos, notes and laboratory results are logged against that one ID, so any plant’s whole history can be pulled up later.

The same records support traceability, repeatable selection decisions and the reporting this kind of work requires.

Research only, under notification

Our hemp work is research and breeding of new cultivars. It is carried out under New Zealand’s regulations for industrial hemp, and the site is notified to NZ Police and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

We do not sell seed, plants, flower or any other product, and we do not take orders through this site or social media.

Talk to us about research

If you work in plant breeding, trial design, laboratory testing or regulation, we would like to hear from you.

hello@ridgeresearch.co.nz