BritGrain Auto™
Engineering the Future of British Hemp Grain
Imagine a new era of sustainable, homegrown protein crops, powered by British science. We're not just imagining it; we're building it.
Britain’s farmers deserve crops that are as ambitious and forward-thinking as they are. Industrial hemp offers enormous potential, but for too long, its success has been held back by genetics ill-suited to our climate and regulations.
The BritGrain Auto™ project is set to transform that story. We are developing a next-generation grain hemp variety designed from the ground up for British fields, our national food security, and, most importantly, farmer confidence.
The Challenge: Taking the Gamble out of Hemp Grain
The problems with the current grain hemp options available to UK farmers are all too familiar.
- Import Reliance: Most seed is bred for other countries, with different climates and rules, making performance in a UK field a roll of the dice.
- THC Anxiety: The ever-present risk of a crop "going hot" and exceeding the UK’s legal THC limit can trigger forced crop destruction, license issues, and devastating income loss.
- Unpredictable Performance: Conventional varieties often struggle with the UK’s fickle growing season, leading to patchy yields, uneven ripening, or harvests lost to early autumn weather.
- Missed Opportunities: The modern food and feed industries are hungry for traceable, UK-grown plant protein. Without reliable, high-quality grain hemp, we’re leaving money on the table.
Our Vision: Compliance, Performance, and Profitability by Design
Our vision for BritGrain Auto™ is the answer. We are engineering a genuinely British, compliant, and market-oriented grain hemp to take the risks and guesswork out of farming.
- British-Bred, British-Proven: Our genetics will be constructed and validated specifically for UK soils, skies, and regulations. No more gambling with imported varieties.
- Compliance by Design: By using precision breeding to build ultra-low THC capability directly into the plant's DNA, we aim to give English farmers peace of mind and predictable, legal harvests—every season.
- Fit for Regenerative Rotations: With its deep roots and restorative powers, hemp is a hero for soil health, making it a perfect fit for schemes like the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMS).
- Aligned with Modern Markets: We are breeding grain hemp to meet today’s demand—high in protein and healthy fats, with complete digital traceability from farm to fork.
Our Approach: Engineering for Superior Performance
Our scientific strategy will use cutting-edge CRISPR-Cas9 technology to make precise, beneficial changes, giving BritGrain Auto™ a distinct advantage. Our development targets include:
- Increasing Seed Number: Our goal is to edit the CLV3 gene to remove the biological brake on flower formation, which will lead to significantly more seeds per plant and a direct increase in your potential yield.
- Eliminating Seed Shatter: We will edit the SHP gene to ensure mature seeds remain firmly attached to the plant until you’re ready to harvest, dramatically reducing the field losses that plague conventional varieties.
- Optimizing the Oil Profile: By editing the FAD2 gene, we will create a highly stable, premium oil. This will transform the end-product from a niche supplement into a valuable, mainstream ingredient for food processing and cosmetics, expanding its market value.
Our Journey: Validated Science, Real-World Trials
Our commitment is to transparency and a data-driven development process. This is where we are today:
- Lab Validation Achieved: We have already successfully demonstrated in the University of Hertfordshire lab that our precision-breeding technology works, setting the stage for these critical trait improvements.
- First Control Crops Underway: Our inaugural field season at Rothamsted Research is in progress. Using conventional hemp as a benchmark, we are gathering vital data on UK agronomic performance and compliance management in genuine British conditions.
- Gene-Edited Lines Next: The next, exciting phase will deploy our first precision-bred lines, focusing on locking in the traits for THC compliance, synchronised flowering, and superior grain quality.
Join Us on the Journey
The BritGrain Auto™ project is more than just developing a seed; it’s a collaboration between scientists, farmers, and supply chain partners, backed by the expertise of the University of Hertfordshire, Rothamsted Research, and the British Hemp Alliance. We are committed to making every step of this journey open, collaborative, and impactful.
Are you a farmer interested in helping to shape the future of hemp, or a supply chain partner seeking a reliable source of British-grown, compliant grain? Reach out to us. We’re eager to collaborate, share our expertise, and build the blueprint for resilient and productive cropping across England.