logo-loader

CO2 GRO announces accelerated flowering results in ornamental orchid species receiving supplemental CO2

Published: 09:39 01 Dec 2020 EST

CO2 GRO
The orchid growth trial began in April 2020 at St. Cloud State University's greenhouse facilities in Minnesota

CO2 GRO Inc (CVE:GROW) (OTCQB:BLONF) (FRA:4021) has announced accelerated flowering results in ornamental orchid species receiving supplemental CO2 via its CO2 Delivery Solutions compared to a control grown under standard atmospheric conditions. 

The orchid growth trial began in April 2020 at St. Cloud State University's greenhouse facilities in Minnesota, and as of mid-November, the CO2 supplemented orchids were achieving full bloom about three months faster than control orchids, the company said in a statement Tuesday. 

GROW noted that this is consistent with all other scientific and commercial feasibility plant-growth results that show the benefits from CO2 supplementation delivered via aqueous CO2 misting. GROW said its potential orchid greenhouse customer cannot use CO2 gassing due to heat constraints. 

READ: CO2 GRO sells CO2 Delivery Solutions to licensed medical cannabis cultivator in British Columbia

Orchids account for about 10% of global fresh cut flower and potted plant trade, according to Toronto-based GROW. 

The Netherlands represents about 40% of the world orchid market followed by Thailand (28%), Taiwan (10%), Singapore (10%), and New Zealand (6%). Importing countries are Japan (30%), the UK (12%), Italy (10%), France (7%), and the US (6%), 

While most orchids grow from seed to sale in less than a year, GROW said its trial centers on orchids classified as C4 desert plants that take three years to grow from seed to sale. 

Most faster-growing plants grown, including certain orchids are in the C3 family, where they intake CO2 during the day via opening their leaf stoma (pores) to absorb CO2 needs for photosynthesis. C4 desert plants shut their leaf stomata by day to minimize water evapotranspiration so they absorb and store CO2 at night for photosynthesis during the day.

"While not an immediate return, this looks like another potential vertical for us helping growers of high-value plants such as C4 orchids accelerate their multi-year plant growth cycles,” said John Archibald, GROW's CEO. “Using our highly efficient CO2 Delivery Solutions technology to accelerate their plant growth can add value to these growers and our shareholders."

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham

Australian Strategic Materials signs US$600 million LoI

Rowena Smith, CEO and managing director of Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX:ASM, OTC:ASMMF), joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the company’ s Dubbo Project, in Central West New South Wales. This project aims to extract and process critical minerals and rare earth...

3 hours, 13 minutes ago