Research and Development
It is the resolution of named TNR Bioscience Company Limited (TNRBio) to create standards for Thailand’s hemp extract industry to be internationally acceptable. Therefore, the company places importance on research and development from the upstream, midstream, and downstream of hemp industry to develop all potentials of Thailand’s hemp business cycle.
Upstream: Developing hemp strains and planting process in Thailand
TNRBio and Maejo University signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 28 June 2021 to support the research budget of more than 30 million Baht to build the Hemp Research and Development Center to experiment and develop hemps. The main objectives can be divided into 3 parts as follows:
1. Discovering and developing strains
TNRBio aims to discover and develop hemp strains to suit different geographical and weather conditions in each region of Thailand to promote hemps as new economic plants and accommodate the world’s fast-growing demand of CBD extracts.
During Phase 1 experiment, more than 20 strains has been sourced domestically and internationally to experiment the outdoor and greenhouse planting to test the suitability of growing and quality of hemp flowers to ensure high weight per plant and high CBD percentage while less than 1 percent of THC is appropriate for extraction. The center shall select outstanding strains to develop efficiency of the planting process.
There are further plans for phases 2 and 3 to increase planting experimental areas to other regions, including central region, eastern region, northeastern region, and southern region to discover strains and planting methods that suit each area.
2. Developing planting process
TNRBio supports the concepts of Maejo University in studying and developing hemp planting processes to obtain hemp flower with high CBD percentage for industrial extraction. TNRBio supports the budget to improve 4,800 square meters of planting areas and useful areas within Hemp Research and Development Center at Maejo University, Chiang Mai University, as well as the continuous budgets for the period of 5 years, totally 30 million Baht for research.
Hemp Research and Development Center starts the outdoor planting in the 1st season in November 2021 by selecting 3 strains, making up of 2,800 plants, from overseas to study and develop the planting processes that suit Thailand’s weather condition, starting from selection of seeds, seedlings, pre- and post-blooming maintenance, as well as harvesting and drying technique to ensure the standard of hemp flowers in accordance with TNRBio’s extraction plant standards.
The result of the 1st season experiment yielded the best strain with high-quality productivity, that was higher than 400 mg of dried flowers per plant with 18 percent CBD.
The result of the 2nd season started in July 2022 and the 3rd season in January 2023. The aim was to obtain higher quantity and better quantity of products with lower costs of planting per plant.
3. Knowledge transfer.
TNRBio aims to transfer the knowledge obtained from research and development in collaboration with Maejo University in terms of effective hemp planting technique and process to community enterprise, agriculturists, and persons interested in industrial hemp planting.
“This knowledge transfer is one of the goals to promote hemps as the real sustainable economic plant”
In addition, TNRBio builds hemp drying building and 300 and 1000-kg drying machines are installed in Hemp Research and Development Center, Maejo University to provide flower drying service to the local agriculturists.
Midstream and downstream: Developing the production process and expanding hemp products
TNRBio is determined to develop the production process to obtain hemp extracts in the form of high-quality CBD Distillate Full-Spectrum, CBD Isolate and CBD Water-Soluble which are in high demand of the market.
In addition to extract products, R&D Department of TNRBio also collaborated with partners in downstream industry in developing the products containing a variety of help extracts in different industries such as herbs, drinks, health supplements, and beauty to enhance business opportunities for partners and increase better options of health for consumers.
