VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 26, 2018 / PROGRESSIVE PLANET SOLUTIONS INC. (TSX-V: PLAN) ("Progressive Planet", "PLAN" or the "Company") has received additional results from InnoTech Alberta for its Zeolite Efficacy Trial. We have disclosed what we deem to be material in nature.
The trial included two popular grow media used in the Cannabis industry. Each grow medium was placed into 28 pots. For each grow medium, seven pots containing no Z1 Zeolite functioned as a baseline and seven pots had 5%, 10% and 15% of Z1 Zeolite added by weight respectively.
The objectives of the study were to investigate the effect of PLAN's Z1 Zeolite on the growth and qualities of greenhouse grown low-THC Cannabis (industrial hemp), irrigation water use and nutrient release/retention of two substrates. The first substrate was an organic grow medium specifically tailored for growing Cannabis. The second substrate was a widely used, high porosity, low density, peat-based growing medium, widely available for retail purchase in Canada, which also contains mycorrhizae.
Section 39(1) of the Industrial Hemp Regulations (IHR) allows a variety of industrial hemp to be designated as an approved cultivar, provided that the variety will produce a plant that will contain 0.3% THC or less in its leaves and flowering heads. For our study, we selected the Sativa hemp cultivar X-59 (Hemp Nut). This cultivar contains compacted, profuse flower heads and is known to contain approximately 1.5% of CBD and 0.1% or less of THC at grain harvest stage according to Dr. Jan Slaski, the lead advisor of the Zeolite Efficacy Study. Finally, this cultivar of hemp is exempt from THC testing under subsection 16 (1) of the Industrial Hemp Regulations.
We wish to state that the chemical composition and the cation exchange capacity of Zeolite vary for different deposits. As a result, the results from this study cannot be extrapolated for other Zeolite deposits.
Prior results reported focused solely on the organic grow medium and did not include any cannabinoid analyses of flower tissue for either of the grow media.
The cannabinoids analyzed included CBC, CBD, CBDa, CBG, CBGa, CBN, d8-THC, d9-THC, THCa, and THCV. We have not reported any THC compounds as the cultivar used contains 0.1% or less of THC at grain harvest as described above. A UHPLC system equipped with a UV DAD detector was used for the analyses of all cannabinoids tested.
PLAN will not release all the data from the report in order to protect intellectual property, but the following material observations were made:
Organic grow medium designed for growing Cannabis
- Z1 Zeolite added to the organic grow medium improved soil moisture conservation and the retention of the majority of 19 tested elements and improved the mineral status of the flower buds.
- Based on calculated harvest index, flower bud yield was increased where Z1 Zeolite was added.
- The highest average total bud yield per category of Z1 Zeolite added was 123.2 grams per plant and this average was recorded for the seven pots which contained 10% Z1 Zeolite. The baseline with no Z1 Zeolite had a yield of 118 grams, which was not significantly different than the 10% Z1 Zeolite addition result.
- Z1 Zeolite did not significantly affect the production of all detectable cannabinoid compounds versus the baseline; however, total CBD ranged between 0.54% to 2.66% when Z1 Zeolite was added. Much of this variation may be attributed to genetic variability of the seed. InnoTech Alberta proposed further study of Z-1 Zeolite using clonally propagated high-CBD lines of industrial hemp and/or high THC Cannabis strains to quantify this efficacy.
Widely available peat-based grow medium
- Z1 Zeolite added to the peat-based grow medium did not improve soil moisture conservation or nutrient retention. This result was not unexpected as the peat-based medium is designed as a multi-use growing medium and is specifically designated as high porosity with a high content of perlite.
- The highest average total bud yield per category of Z1 Zeolite added was 162.8 grams per plant and this average was recorded for the seven pots which contained 10% Z1 Zeolite. The baseline with no Z1 Zeolite had a yield of 59.1 grams.
- In plants grown in 10% Z1 Zeolite pots, the total CBD concentration available as a percentage was slightly lower versus the organic growing medium, but the absolute total CBD amount as measured by weight was higher due to the higher total bud yield.
- Zeolite stimulated the production of tested cannabinoid compounds. When 5% or 10 % Z1 Zeolite was added to the grow media, CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC and THC were higher than the baseline (0% Z1 Zeolite added). Total CBD available was 1.07% for the baseline with no Z1 Zeolite. Total CBD was 1.40% and 1.38% with 5% and 10% Z1 Zeolite added respectively. As with the organic grow medium, InnoTech Alberta recommended further trials using clonally propagated high-CBD lines of industrial hemp and/or high THC cannabis strains.
Based on the excellent results of the study with respect to 10% Z1 Zeolite added to the widely available peat-based grow medium, Progressive Planet plans to begin selling 454-gram (1 pound) bags of Z-1 Zeolite on its website. The e-commerce platform to enable online shopping is being developed concurrently with packaging and labeling.
"I am very satisfied that the study confirmed our hypothesis that our Z1 Zeolite has merit when used with a widely available Canadian grow medium. Progressive Planet has an existing bagging line at the Advanced Material Centre and we plan to start selling small bags of Z1 Zeolite to Canadians who wish to use this to enhance grow media when legally growing Cannabis plants in their homes in Canada," said Stephen Harpur, CEO. Progressive Planet also plans to offer larger bags and bulk sales of Z1 Zeolite to commercial Canadian hemp and Cannabis growers in Canada in 2019.
Based on the results of this trial, Progressive Planet has procured an option to lease five acres of land immediately adjacent to its Advanced Materials Centre in Vernon, BC for the purpose of growing strains of industrial hemp outdoors during the 2019 growing season. All strains we plan to grow will be designated by Health Canada as approved cultivars. In addition, an additional five acres of farm land located in Salmon Arm, BC and owned by Stephen Harpur, CEO, have been made available for the same purpose. Progressive Planet has no plans to grow any strain of Cannabis which contains high levels of THC.
It is the intention of Progressive Planet to use the data gathered from this comprehensive study to focus on maximizing the yield of both CBD and CBG in industrial hemp. Progressive Planet intends to engage InnoTech Alberta as technical advisors for this second phase of testing. "I am excited to act as a Technical Advisor to Progressive Planet in their pursuit of high bud yields and increased CBD and CBG cannabinoid concentrations in Phase 2 of their Z1 Zeolite Efficacy Grow Trials. For Phase 1, the constraint of time did not permit us to use clones. With the data from Phase 1 and the time to procure clones, this is an option for Phase 2 of the Z1 Zeolite Efficacy Trials" stated Dr. Jan Slaski.
There is no guarantee that Progressive Planet will receive approval to grow industrial hemp in 2019 in either of these two locations in the Okanagan Region of BC. The Company cautions that it remains in the evaluation stage of these opportunities only, and has not submitted any applications to become a licensed grower of industrial hemp, and that any transaction resulting in the Company's entry into the hemp industry will require various approvals, including that of Health Canada and the TSX Venture Exchange, and at present, none of those approvals have been sought.
Progressive Planet is a Canadian based mineral exploration company with its flagship Z1 Zeolite Mine in British Columbia, an equity interest in Snow Lake Resources, the right to earn a 5% interest in the Lac Guéret Extensions Graphite Project in Quebec and a 100% interest in the Buckingham Graphite Project in Quebec.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Signed "Stephen Harpur"
Stephen Harpur, CPA, CGA
CEO
For further information, please contact:
Stephen Harpur. CEO
1-800-910-3072
[email protected]
www.progressiveplanet.ca
Forward-Looking Statements:
Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE: PROGRESSIVE PLANET SOLUTIONS INC.