Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

 

When reading about cannabis cultivation, a term you may hear is “pathogen”. In fact, when it comes to talking about things that can go wrong within a crop, this word appears quite a bit. Understanding what pathogens are and how they impact cannabis crops can not only help diagnose the problem more quickly but also help save the quality and quantity of your harvest.

 

Plant pathogens are part of Cannabis Cultivation 101. Understanding what pathogens are and how to combat them is just as important as knowing how to properly upcut a plant to control growth. At the end of the day, having a solid foundation of knowledge about plant pathogens and the role (albeit a negative one) they play in the cannabis plant’s life cycle.

What are Plant Pathogens?

According to information provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, viruses, and even infectious proteins called prions. Pathogens of all classes must have mechanisms for entering their host and for evading immediate destruction by the host immune system.”

 

Plant pathogens can cover a wide range of topics, from viruses like tomato ringspot virus to fungi like Fusarium. Though the topic of plant pathogens may seem daunting, it is a topic every cannabis cultivator should be educated on. Now that we know what a pathogen is, let’s take a look at a few examples that can be seen in the cannabis cultivation industry.

 

Examples of Plant Pathogens

Now that we have a better understanding of what plant pathogens are, let’s look at a few specific examples. Pathogens can manifest themselves in multiple different ways. The key to proper diagnosis is to have a solid base knowledge of the different pathogens that can impact a cannabis crop.

 

For example, a common pathogen known to impact cannabis crops is the Alfalfa Mosaic Virus. This particular virus is known to produce yellowing and mosaic patterns on the leaves, impact chlorophyll production, and reduce the yield of your overall crop. To read more about the Alfalfa Mosaic Virus, please visit our article here.

 

Now, compare this to Botrytis. While both it and Alfalfa Mosaic Virus impact yields, they produce differing symptoms. Botrytis is a fungus rather than a virus, meaning it will use the plant as food to reproduce and expand. Symptoms of botrytis include browning spots on leaves and rotting buds in flowering cannabis plants. To read more about Botrytis and preventative measures against it, please visit our article here.

 

While these are just two of the plant pathogens that cannabis cultivators can come up against, there are dozens upon dozens of pathogens. Pathogens encompass a wide range of problems that cannabis cultivators can encounter. The best way to accumulate the knowledge needed to identify and combat the various pathogens known to impact cannabis crops is to have great educational materials and continue expanding your education.

 

How Bad Are Plant Pathogens for Cannabis Plants?

Photo by CRYSTALWEED cannabis on Unsplash

 

Plant pathogens can do a wide range of harm to a cannabis crop. However, what that damage is depends on what kind of pathogen your cannabis plant is infected with. For example, cannabis crops infected with Hop Latent Viroid may experience symptoms such as;

• Stunted Plant Growth
• Underdeveloped trichomes
• Reduction in overall yield
• Damages the overall taste of the flower

 

It does not matter if the pathogen impacting your cannabis crop is Hop Latent Viroid, Botrytis, or Fusarium. All pathogens can cause costly damage to your plants, leaving you with problems that run the risk of impacting future crops. Common problems cultivators encounter with pathogens include damaged stems/leaves, yield reduction, poor crop quality, and even plant death.

 

How to Combat Plant Pathogens

Before feeling like all hope is lost, it is worth noting that steps can be taken to help combat, and in some cases help prevent, the spread of plant pathogens.

 

• Implement cleaning schedules to help prevent the spread of pathogens
• Quarantine new plants coming into the grow
• Regularly test for pathogens using in-house testing equipment or by using a reputable testing facility
• Clean equipment regularly and assign equipment to individual rooms to avoid cross-contamination.
• Use PPE gear (smocks, gloves, ) to help prevent bringing pathogens into the grow and from spreading pathogens from room to room.

 

While there are many methods to help combat pathogens, these five items can help any grower have a great head start. Keeping pathogens away from your cannabis crop requires patience and consistency.

 

Removing a pathogen from your grow, whether it is a fungus, virus, or any other pathogen, also requires patience and consistency. At some point in a grower’s career, encountering a pathogen will happen. However, the knowledge and experience the grower possesses will help them remove a pathogen (if possible) and limit crop damage.

Where to Learn More

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

 

When it comes to learning about pathogens and everything else that can impact your cannabis crop, there is no better place than Verne Bio’s Knowledge Center. Conveniently located on our website, we offer a wide variety of information for growers of all experience levels. While visiting our site, you can expect to find topics covering information such as;

 

• Hop Latent Viroid
• Various Mosaic Viruses that impact cannabis plants
• Botrytis and how to combat
• Great growing tips that can save you time and money, while keeping your plants happy and healthy!
• Information on the testing kits sold by Verne Bio

 

These topics are just a handful of those that can be found in our Knowledge Center. We take pride in helping further the knowledge availability for growers everywhere. No matter if the topic is regarding pathogens or tips and tricks for testing, Verne Bio is a cultivator’s best friend.