Hop Latent Viroid, or HLVd for short, is one of the hottest topics in the cannabis cultivation community. Not only does it present a learning curve for growers of all experience levels, but it also presents a challenge within the industry’s more scientific/analytical side. This viroid is both new to the cannabis industry, and at the same time widespread, leaving industry professionals wondering what they should do after their plants test positive for Hop Latent Viroid.
Hop Latent Viroid is a pathogen known to target cannabis crops. Discovered in Spain in 1987, then later documented in Germany in 1988, HLVd was a known problem for the traditional agriculture industry. Early reports of this viroid noted that it was prone to impact crops such as hops and citrus plants.
However, in 2019, the term dud (or dudding) disease began to enter the California cannabis market. Growers were experiencing stunted growth and under-developed trichomes in their cannabis crops. The final diagnosis was Hop Latent Viroid.
Hop Latent Viroid is arguably a relatively new problem for the cannabis industry. Since 2019, the pathogen has spread to other states. At the time of this writing, there is no known cure for HLVd. However, there are prevention and testing methods available to combat the problem.
To read more about Hop Latent Viroid, please visit our Hop Latent Viroid Resource Center.
The earlier you catch Hop Latent Viroid, the better your chances are of saving your cannabis crop. Many plants that carry the pathogen can remain asymptomatic for long periods of time. Since HLVd can impact your plants before they ever begin showing symptoms, routine testing should be a vital part of your standards of practice.
Verne Bio tests for Hop Latent Viroid and other problematic viruses, viroids, and molds that impact cannabis crops. Our drive to make testing more accessible has led us to create the i-Test and WE-Test kits. These kits help put the power of cultivation testing back into the hands of the grower.
We offer two different ways to perform testing. Our i-Test kits allow growers to perform testing themselves. However, for pathogens such as Hop Latent Viroid, we suggest using our WE-Test kit, which sends the sample to us and our experienced technicians can test the samples for you!
While you wait for your testing kit to arrive in the mail, we encourage growers of all experience levels to check out our knowledge center. A wealth of information can be found there, including (but not limited to);
Have a question about our testing kits? Please reach out to Verne Bio via our Contact page. We are ready to address your questions and concerns to ensure you have the best customer experience possible!
So you’ve got your testing results and they show positive for Hop Latent Viroid. What do you do next?
First and foremost, do not panic. The presence of Hop Latent Viroid is not necessarily a death sentence for every single plant in the grow. However, you must work quickly to prevent that from becoming a reality.
After you’ve taken a deep breath, it is time to get to work. Since viroids can be transmitted from direct contact, the best method of action is to treat everything as if it is infected. It is advisable to have the team in charge of this delicate project wear PPE gear that can be changed easily to avoid further spread.
The first item to tackle is immediately removing and disposing of the known contaminated plants. Disposal options may vary on a state-to-state basis. For information about your specific state, please contact the regulatory body that oversees your state’s legal cannabis program.
The next step is to perform additional testing. Since plants with HVLd can appear asymptomatic in many cases, pathogen testing is a sure way to identify contaminated plants and help prevent further spread. Some key areas to test include;
Why plants in the same room? Oftentimes equipment such as scissors are used throughout the same room. Transmission could have occurred by performing routine plant maintenance. It is recommended to test the plants nearest to the known infected plants and work your way outward. If caught early enough, then there is a good chance you may be able to save a relatively decent chunk of the cannabis crop and avoid total loss.
Once the infected plants are removed, the entirety of the grow and the equipment will need to be cleaned. Bleach and heat are two effective ways to sanitize a grow effectively. Healthy plants should be moved to a safe area before cleaning and moved back once the rooms have reached their optimal conditions once again.
Moving forward, it is important to implement strong standards of practice to prevent another infection of Hop Latent Viroid. Popular options for many growers include scrubs that are cleaned regularly and assigned growers to each room to prevent cross-contamination. Regular cleaning of equipment and cleaning between flips/rotations should also be standard practice. While this may sound drastic, it is infinitely more efficient than losing part of or an entire crop to HLVd.
Hop Latent Viroid may be arguably one of the biggest problems in the cannabis community. However, advancements in science have helped give the industry an edge in identifying this viroid early on, and in turn, giving us a chance to combat and preserve cannabis crops. With time, we may find a way to fully prevent or even eradicate HLVd. It all begins with knowing this problematic viroid we face and how to protect the plant that we are all passionate about.
Works Cited
Adkar-Purushothama, Charith Raj, et al. “Hop Latent Viroid: A Hidden Threat to the Cannabis Industry.” PubMed, 4 March 2023, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36992390/. Accessed 27 July 2023.
Faggioli, Francesco, and Vicente Pallas. “Geographical Distribution of Viroids in Europe.” Science Direct, Viroids and Satellites, 2017, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/hop-latent-viroid#:~:text=HSVd%20has%20never%20been%20reported,et%20al.%2C%201988. Accessed 27 July 2023.
Moore, Bethany. “Member Blog: What Growers Should Know About Hop Latent Viroid |.” The National Cannabis Industry Association, 8 August 2022, https://thecannabisindustry.org/member-blog-what-growers-should-know-about-hop-latent-viroid/. Accessed 27 July 2023.
State of Vermont Cannabis Control Board. “Hop Latent Viroid Detected in Vermont | Cannabis Control Board.” Vermont Cannabis Control Board, 8 June 2023, https://ccb.vermont.gov/HLVd. Accessed 27 July 2023.
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