Abstract
Essential plant nutrients are needed at crop-specific concentrations to obtain optimum growth or yield. Plant tissue (foliar) analysis is the standard method for measuring those levels in crops. Symptoms of nutrient deficiency occur when those tissue concentrations fall to a level where growth or yield is negatively impacted and can serve as a visual diagnostic tool for growers and researchers. Both nutrient deficiency symptoms and their corresponding plant tissue concentrations have not been established for cannabis. To establish nutrient concentrations when deficiency or toxicity symptoms are expressed, Cannabis sativa ‘T1’ plants were grown in silica sand culture, and control plants received a complete modified Hoagland’s all-nitrate solution, whereas nutrient-deficient treatments were induced with a complete nutrient formula withholding a single nutrient. Toxicity treatments were induced by increasing the element tenfold higher than the complete nutrient formula. Plants were monitored daily and, once symptoms manifested, plant tissue analysis of all essential elements was performed by most recent mature leaf (MRML) tissue analysis, and descriptions and photographs of nutrient disorder symptomology were taken. Symptoms and progressions were tracked through initial, intermediate, and advanced stages. Information in this study can be used to diagnose nutrient disorders in Cannabis sativa.
Highlights
Due to recent changes in legislation both at the federal and state levels, there has been a surge of interest in the growing, processing, selling, and using of products containing cannabidiol (CBD), derived from hemp flowers
As applied research is conducted to determine nutrient rates to maximize yield and minimize inputs, as well as to develop a target range of plant sufficiency ranges to aid in nutrient management, this study provides an invaluable basis to identify nutrient deficiency in the field and to develop sufficiency ranges where nutrient corrective action can be made before visual symptoms are expressed
Cuttings were taken from a hemp Cannabis sativa ‘T1’on 3 July 2018 (Ryes Greenhouses: Sanford, NC, USA) and stuck into 72-cell plug trays filled with a substrate mix of 80:20 (v:v) Canadian sphagnum peat moss (Conrad Fafard, Agawam, MA, USA) and horticultural coarse perlite
Summary
Due to recent changes in legislation both at the federal and state levels, there has been a surge of interest in the growing, processing, selling, and using of products containing cannabidiol (CBD), derived from hemp flowers. Hemp is legally defined as Cannabis sativa strains with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration no greater than 0.3% in any part of the plant (Congress, [1,2]). Cannabis sativa strains with a THC concentration greater than 0.3% in any part of the plant are considered marijuana. Cannabis sativa contains over 100 cannabinoids, which include THC and CBD. Many have reported health benefits from marijuana, which may be associated with non-THC cannabinoids, such as CBD.
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