Early topping: an alternative to standard topping increases yield in cannabis production

Abstract

In commercial settings, cannabis is generally propagated through cuttings, a process referred in the industry as cloning. Some producers perform either topping or fimming to trigger the production of axillary shoots, which will enhance the number of flowers per plants and thus increase the yield of the cannabis plants. Topping or fimming is generally performed after the cuttings have been transferred to rooting media for two weeks. We have tested a new method to increase the shoot number per plant. The modification of the standard topping method consist of performing the topping on mother plants, prior to taking the cuttings for cloning, and the cuttings are taken one week after the topping is performed. The resulting plantlets develop axillary shoots much faster and the time of production from cuttings to harvesting is decreased by 7-10 days. The method proposed herein requires minimal adjustment to the existing workflow and the plants produce as much as when standard topping is performed. Moreover, this method cuts backs on the production time and nearly two weeks are saved compared to the standard topping procedure since the plantlets do not need to recover after topping. Application of this new procedure results in faster production time and ultimately enhanced productivity.