Abstract
Many abiotic factors, such as mineral nutrients—including phosphorus (P)—fertility, can impact the yield and growth of Cannabis sativa. Given the economic portion of C. sativa is the inflorescence, the restriction of P fertility could impact floral development and quality could be detrimental. This study sought to track the impacts of varying P concentrations (3.75, 7.50, 11.25, 15.0, 22.50, and 30.0 mg·L−1) utilizing a modified Hoagland’s solution. This experiment examined plant height, diameter, leaf tissue mineral nutrient concentrations, and final fresh flower bud weight as well as floral quality metrics, such as cannabinoids and terpenes. The results demonstrated that during different life stages (vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering), P concentrations impact C. sativa growth and development and yield. Regarding the cannabinoid pools, results varied for the individual cannabinoid types. For the acid pools, increasing fertility concentrations above 11.25 mg·L−1 P did not result in any increase in cannabinoid concentrations. These results indicate that, if a crop is being produced under greenhouse conditions, specifically for cannabinoid production, an excessive P supply did not result in higher cannabinoid production. However, plants grown with a higher rate of P fertility (30.0 mg·L−1) had greater plant width and may result in more buds per plant.
Highlights
United States federal and state laws in recent years have resulted in changes in legal restrictions and definitions of Cannabis sativa
Given geraniol can increase in production during times of stress, these results may indicate that low P concentrations may cause an increase in geraniol due to nutritive stress (Chen and Viljoen [28]). These results indicate that C. sativa has different fertility requirements based on the life stage and the end goal of production
If C. sativa plants are to be grown for the florescence and/or cannabinoids or terpenes either for the fresh flower market or a distillate market, a P concentration above 11.25 mg·L−1 is preferred
Summary
United States federal and state laws in recent years have resulted in changes in legal restrictions and definitions of Cannabis sativa. The consumer and markets have observed 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 C. sativa strains with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration no greater than 0.3% in any part of the plant (Congress [1,2]). C. sativa strains with a THC concentration greater than 0.3% in any part of the plant are considered marijuana and have varying restrictions in legality, distribution, and consumption. High CBD C. sativa (hemp) contains over 100 cannabinoids, which include THC, CBD, and cannabigerol (CBG), in varying forms. It is well known that THC has psychoactive effects and has resulted in its controversial legal standing
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