40 Breaking the mould
Canopy Growth Corp.’s massive cannabis greenhouse in Langley was in the spotlight last fall because of concerns over plant health. Rumblings have swirled around other producers regarding black mould, which has contaminated some plants. Still others resort to irradiating product to guarantee freedom from pathogens, leading other producers to market their weed as unradiated.
The stories underscore how critical plant health is to a
crop widely seen, even in recreational forms, as a healthy alternative. The presence of mould can cause product to fail Health
Canada’s stringent testing standards, nixing sales and revenues in a business that has attracted millions worth of investment. Zamir Punja, a professor in plant biotechnology at
Simon Fraser University, told attendees at the Cannatech West conference in Abbotsford earlier this year that monitoring spore levels is smart. “This is not Health Canada testing regulations. This is
just to give you an idea of what could be growing in the operation,” he said. “When we say ‘bud rot,’ everybody thinks botrytis,
botrytis, botrytis,” he said. “[But] there’s penicillium on your left and there’s cladosporium on your right that … can also cause product to fail in a Health Canada test.” Aspergillis is a mould that could infect the plant from
the growing substrate, but it hasn’t been seen in BC. Powdery mildew is a prolific mould that also poses a threat but the exact toll it takes is unknown.
—Peter Mitham PEST prevention
warned. It’s a similar story for insect
pests, which Amanda Brown, a biological crop protection specialist at Biobest Canada, discussed. Screens can help, as well as washing equipment that’s been outside, but infested plant material seems to be the main culprit. “To echo Dr. Punja’s advice,
we really do not want to be moving these insects around on clones, and that is how they’re getting in,” she said. “It’s unfortunate to start with a clean greenhouse, then welcome them in by just carrying them in on clones you import from somewhere else.” Prevention is a far better strategy than control, she said, as many problems can easily get out of hand for cannabis growers given the lack of products registered for use in cannabis. “We need to start acting at
Level 1,” she said. “Don’t think that it’s just a little spot and we’ve got time.” Staying on top of emerging
threats and ongoing issues requires regular inspection of the crop. Brown recommends
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one worker per hectare whose job is to scout every table every week. “You really need as many people on the job as possible for pests,” she said. She recommends creating
an extended integrated pest management (IPM) team, with workers trained to identify the most common pests and diseases and release the necessary biological control agents. A graphic representation of issues can help track progress and focus efforts. “There’s lots of places for pests to hide, so your hotspot from last year, or last crop, can become the new hotspot for the next crop, so make sure you’re following your pest issues and hotspots,” she said. Among the pest challenges cannabis growers face are cannabis aphids, first identified in BC in 2018, as well as hop aphids, which feed on cannabis and hops. Scale and mealy bugs are a particular concern for Brown, because they’re tough to eradicate. Typically, once they’re in a system they’re in for good and control is the
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • DECEMBER 2019 nfrom page 39
only hope. Awareness and effective
response strategies are key for both disease and pest management, however. “We need to know what
they are, we need to identify them, and we need to manage them,” Punja said. However, the legal cannabis market is still finding its feet, and consumer tolerance for buggy cannabis is unknown. Brown thinks consumers will tolerate some bugs if they know the cannabis is chemical-free. “[They’re] going to have to
acknowledge that there’s a trade-off between a little bit of bug material in your final product versus chemicals,” she said. “Obviously, we don’t want a lot of contamination, but that’s the trade-off that has to be made.” This is where a skilled IPM team can help elevate quality. “Build your IPM team. They
are pure gold,” Brown said. “They will save you headaches later in the crop if they’re well-trained and well- supported. Be as efficient as possible, and be as preventative as possible.”
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