Growing cannabis is a hobby for some and a career for others. The cultivation process has many facets. From creating a cannabis strain through breeding to bringing up a terpene-rich, delicious cola in the grow room–it all comes down to precise methodology. This is because one mistake might lead to the whole crop being thrown away.
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There are certain blights that could take down the lot, like spider mites, grey mold, and powdery mildew (PM). Heating and inhaling PM (like from a joint or bong), is very dangerous, and if one leaf is showing the signs, the problem has likely infected the whole space. One cannabis operator believes they may have found a potential solution to that last one.
Did one weed brand solve powdery mildew?
Aurora Cannabis Inc., a publicly-traded Canadian licensed producer, announced a discovery that might solve powdery mildew–for some.
The company operates a research and development facility called Aurora Coast, where an in-house team creates proprietary cannabis products and cultivars. Their latest discovery offers insight into why powdery mildew presents itself and, eventually, a forever-fix. They found a genetic resistance to PM that they believe provides strong protection against the disease.
This genetic marker technology, which is owned and solely known to Aurora, is in use now at the breeding program. The implementation puts the large-scale operator on track to produce powdery mildew-resistant cultivars for commercial use this year.
“This discovery offers a critical solution to a pressing challenge in the cannabis industry worldwide,” Lana Culley, Vice President of Innovation and International Operations at Aurora, said in a press release.
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Powdery mildew-resistant cannabis may sound like a fairy tale to cultivators who have seen a crop burned for less. Unfortunately, the technology is proprietary, and unless Aurora decides to share with the class, they are the only ones who will reap the benefits. There are other companies working on the same thing. But as of now, Aurora is the only company breeding and, according to a company statement sent to GreenState, there is no plan to share the information.
This cannabis disease is known to take down an entire grow room with just one spot. Those expecting a payoff from that harvest could be looking at quite a budget problem. Knowing how to breed this danger out is exciting, but for now, only for Aurora. It is only a matter of time before others happen upon the same genetic marking. When this knowledge grows past one corporation, cultivators will surely rejoice worldwide.
