Connect with us

Agriculture

How to Make Quality Cannabis, and the Role of Organic Farming

Published

on

The Story of Cannabis: What Investors Need to KnowAnatomy of a Cannabis PlantA Quality Cannabis ProductThe Rise of OrganicA Sustainable Cannabis ProductThe Science Behind the Medical Cannabis IndustryComing soonComing soon

How to Make Quality Cannabis, and the Role of Organic Farming

How to Make Quality Cannabis, and the Role of Organic Farming

The cannabis industry is picking up speed across the continent.

Canada has now become the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis nationwide – and across the border, more U.S. states are also entering what could become a $95 billion market by 2026.

As the industry matures, product quality will become a strong differentiator between those competing for market share. But what makes for a top-notch cannabis product, and does organic farming play a role in this?

How Quality Cannabis is Made

Today’s infographic from The Green Organic Dutchman explains what goes into making a high quality cannabis product, and why the industry could be gearing towards embracing organic farming.

The first major factor that affects quality is where it is grown.

For most of its 6,000-year history, cannabis was predominantly grown outdoors. In a more modern setting, however, indoor cultivation has increased in popularity.

Here are the pros and cons of both environments:

Indoor
Outdoor
Benefits
  • A precisely controlled environment, with year-round cultivation
  • Full spectrum of sunlight in a natural environment

  • Less labor needed, with lower operating costs
Drawbacks
  • Climate control systems are expensive to operate

  • More labor intensive, producing less yield
  • Cultivation is climate-dependent
Impact on Quality
  • Cannabis strains are aesthetically more pleasing, with higher average THC percentages
  • Higher yields of cannabis are produced, with superior flavor and potency

Interestingly, many modern cannabis producers do not rely on soil as a growing medium anymore. Instead, they use the latest technology to improve upon traditional methods:

  1. Aeroponics: Plant roots are sprayed directly with a nutrient-rich mist
  2. Hydroponics: Plant roots are submerged in a nutrient solution
  3. Micro-propagation: Plant samples are multiplied in agar gel

While growing cannabis using innovative methods can result in healthy and high-yield products, this also increases operational and labor costs. At the same time, it’s clear that the way cannabis is grown significantly affects the final product and its environmental footprint.

The Issue with Modern Cannabis

Even with all of these other innovations that help in achieving a superior product, many cannabis growers use “super chemicals” or pesticides to achieve rapid growth for their plants. The catch? Cannabis plants are effective at leaching toxins from soil, which means they can easily wind up in the final product.

What’s more, commonly used pesticides such as pyrethins can be safe for consumption in trace amounts. But when cannabis is smoked, the heat can make these chemicals much more toxic for humans.

There’s also mother nature to consider. In modern farming, leftover byproducts often run off into the groundwater, polluting nearby bodies of water.

Growing cannabis organically in living soil avoids all the above problems.

  • No pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers are present in the environment
  • Cannabis plant and soil microbiology have a symbiotic relationship
  • Maintains an ecological balance among the plant and its surroundings

The result of this all-natural process? A safe and premium consumer cannabis product.

As the cannabis green rush progresses, we will dive further into the push towards organic products in the agri-food industry, and what this means for the rapidly-maturing cannabis space.

The Story of Cannabis: What Investors Need to KnowAnatomy of a Cannabis PlantA Quality Cannabis ProductThe Rise of OrganicA Sustainable Cannabis ProductThe Science Behind the Medical Cannabis IndustryComing soonComing soon
Subscribe to Visual Capitalist
Click for Comments

Agriculture

Fertilizer: Why it’s More Important than You Think

Fertilizer usage dates back to as early as 6,000 to 2,400 BC and remains just as crucial for crop production today.

Published

on

The following content is sponsored by Brazil Potash


Fertilizer: Why It’s More Important Than You think

The global population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050. So, in order to feed our growing world sustainably, increased crop production is essential.

Over recent decades, farmers have been able to more than double their production of crops thanks to fertilizers and the vital nutrients they contain. 

When crops are harvested, the essential nutrients are taken away with them to the dining table, resulting in the depletion of these nutrients in the soil. To replenish these nutrients, fertilizers are needed, and the cycle continues.

The above infographic by Brazil Potash shows the role that each macronutrient plays in growing healthy, high-yielding crops.

Food for Growth

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) are three primary macronutrients that are the building blocks of the global fertilizer industry. Each plays a key role in plant nutrition and promoting crop growth with higher yields. 

Let’s take a look at how each macronutrient affects plant growth.

NutrientWhy it’s needed?What does it do?What happens without it?
Nitrogen (N)Needed for the
formation of all plant
and animal proteins.
Nitrogen ensures that
energy is available
when and where it is
needed to maximize
yield and regulate
water and nutrient uptake.
Nitrogen deficiency in
crops causes stunted
and spindly plants, low
protein content in seed
and vegetative parts,
and fewer leaves.
Phosphorus (P)Vital for plant
photosynthesis.
Phosphorus allows
plants to convert the
sun’s energy into food,
fiber, and oil. It
improves how
efficiently the plant
absorbs water and
macronutrients such as nitrogen.
Phosphorus deficiency
causes stunted growth,
reduced crop yields,
low quality harvests,
and moisture stress.
Potassium (K)Essential for robust
high quality crops.
Potassium helps
regulate water pressure
in plant cells and
maximizes crop yields
by strengthening plant
stems to make them
more resilient to
drought, flooding, and
temperature swings.
Potassium deficiency
causes a slower growth
rate of plants, delayed
pollination and maturity,
underdeveloped leaves,
reduced crop yields,
weakened stalks, and moisture stress.

If crops lack NPK macronutrients, they become vulnerable to various stresses caused by weather conditions, pests, and diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a balance of all three macronutrients for the production of healthy, high-yielding crops.

The Importance of Fertilizers

Humans identified the importance of using fertilizers, such as manure, to nourish crops dating back to nearly 6,000 to 2,400 BC.

As agriculture became more intensive and large-scale, farmers began to experiment with different types of fertilizers. Today advanced chemical fertilizers are used across the globe to enhance global crop production. 

There are a myriad of factors that affect soil type, and so the farmable land must have a healthy balance of all three macronutrients to support high-yielding, healthy crops. Consequently, arable land around the world varies in the amount and type of fertilizer it needs. 

Fertilizers play an integral role in strengthening food security, and a supply of locally available fertilizer is needed in supporting global food systems in an ever-growing world.

Brazil is one of the largest exporters of agricultural goods in the world. However, the country is vulnerable as it relies on importing more than 95% of its potash to support crop growth.

Brazil Potash is developing a new potash project in Brazil to ensure a stable domestic source of this nutrient-rich fertilizer critical for global food security.

Click here to learn more about fertilizer and food production in Brazil.

Subscribe to Visual Capitalist
Click for Comments

You may also like

Subscribe

Continue Reading
Decarbonization Channel by Visual Capitalist

Subscribe

Popular