Benefits of a cannabis-specific approach to crop steering

Added on 12 January 2023

Tags

Benefits of a cannabis-specific approach to crop steering

Crop steering isn’t a new concept — for as long as humans have engaged in agriculture, they have been fine-tuning methods for getting better yields. In the field, in a greenhouse, or indoors, it’s a matter of managing the strategic application of water and fertilizer, in line with the climate, throughout the phases of plant development.

That said, technology and methodologies available for crop steering have vastly improved over time, especially for plants like cannabis that were long left out of research and development efforts afforded to other crops. It is a critical time to expand knowledge about commercial cannabis production techniques and empower commercial growers to optimize their facility efficiency and use of resources.

I spent more than two decades in the horticulture sector working with hydroponic vegetable growers before becoming involved with commercial cannabis in North America, and observed firsthand how similar the production concerns are between food crops and cannabis. With tomatoes and cucumbers, for example, maximizing yield and quality are crucial, and production concerns are amplified when the returns for the product are low. Greenhouse efficiency and growing strategies are everything to these growers.