Treat powdery mildew to protect your cannabis crop

The systemic fungicides used to treat this disease in other crops are not approved for use on cannabis for human safety reasons. 

Chemical residues which can be washed from fruits prior to consumption, often remain in cannabis flowers, and sometimes convert into more toxic compounds when combusted.

Fortunately, Powdery Mildew (PM) disease can be managed without the use of systemic pesticides if you are willing to put in the work required to understand this pathogen, and to disrupt the conditions that favor its multiplication.

What is Powdery Mildew?

Powdery mildew is a plant disease caused by biotrophic fungal pathogens. 

These pathogens colonize their plant hosts for the acquisition of nutrients, in the form of photosynthates. Powdery Mildew pathogens are host-specific, with different variants infecting various plant species. At least 850 PM variants have been characterized to date.

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Photo by CRYSTALWEED cannabis on Unsplash

Source: Elevated Botanist