Research on the Cannabis industry continues to be a topic of discussion among people. More countries are considering marijuana and the tissue culture of Cannabis and cultivation of Cannabis legal. This legalization pokes people’s curiosity and encourages them to divulge in growing Cannabis at home. Cultivators try to obtain the maximum yield from their harvest, and this becomes more necessary with the increasing demand for volume, quality, and sophisticated cultivation methods.
The growing methods of this plant are of two types, seeds, and clones. Recent research promotes tissue culture for cultivation for its multiple advantages concerning economic and disease-free production. Now, the question arises, What is Cannabis Tissue Culture? Let us discuss the same.
9 Things You Need To Know About the Tissue Culture of Cannabis
Understanding Tissue Culture In Cannabis Growing
We obtain Cannabis from a unique plant called Cannabis Sativa or Hemp. It has both recreational and medical usage. Cannabis products usually come from different plant portions like the leaves, stems, seeds, and dry flower tops. Consumers use dried leaves, seed oil, and other parts for recreational and medical purposes. Cannabis products have a pleasurable effect and can also induce a soothing effect for various disorders like chronic pain.
A long time ago, Cannabis harvesters had to rely on the seeds. Seeds were widely available. But they were facing various problems with using them. The major problem was that they were unstable. The problem was that a single batch of seeds could produce plants with distinguishable characteristics, some of which are more alluring than the others.
The horticulturalists use a technique to grow and maintain plants, allowing them to create genetically identical clones. This technique is called plant tissue culture. The horticulturalists have been practicing this method for a long time now. Meanwhile, this method has only just begun to transfuse to the Cannabis industry. The process of plant tissue culture is more suitable for large-scale production, but it is also possible to use this method in smaller operations.
The plant tissue culture process involves taking a tissue sample of a mature plant under sterile conditions. That sample can be just a few plant cells that get nourished on a culture medium. This medium is called agar gel which contains various nutrients, hormones, sugar, and other ingredients. Since plants can regenerate into entirely new plants, tissue culture is highly effective.
Advantages Of Tissue Culture
Plant tissue culture is a process in which plants can regenerate rapidly on an industrial level. The process of tissue culture includes several methods. Cultivators must grow Cannabis without any harmful chemicals, and it should contain specific genes and characteristics.
Using the micropropagation process is beneficiary for the following reasons:
Identical Characteristics
If the supplier requires a precise ratio of THC to CBD or a specific strain to deliver for medicinal use, the micropropagation method can do it precisely. Failing to create the same genes for every seed in a batch can cause some issues that the sellers want to avoid.
Speed
The production speed is significant to success for any business, whether trading stock or plant cultivation. The micropropagation process makes growing Cannabis, a faster job for the cultivators without reducing the quality and integrity of the product.
No Seeds Or Cross-Pollination
The tissue culture process is cloning-based instead of the cross-pollination method. This method can reduce the hassle for the cultivators.
Health
With the help of plant tissue culture, the plants develop specific resistance to viruses, diseases, and weedicides.
What Are The Things To Keep In Mind About The Tissue Culture Of Cannabis?
There are several processes for growing Cannabis by tissue culture. This process occurs at both levels- The in-house and industrial platforms. However, this process can be challenging. There are some strict rules, which the cultivators have to follow by any means. One should set up a proper apparatus for this process and appropriate sterile conditions. Some things to keep in mind while growing Cannabis are:
- A controlled environment is mandatory to perform a tissue culture successfully. Upgraded HVAC and IPM systems are necessary because the industry should have proper sterile conditions.
- Furthermore, ensuring the sterilization of interiors like fibre-reinforced plastics is also significant.
- Each worksite should have a separate workplace for the filtration process.
- Investing in proper apparatus is crucial to ensure the success of growing Cannabis with tissue culture. Types of equipment include HEPA filtration, UV sterilizer, UV sterilizer for the interior, and incubators.
- Few materials or equipment are also significant to buy. Types of equipment like- refrigerator, freezer, microscope, sterilizer, appropriate water source, water bath, sink, and store inventories, are necessary for growing Cannabis with the tissue culture process.
How To Grow Cannabis From Tissue Culture?
There are various stages to growing Cannabis using the plant tissue culture method. The detailed process is below:
Cutting
The selection of a healthy female plant with desirable genetic traits is necessary. The cutting process should occur at the nodal segment. Then remove the stipules and fan leaves, and cut the stem precisely at a 45-degree angle, leaving approximately 5mm of stem below the bud.
Stabilization
To sterilize, the growers should use 2% diluted household bleach and 0.1% tween-20. Soaking in this solution for 5 minutes is enough for sterilizing. Rinsing in sterile and distilled water 3-times at one-minute intervals is appropriate.
Add to Nutrient Culture
The growers place the twig in a round-bottomed glass test tube with plastic caps. They add 20ml of Murashige and Skoog to it. They also add supplements like vitamins, sucrose, charcoal, and agar.
Transfer
The emergence of shoots should happen after one to five months. When the shoots reach 2.5cm, the growers transplant the plant into large test tubes that contain 50m rooting media. Subculturing the plant into growing media at least once a month is necessary.
Transplant
The growers remove the plants from the rooting media and then rinse them in lukewarm water with care. They transplant them into the soil. Then they cover the plants with humidity domes for the first one or two weeks of growth. Within 3-5 weeks, the roots should appear.
Conclusion
Plants grown through the plant tissue culture process require a strictly regulated sterile environment. The plants need active attention. The new plants carry extraordinary genes that allow the highest yield. The plant tissue culture method is slowly taking over the Cannabis industry. There is an elevated demand for it, and this process makes growing Cannabis a lot easier and faster. The profits earned by the growers are unimaginable. The micropropagation process is optimized and efficient for growing Cannabis, as the old methods took a long time to germinate.
