Science
Hyperspectral reflectance testing can predict the cannabinoid content of cannabis leaves.
Um study Published this month in the scientific journal "Industrial Crops and Products," the study demonstrated, for the first time, that it is possible to predict the amount of cannabinoids that a cannabis flower will contain using hyperspectral optical measurement of the canopy's fan leaves at the beginning and end of the flowering period.
The study was conducted by nine researchers from the University of Adelaide's School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Plants for Space, the Australian lighting company Vailo, and the German specialist in hyperspectral and multispectral optical measurement methods, Compolytics.
Seven lighting regimes were used on two different cannabis cultivars: Black Label and Mountain Strong CBD 1, both with promising results. It was possible to predict “accurately” the concentration of THC, CBD, CBDA, CBGA, CBCA and the total cannabinoids before the flowering cycle “regardless of cultivar and growing conditions”.
The researchers recorded significant variations in leaf color, leaf density, and phenotypic profiles according to the different light spectra applied. This method allowed for a clear distinction between the two cultivars, noting that "the accuracy of the predictions varied only moderately between measurements taken during the initial flowering phase and the final phase, and varied considerably between GC2 [second growing cycle] and GC3 [third growing cycle]."
According to the study's authors, "the ability to predict cannabinoid profiles weeks before harvest has significant implications for cannabis production, allowing for..." growers and breeders "Improving product quality, reducing costs, and ensuring regulatory compliance, especially for industrial hemp plantations subject to strict THC limits." This non-invasive technique can also allow for "tracking and predicting yields in medicinal cannabis operations."
The technique of hyperspectral optical measurement of leaves also allows professionals to select the best plants to cross before the flowering stage, as well as use the predictions to decide the best time to harvest, "maximizing production and minimizing the duration of the growing cycle," the researchers say.
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[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may occur in other languages.]____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Margarita has been a regular contributor to CannaReporter since its inception in 2017, having previously worked for other cannabis-focused media outlets such as Cáñamo magazine (Spain), CannaDouro Magazine (Portugal) and Cannapress. She was part of the original team for the Portuguese edition of Cânhamo in the early 2000s and was part of the organisation of the Global Marijuana March in Portugal between 2007 and 2009.
She recently published the book “Canábis - Maldita e Maravilhosa” / "Cannabis - Cursed and Wonderful" (Ed. Oficina do Livro / LeYA, 2024), about the history of the plant, its ancestral relationship with Humans as a raw material, an entheogen and a recreational drug, as well as the infinite potential it holds in medical, industrial and environmental terms.
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