Grodan recently teamed up with Innexo BV in The Netherlands to investigate the possibility of shortening the crop cycle to help customers reduce costs and boost profitability. The mission: Eliminate veg.
Innexo BV is a cannabis research facility that works with global leaders like Grodan to conduct experiments to advance cannabis cultivation. The Grodan trial at Innexo compared the control (plants exposed to a 2 week veg period) against the no-veg experiment. The positive results listed below, were quite remarkable and it shows promise that a no-veg-phase approach could become the new approach in cannabis cultivation.
Yield: No veg = 622g/m2 vs 712g/m2 from the 2-week veg, so the experiment had a 13% reduced yield per flower cycle/m2. However, the no-veg strategy achieves more cycles per year, so the g/m2/annum was 12% higher. 4.6kg/m2 vs 4.1kg/m2
Better Quality: Less stress to the plant and less handling resulted in better quality. In terms of a percentage, the no-veg had higher % of top flowers (35% vs 20%), more mids (60% vs 55%) and lower c grade (25% vs 5% on the no-veg).
Less risk: With a shorter crop cycle you reduce the risk of pest and disease.
Energy savings: 2 weeks of veg with 18/6 photo period, compared with a no-veg 12/12 split, can result in up to 40% reduction in energy costs. In the control, by the end of the 2nd week of veg, the comparative energy usage in the no-veg flower room means that the experiment was finishing Week 3 of flower.
Less water and nutrients: No-veg plants have a lower canopy with a higher flower to leaf ratio. Smaller plants are easier to crop steer and react quicker to precision irrigations and dry backs. The reduction in water and nutrients provided between 10 and 20% saving in water and fertilizer cost.
Labour saving: With less defoliation and less canopy to scout, the no-veg crop required less labour demand by up to 37%.
The experiment found that the management of mothers, the clone preparation and the establishment of the clone in the first 2 weeks was critical to performance. Using Grodan rockwool with sensor technologies to manage the water content percentage, pH and EC, with precision is critical to promoting root growth and crop performance in this strategy. Some strains are also better suited to this strategy than others. There is a lot more to be learned, however if mastered, the benefits of the cost saving and the increased yield cannot be ignored. Contact Hydrobiz for Grodan products and support if you want to learn more and convert to Rockwool cultivation.