Infectious Pathogen Silently Spreads To Over 90% Of California's Cannabis Farms, Destroying THC Production

lightbright

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A hop-latent viroid (HLVd), an infectious pathogen, is devastating cannabis farms in California by infiltrating plants and ruining entire crops just before they’re ready for harvest.

By causing a 30% reduction in plant weight, HLVd destroys THC production, clearly a devastating financial loss for growers. First identified in 2019, it has since infected around 90% of California's cannabis crops, posing a global threat to the entire industry.

To combat the spread of HLVd, a Bay Area startup Purple City Labs, reports SFGATE, has developed an on-site test that claims to deliver results within hours. The test is thought to surpass current methods that involve sending samples to labs and then waiting days or weeks. By swiftly identifying infected plants, this testing approach could help slow the pathogen's spread, says Luke Horst, director of business development for Purple City Genetics.

“We didn’t just identify a great test that is accurate, but it’s [also] easy to use and it doesn’t require a high level of expertise,” said Horst. “You can take microbiology to the public and put it in their hands. … It’s important for people to have this type of testing.” Delayed Symptoms Affect 'Mother Plant, Pathogen Silently Spreads

HLVd has been silently spreading on cannabis farms for over a decade, wrote SFGATE, initially perplexing growers who couldn't figure out why their harvests were declining.

The viroid's late-acting symptoms, known as "dudding," distort the plants and significantly reduce THC production. This is particularly problematic for modern cannabis farming practices, where hundreds of new plants are propagated from a single, artificially prevented flowering "mother" plant. The delayed symptoms allow infected mother plants to silently spread the pathogen for months without ever showing signs of the disease. Hence, a faster onsite test for the plants.

“By the time you get the results back, you may have cut that plant and sold it to your customers. So there is a real need for a high throughput onsite diagnostic test for hop-latent viroid,” said Ali Bektaş, CEO of Purple City Labs and a lead author in the 2019 HLVd identification papers.

Leveraging his Ph.D. in microbial ecology, Bektaş developed a LAMP test for HLVd. LAMP is a molecular test that uses real-time loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) technology to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, so Bektaş thought it could also work on this new viral threat to cannabis. And it does, with results in just a few hours.

Purple City Labs is now selling the technology globally at $10 per test. Bektaş recently demonstrated the product in Spain, where HLVd was detected in the first test conducted.




 

D24OHA

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
This sounds eerily similar to the pathogen that's killing off orange trees in Florida.

I know a guy who says he has a spray that will work. He did preliminary testing at Ohio State, but for use on agriculture...he said that's at least $10-$15K just on testing

But he also doesn't have the means to produce as much as they would need anytime soon.....

I'll ask him about working with cannabis growers....this is hard though. They are regulated pretty hard over there
 

godofwine

Supreme Porn Poster - Ret
BGOL Investor
You read my mind.. I was like somebody trying to kill the competition and raise the price back up
Exactly. The older I get the more I'm able to see through this bullshit. Oh, supplies are limited because of a fuck up on our part or our shit. We have to increase prices so you mother fuckers have to suffer

I'm mad that we can't grow our own shit without getting in trouble like I did. I fucking felony 2 for cultivation. Bullshit
 

tallblacknyc

Rising Star
Certified Pussy Poster
Exactly. The older I get the more I'm able to see through this bullshit. Oh, supplies are limited because of a fuck up on our part or our shit. We have to increase prices so you mother fuckers have to suffer

I'm mad that we can't grow our own shit without getting in trouble like I did. I fucking felony 2 for cultivation. Bullshit
Diff states diff rules.. here in ny I believe you can grow up to a certain amount. Just like you can carry up to 2 ounces of weed without getting in trouble
 

godofwine

Supreme Porn Poster - Ret
BGOL Investor
Diff states diff rules.. here in ny I believe you can grow up to a certain amount. Just like you can carry up to 2 ounces of weed without getting in trouble
I grew 36 plants. Mostly because I knew from experience that 2/3 of the yield would be male plants AKA useless plans. Had they given me another week I would have only had 12 plans because only 12 of the 36 were female
 

tallblacknyc

Rising Star
Certified Pussy Poster
I grew 36 plants. Mostly because I knew from experience that 2/3 of the yield would be male plants AKA useless plans. Had they given me another week I would have only had 12 plans because only 12 of the 36 were female
Yeah that sucks. Obviously somebody snitch on you
 

godofwine

Supreme Porn Poster - Ret
BGOL Investor
Yeah that sucks. Obviously somebody snitch on you
The gas man. Piece of shit. White people hate to see Black people doing better than them. They have every opportunity in life with their only hindrance coming from other White people, yet they act like Phil Cantone from Harlem Nights when they see a Black man doing good in a nice house

"You fucking jigs. You rolling around in those nice cars, staying in these fancy houses...AND I LIVE IN A FUCKING HOVEL."

I'm still hoping this shit doesn't cost me my job
 
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