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A reference for growers, from the first step

The Cannabis White Papers

Each paper is a cultivation reference for a new grower. Each term has a definition, each fact has a citation, and diagrams show the method. We examine each paper and show the quality of the information. The information is solid, a grower method, or weak when the data are thin. If you find an error, make a report on GitHub. Use the filter below for the 55 papers, or push Ctrl K to find a paper or a term.

Propagation

7

Seeds and germinationThis paper shows how to select a seed, how to germinate it, and how to keep the seedling in good condition.14 min to read CloningThis guide shows you how to make roots on cannabis cuttings correctly each time.12 min read Tissue cultureTissue culture removes diseases that usual methods to clean a plant cannot remove.22 min to read TC methodThis guide shows how to make a cannabis plant from a small piece of tissue in a sterilized jar.TC SOPDo these tasks in sequence to start a clean tissue culture line.TransplantingThis paper shows you how to move a plant to a larger container and prevent transplant shock.17 min to read Mother plantsThis paper gives information about the environment, feed, pruning, protection against viroid, tests and replacement of plants in a cannabis mother bank.20 min to read

Vegetative growth

3

Light acclimationThis paper shows how plants adapt when the light intensity increases.11 min to read Defoliation and trainingTopping, low-stress training, trellising, lollipopping and defoliation each have a different effect on the shape of the plant.12 min to read Vegetative stage lengthThis paper shows you how to calculate the correct number of days of the vegetative stage for your room.14 min to read

Flowering

6

Flower week by weekThis paper shows the eight to ten weeks from the flip (the change of the light cycle) to the harvest.12 min to read Coco and crop steeringCoco coir is the easiest substrate for crop steering, because the wet and dry cycles give the same result each time.Approximately 16 min to read Rockwool and crop steeringThe plant gets the feed that you apply in the same hour, because rockwool does not contain nutrients and has almost no buffer.18 min to read One steering lawCoco, rockwool, soil and a tank of water use the same method of steering.22 min to read Slab irrigationRockwool blocks and slabs: volume of the substrate, flow rate of the drippers, drainage, root establishment, P0–P3 irrigation phases and root-zone EC.18 min to read Ripening and harvestThis paper shows the ripening of cannabis buds in the last two weeks and how to select the time to harvest.17 min to read

Harvest, dry, trim and cure

4

Harvest, dry, trim, cureThis paper gives all the post-harvest steps, from the harvest of the plants to the sealed flower.14 min to read GMP hash labThis paper gives the GMP requirements for a hash facility: the cleanroom grade zones, the flows of product and personnel, and the batch release.18 min to read Hash rosinRosin is a concentrate that you make with heat and force, without solvents.22 min to read Lab testing and COAsA certificate of analysis (COA) is a measurement of one small sample and is not a property of your crop.24 min to read

Environment and climate

8

Grow room systemsA grow room is one connected system, and not a list of devices.18 min to read Basic lightingThis paper gives basic information about how a grow light operates.14 min to read Airflow and fansEach leaf has a layer of still air that decreases the rate of gas exchange.26 min to read Under-canopy lightingUnder-canopy lighting (SCL) and inter-canopy lighting (ICL) supply photons to the bottom canopy, where the top fixtures cannot supply them.16 min to read CO2 enrichmentA plant changes carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugar.30 min to read Higher light levelsWhen you increase the light, the room must supply more CO₂, water, airflow and feed, and must remove more heat.16 min to read Temperature, humidity and VPDVapor pressure deficit (VPD) is the value that shows how much water the air removes from the leaves.19 min to read HVAC and dehumidifiersEach watt that you put into a grow room becomes heat, and almost all the water that you apply becomes vapor.22 min to read

Water, substrate and feed

6

Substrates comparedThis paper compares the substrates for cannabis roots and shows how to select one.11 min to read Deep water cultureThis paper shows that the temperature of the solution is the primary control for all the other conditions in water culture.38 min to read Water qualityThis paper shows the dissolved materials in tap water, well water and rainwater, before you add nutrients.14 min to read pH controlThe pH of the root zone controls which nutrients your plant can absorb.14 min to read Mix nutrientsDissolve a full 11.34 kg (25 lb) bag of Athena Pro Line in a 50 L tank to make a stock concentrate.11 min to read Nutrient deficienciesThis paper shows you how to read the symptoms on cannabis leaves from the position, color and shape.14 min to read

Plant health

5

Auckland medicinal IPMThis blueprint is a system to keep pests and diseases out of an indoor facility for medicinal cannabis.55 min to read Mold riskMold is the disease with the highest risk of damage to all the crop in the last weeks.15 min to read IPM SOPThis standard operating procedure (SOP) shows how to prevent pests and diseases in a cannabis grow room.14 min to read Pest ID and controlThis paper shows how to identify the eight pests that cause the most damage to cannabis, and how to keep their numbers small.18 min to read PPE and biosecurityCoveralls, hairnets, gloves and shoe covers give the worker protection from hazards, and they keep contamination from the worker away from the crop.17 min to read

Precision and automation

8

Root-zone condition · TEROS-12A TEROS-12 probe in your substrate gives three numbers: the quantity of water in the substrate, the salt concentration of the water, and the temperature.18 min to read Irrigation control · VRWEThis paper shows how VRWE uses some signals together to calculate the water in the root zone more accurately than one probe.9 min to read Signal and noiseThis paper shows you how to find the signal in your sensor data and how to ignore the random jitter.14 min to read The closed loopOperate a grow room as one system that corrects its errors.17 min to read Plant state dashboardWe recommend that a grow-room screen shows the state of the plant, and not many numbers from the sensors.13 min to read F2 crop steeringAfter you read this paper, you can prepare, calibrate and operate an automatic irrigation controller for a grow room for the vegetative stage.18 min to read Irrigation manualInstall, operate, and do maintenance on an irrigation system with sensors for crop steering, on Home Assistant.14 min to read DIY plant-biosignal sensorPlants make small electrical signals, from microvolts to some millivolts.14 min to read

Facility and quality

5

3D facility modelWith a 3D model on your screen, you can find errors that have a high cost before construction starts.14 min to read Checks each dayThis paper shows you how to make a facility check for each day in which sensors automatically complete all items that they can measure.16 min to read Compliance and traceabilityA cultivation facility with a license must have many documents and records.24 min to read Energy and utilitiesFind the quantity of electricity that the lighting, the HVAC and the dehumidification use.18 min to read Yield and unit costThis paper shows three yield denominators: g/m² of canopy, g/W of light, and g/kWh all-in.22 min to read

Know the plant

3

Plant biology 101This paper gives the type of the cannabis plant, the name of each part and the mechanisms in the plant.26 min to read Cannabinoids and terpenesThe plant makes cannabinoids and terpenes, two groups of compounds, in the same small gland, as acids, on one pathway.24 min to read Genetics and phenohuntThis paper shows the source of keeper cultivars and how to find and keep one.24 min to read