Amino Acid Supplementation as a Biostimulant in Medical Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) Plant Nutrition

Abstract

There is growing evidence to support the involvement of nutrients and biostimulants in plant secondary metabolism. Therefore, this study evaluated the potential of amino acid-based supplements that can influence different hydroponic nutrient cycles (systems) to enhance the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of medical cannabis plants. The results demonstrate that amino acid biostimulation significantly affected ion levels in different plant tissues (the “ionome”), increasing nitrogen and sulfur content but reducing calcium and iron content in both nutrient cycles. A significantly higher accumulation of nitrogen and sulfur was observed during the recirculation cycle, but the calcium level was lower in the whole plant. Medical cannabis plants in the drain-to-waste cycle matured 4 weeks earlier, but at the expense of a 196% lower maximum tetrahydrocannabinolic acid yield from flowers and a significantly lower concentration of monoterpene compounds than in the recirculation cycle. The amino acid treatments reduced the cannabinolic acid content in flowers by 44% compared to control in both nutritional cycles and increased the monoterpene content (limonene) up to 81% in the recirculation cycle and up to 123% in the drain-to-waste cycle; β-myrcene content was increased up to 139% in the recirculation cycle and up to 167% in the drain-to-waste cycle. Our results suggest that amino acid biostimulant supplements may help standardize the content of secondary metabolites in medical cannabis. Further experiments are needed to identify the optimal nutrient dosage and method of administration for various cannabis chemotypes grown in different media.

Effect of augmented nutrient composition and fertigation system on biomass yield and cannabinoid content of medicinal cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivation

“…Undoubtedly, nutrition plays a pivotal role in shaping the development, functionality, and metabolic processes of various plant organs and tissues ( Shiponi and Bernstein, 2021b ; De Prato et al., 2022 ). Existing knowledge has extensively documented the ideal thresholds of specific macronutrients, including N, P and K, along with micronutrients like Fe, necessary for ensuring the normal growth and functioning of both root systems and above-ground biomass ( Shiponi and Bernstein, 2021a ; Shiponi and Bernstein, 2021b ; Malík et al., 2022 ; Saloner and Bernstein, 2022 ; Llewellyn et al., 2023 ), as well as the production of valuable secondary metabolites in medicinal cannabis plants ( Caplan et al., 2017 ; Bernstein et al., 2019b ; Shiponi and Bernstein, 2021b ; Saloner and Bernstein, 2022 ). It is crucial to emphasize that nutrient solution fertigation was provided to the plants only up to the ninth week of cultivation.…”

“…These methods, combined with intensive breeding, have increased yields of female inflorescences and their THC (Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol) levels ( Toonen et al., 2006 ) and improved cannabinoid profile uniformity by altering plant architecture ( Danziger and Bernstein, 2021 ). Indoor cultivation now incorporates automated systems ( Malík et al., 2022 ), with hydroponics gaining popularity for its potential to yield high-quality plant material ( Bouchard and Dion, 2009 ; Vanhove et al., 2011 ).…”

Cannabis sativa L.: Crop Management and Abiotic Factors That Affect Phytocannabinoid Production

“…They observed that applying urea with both the inhibitors significantly affected the qualitative and agronomic characteristics, such as increased CBD content, in the two varieties evaluated. Amino acid biostimulant supplements may help standardize the content of secondary metabolites in hemp plants for biomedical purposes, increasing phytocannabinoid production, as observed by Malik et al (2022) [147].…”

Effect of saline irrigation and plant-based biostimulant application on fiber hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) growth and phytocannabinoid composition

“…A recent study by De Prato et al (2022) examined the growth and cannabinoid production of tropical/subtropical hemp varieties under tropical daylengths, temperatures, and different nitrogen rates. The concentrations of cannabinoids, specifically THC, CBD, and CBN, were found to increase with longer daylengths, leading to an extended vegetative phase characterized by heightened photosynthetic activity that with the N supply contributed to increased production of primary and secondary metabolites (De Prato et al, 2022).…”

“…The ameliorating effect of biostimulants on salt stress has also been investigated in other horticultural crops. El-Nakhel et al (2022) reported that the application of LDPH mitigated the detrimental impacts of high salinity (EC levels up to 6 dS m -1 ) in spinach plants. Lucini and colleagues (2015) observed improvements in lettuce growth when treated with a plant-derived biostimulant under saline conditions.…”