“Recently, the biggest challenges we have seen are nutrient formulation issues and the high costs and delays of HVAC equipment,” says Jack Whipple, Founder, and CEO of Whipple Effect. The consulting company specializes in designing efficient indoor cannabis cultivation facilities, data-driven cultivation protocols, and premium genetics. These past years, Jack has noticed the impact that the logistical challenges and material shortages have had on the cannabis industry. “We notice that now more than ever, cannabis companies benefit from our services.”
Common challenges
So what are currently some of the most common challenges among cannabis growers that Jack is busy helping them with? “We have been helping a lot of growers who have set up improper environmental set points and irrigation strategies, resulting in them not being able to optimize their production. Moreover, growers are struggling with pest, microbial issues and unhealthy root zones that are interfering with their production.” In order to improve production, Jack recommends using crop management software. “Software such as Aroya allows you to track all of the variables that enable you to steer the crop. Logging and tracking data of each run allows you to maximize the yields of each cultivar.”
Moreover, growers are noticing the impact of the logistical challenges, Jack says. “We have noticed that some larger nutrient companies have had quality and formulation issues due to the supply chain challenges. For growers, this leads to changes in EC values and increased turbidity. On the design-build side, the price of HVAC equipment has gone up, and there is an additional 3-6 months delivery time for a lot of the equipment that we use. Luckily, this can be accounted for as long as orders are placed early enough.”
Genetics
Of course, genetics used to play a major role in the quality of production. To be able to supply growers with high-quality genetics, Jack also founded Psychonaut Genetics. “The goal of our first breeding project was yield and high THC percentage. We hit this goal with most of the crosses in this project testing over 30% with large yields. Our current breeding projects are primarily focused on terpene production and taste while still always aiming to select strong plants with optimal morphology.”
Management and training
For the companies that would like a little extra help, Whipple Effect has implemented a ‘management model’ service. “With this service, we install our expert cultivators into the top 2-3 management positions of the cultivation company that we partner with. Our team then trains and runs the entire garden full-time for however long necessary.” There is also a 400-page online training program available that the company uses to train their clients’ employees. “This is comprised of 60+ lessons that each come with a competency test to ensure that the staff understands our cultivation methods and what is expected of them. We are currently in preparation to publish the program as a book, which will be available in December. The intention of this book is to share step-by-step instructions for growers to have increased yields and quality.”
For more information:
Whipple Effect
www.whippleeffect.com