The cannabis industry has been rapidly expanding in recent years, driven by changing legal landscapes and growing consumer demand. However, this burgeoning sector is not immune to the pervasive threat of viruses that can devastate cannabis production.
These microscopic adversaries can infect cannabis plants, leading to reduced yields, compromised quality, and significant economic losses for growers. In this article, we will explore current molecular tools available to cannabis labs looking to test for viruses in plant material, and important factors to consider when building out a diagnostic lab for cannabis plant health testing.
Plant viruses consist of genetic material (RNA or DNA) enclosed in a protein coat, often with additional outer layers, and they lack the cellular machinery found in host cells, relying on infected plant hosts for replication.
Plant viroids are tiny, circular RNA molecules lacking a protein coat, consisting solely of a short, single-stranded RNA with a characteristic secondary structure that allows them to infect plants and cause diseases. Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd) is the most prevalent viroid on cannabis and is a major concern to growers due to its association with flower dudding and reduced yields.
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