After three days of full focus on general horticultural solutions at GreenTech, it was time to get more cannabis-specific. The day after GreenTech ended, the MCPIR and CfC organized a tour for cannabis professionals to visit their research facility and showcase what they have been working on.
An early morning bus took the participants to the first location, the Delphy Improvement Centre, where, in a conference room, Jaime Ahumanda from Delphy told attendees what to expect from the tour.
© Andrea Di Pastena | MMJDaily.com
Before getting closer to the cannabis plants, there were a couple of presentations. The first one, by Rene Corsten from Delphy, discussed the trials they have been running, with a special focus on the very latest one, which was a climate and defoliation trial. Coming from a chrysanthemum background, it was no surprise that René initially believed cannabis cultivation was '80% chrysanthemum and 20% tomato,' as he jokingly stated during his presentation. However, he also made it clear that his perspective has changed following their climate trial, as well as the climate trial conducted by Mexx Holweg from Wageningen University & Research.
Delphy's trial specifically aimed to explore how to achieve a higher net assimilate balance. To do that, they set up two rooms with different temperatures: one had 27 degrees Celsius during the day and 24 at night, while the other room ran at 24 during the day and 21 at night. The defoliation strategy also came into play in both rooms, with half of the plants being defoliated and the other half left untouched.
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One of his main takeaways was that the higher temperature treatment (27–24°C) led to a higher THC percentage compared to the lower temperature treatment (24–21°C). The same trend was observed for the total terpene concentration. "However, these are the results from our first climate trial. Repetitions still need to be conducted to be certain of our findings," René stated. Many participants asked questions to better understand the intricacies of the trial, showcasing the high level of knowledge among the attendees, which included growers, consultants, and cannabis equipment suppliers.
After Rene, it was time for Theo Tekstra from Fluence to take the stage. His presentation mainly revolved around questions about lighting, and he strongly emphasized the importance of looking at cultivation and light recipes beyond the fixtures themselves. "If I change the light recipe, there are a lot of other elements in a grow that get affected and need to be adjusted. Everything needs to go together." Once again, many questions came from the audience, with the topic of VPD being a real show-stealer.
At the end of the presentations, it was finally time to look at some cannabis plants. As participants were walked to the grow chambers, the temperature started rising – this part of the building was a greenhouse, and the classic Dutch weather took a break that day to bless the Netherlands with some truly scorching sun. However, it was still very manageable, merely a taste of what would come later in the day.
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Cannabis trials are run in three grow chambers: one had high temperatures, another low, and the third room was for the mother plants. Unfortunately, attendees could only peek at the plants through a small window, as it wasn't allowed to enter the rooms. Just outside of them, various types of equipment could be seen, from climate controls to a drying cabinet.
The Vertify location
It was then time to hop on the bus again and head to the Vertify location. The heat was becoming quite intense, and inside the Vertify greenhouse, things got rather sweaty. Just like at Delphy, a couple of presentations showcased what Vertify was working on, and what CfC (Cultivation for Compounds) was doing. This was followed by a description of the greenhouse where the cannabis plants are growing, highlighting the high level of technology used in this cultivation. LEDs, gutters, airflow, high-pressure fogging, and F1 hybrid seeds were just a few of the things found at the Vertify location. For example, they mentioned running a stone wool vs. coco trial and were also looking into making cannabis cultivation truly organic. A very interesting element was a work-in-progress solution by Biobest to combat powdery mildew – no spray, no neem oil, just a mite that eats the mildew.
© Andrea Di Pastena | MMJDaily.com
Click here to view the photo report of the event
After the presentations, attendees were walked inside the cannabis portion of the greenhouse, and that's when things got really moist. Everyone felt the extreme heat and humidity, and while most stayed to hear about a new organic fertilizer being used or simply to look at the plants, some stepped outside to take a breather.
© Andrea Di Pastena | MMJDaily.com
Back on the bus again, for the final part of the tour. Destination: the World Horti Center. No plants to look at, no greenhouse to melt in; just drinks, snacks, and cordial conversation. The event ended with everyone mingling and networking while being served cold Coke, water, and some ice cream – definitely a relief after enduring the greenhouse temperatures at Vertify.
All in all, it was a well-attended tour with growers, equipment suppliers, and consultants, and the organizers put together a dense program that effectively showcased the state of cannabis research in the heart of the horticultural world.