From the 24th to the 26th of November 2025, Cultivators brought together growers, specialists, and industry partners for a comprehensive three-day Cannabis Masterclass. Offering participants a rare opportunity to explore modern cultivation practices through a blend of scientific theory, practical workshops, and live demonstrations. The program showcased the latest developments in crop management, pest control, lighting technology, and post-harvest processing.
Day 1: Foundational knowledge and mother plant management
The masterclass began with a welcome session and facility tour at World Horti Center, followed by a series of theoretical modules that laid the groundwork for the days ahead. Participants received in-depth briefings on crop phases, propagation strategies, and selecting optimal cultivars and climate conditions for commercial cannabis production.
The afternoon shifted toward practical instruction, including demonstrations on transplanting, substrate selection, and mother plant care. Participants compared different substrates and discussed how each influences root development. These sessions on rootzone management and sensor interpretation emphasised plant health, nutrient steering, and data-driven decision-making.
© Cultivators
Day 2: Crop care, flowering dynamics, and post-harvest techniques
On day two: the focus turned to active crop development. Specialists led detailed modules on vegetative and flowering crop care, highlighting plant maintenance, substrate nuances, and environmental factors affecting morphology and yield.
Participants took part in a hands-on crop-handling workshop, practised maintenance techniques, and explored how external factors influence the flowering phase. The program also included expert insights from Nick Abbingh of Cannabis-drying.com, who shared practical and theoretical knowledge on drying methodologies, airflow optimisation, and the impact of drying conditions on final product quality.
© Cultivators
Afternoon sessions addressed harvest preparation, including validated SOPs, microscopic flower assessment, and an introduction to post-harvest processes such as drying, trimming, and curing. Practical demonstrations enabled attendees to experience wet and dry trimming firsthand.
Day 3: Integrated Pest Management and advanced lighting strategies
The final day centred on two key elements of modern cannabis production: Integrated Pest Management and lighting technology.
Industry partner Biobest delivered an in-depth presentation on sustainable pest control methods for cannabis. Led by Juliette Pijnakker, the session covered pest and disease identification, biological control solutions, and emerging research projects. Including the use of beneficial mites to combat persistent pathogens (for more information, see Winning the Mite Against Mildew). Participants then moved into the greenhouse for a live scouting workshop, assessing real examples of pest pressures and management techniques.
© Cultivators
Later in the day, lighting experts Sabrina Carvalho and Theo Tekstra from Fluence provided a highly informative overview of lighting R&D. Their session examined dynamic lighting strategies, spectrum manipulation, plant photo-acclimation, and best practices for indoor and greenhouse production. A practical field demonstration followed, during which participants measured light spectrum and intensity while discussing layout considerations for commercial cultivation facilities.
© Cultivators
The day concluded with a final demonstration and a networking session, giving attendees the opportunity to exchange insights with peers, trainers, and technology partners.
Hands-on learning drives engagement
Throughout all three days, participants remained highly engaged, taking part in discussions, hands-ondemonstrations, and Q&A sessions that encouraged practical understanding. Attendees praised the opportunity to interact directly with specialists, explore new technologies, and apply techniques in real cultivation environments.
For more information:
Cultivators
Email: [email protected]
cultivators.nl/
