Plants face a variety of pathogens that inhibit growth and cause failure to thrive. It is essential to carefully monitor your plants to ensure that they remain free of disease. Learning how to recognize the most common cannabis plant pathogens is the best way to keep them healthy.
Most Common Cannabis Plant Pathogens
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew does not represent a single type of fungi but can actually be caused by a variety of fungal cannabis plant pathogens. The hallmark sign of powdery mildew is a white or gray powder-like substance that appears on the leaves of cannabis plants. You may also notice tiny bumps or lesions on the upper side of affected plants. Young plants are most vulnerable to powdery mildew infection.
Gray Mold
Botrytis cinerea, a fungus, causes gray mold. It grows well in moderate temperatures and relatively high humidity levels. Plants are vulnerable to gray mold at nearly every stage in their development. Seedlings may undergo damping off, in which they become weakened and fail to thrive. In adult plants, gray mold leads to a grayish-brown mold appearing on the steps of plants, causing them to snap easily. Gray mold may also infect the buds of plants, directly threatening your harvest.
Hemp Canker
Hemp canker is caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The first symptoms of hemp canker are small lesions of the stems and branches of adult plants. As the disease progresses, these lesions become dark and filled with white, cottony tendrils. Hemp canker is eventually fatal to plants.
Yellow Leaf Spot
Yellow leaf spot is caused by species of the Septoria fungus. As the name implies, this disease leads to development of yellowed spots on plant leaves, which eventually wither and die.
Bacterial Blight
Although most cannabis plant pathogens are fungi, bacteria may also affect plant health. Pseudomonas syringae causes bacterial blight, which causes plants to develop brown colored lesions on their stems. Bacterial blight causes plants to wilt and eventually die.
The best way to protect your crop against cannabis plant pathogens is to be proactive about a strong defensive system. Investing in air purification technology prevents fungal spores and other microorganisms from infecting your plants in the first place. AiroClean420 is one of the best air purification systems in the cannabis business. With a special reactor chamber, AiroClean420 sweeps dangerous microorganisms in and neutralizes them almost instantly. The result is a pathogen-free environment that will allow your marijuana crop to thrive. Contact us today to learn how we can integrate AiroClean420 into your growing environment.
Ready to Stop Powdery Mildew?
Fill out a simple form to get pricing for AiroClean420.
