Study: Biochar-Bacteria Combo Boosts Cannabis Growth and Cannabinoids Under Salt Stress
- The study found that combining phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida) with phosphorus-enriched biochar helps cannabis plants better withstand salt stress.
- Salinity negatively impacted cannabis growth by reducing biomass, chlorophyll, water content, essential oil yield, and cannabinoid levels, while increasing stress indicators like proline and malondialdehyde.
- Combined treatments significantly improved shoot and root weight, chlorophyll levels, relative water content, essential oil yield, CBD, and THC, while reducing oxidative damage markers under saline conditions.
- Researchers concluded that this combination could enhance cannabis resilience and pharmacological compound production, but further field studies are needed to validate greenhouse findings.
A new study published in Plant Science found that combining phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria with phosphorus-enriched biochar may help cannabis plants better withstand salt stress while improving growth and cannabinoid production.
Researchers from Shahid Beheshti University and Islamic Azad University examined how salinity affected Cannabis sativa L., a condition known to reduce phosphorus availability and limit plant productivity. The study tested two bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida, along with phosphorus-enriched biochar, both separately and in combination.
The experiment found that salinity reduced plant biomass, chlorophyll, relative water content, essential oil yield and cannabinoid levels, while increasing stress markers such as proline and malondialdehyde.
However, plants grown under salinity stress responded notably better when phosphorus-enriched biochar was combined with either B. subtilis or P. putida. Compared to plants exposed only to salinity, the combined treatments increased shoot weight by 25% and 24%, root weight by 28% and 38%, chlorophyll by 33% and 29%, and relative water content by 16% and 15%, respectively.
The treatments also increased essential oil yield by 49% and 37%. Cannabidiol (CBD) increased by 13% and 12%, while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) increased by 16% and 14%. The same treatments lowered malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative damage, by 23% and 21%.
The researchers said the findings suggest that combining phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria with phosphorus-enriched biochar could help improve cannabis resilience and boost the production of pharmacologically active compounds in salty growing conditions.
However, they noted that the study was conducted under greenhouse conditions, meaning field studies are still needed to confirm the results in real-world cultivation settings.