Pathogens cause disease when they find a host body to infect. They come in diverse forms — bacteria, fungi, worms, viruses, and even prions.
Pathogens are one of the significant threats to cannabis fields. These silent visitors may cause your plants to produce fewer trichomes, small buds, or even die. Identifying each pathogen helps you understand how it propagates, its symptoms, and its consequences.
In this article
Hop Latent Viroid
Hop Latent Viroid (HLV) is a single-stranded infectious RNA that interferes with cannabis plant growth. Once it has infected the plant, the obvious sign of infection is dudding — when the plant grows smaller, with shorter leaves. HLV can also cause yellowing, and necrotic and malformed leaves. These plants will have fewer trichomes in their structure.
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea, or bud rot, is a fungus that damages the tender parts of plants in areas of high humidity. This necrotrophic fungus invades damaged tissue. Symptoms include smaller buds, the development of gray mass spores, and brown, water-soaked spots on leaves. A major consequence is that it can kill cannabis plants within a week.
Lettuce Chlorosis Virus
Much like Botrytis cinerea, Lettuce Chlorosis Virus can potentially destroy an entire garden. It occurs in lettuce grown in southern California. Infected plants change into a frail yellow color and become very brittle and stunted. One way to prevent the virus from spreading is to take a tissue sample and perform qPCR tests to make sure the plant is virus-free.
Cannabis Cryptic Virus
Cannabis Cryptic Virus is a double-stranded RNA virus causing subtle symptoms, including smaller flower quality and stunted growth. This virus can lead plants to produce fewer terpenes, cannabinoids, and trichomes — three essential components that serve different purposes for cannabis plants.
Alfalfa Mosaic Virus
Alfalfa Mosaic Virus starts by killing cells within a plant, which can become a problem for whole groups of plants. Aphids move from one plant to another, transmitting the virus almost instantly; seed transmission is also possible. There’s no known cure, so prevention is key. Symptoms mirror many other viruses — stunted growth, slower yield, and a calico or yellow color on leaves. The good news: it can be detected in time through serological (antigen and antibody) tests.
Beet Curly Top Virus
Beet Curly Top Virus is a dangerous plant virus containing single-stranded DNA that can affect all kinds of plants, especially cannabis. Symptoms include a yellow color with purple veins, leaves beginning to curl, seedlings dying out, and deformation at the buds. Because this virus carries a protein with a unique code that allows for host-cell replication, if it isn’t detected in time the cannabis plants will die.
Recognizing the danger these pathogens pose to cannabis plants — and acknowledging their potential to disrupt cultivation — is very important for growth and success. This is why MyFloraDNA provides data-driven decisions to help breeders increase their plant yields.
Keep growing safe and healthy cannabis.
Who to ask if you think you have an infection?
We highly recommend consulting with a DNA laboratory. They will guide you through the process, test your plants, and let you know if they are infected with any pathogen.
Not sure which pathogen you’re dealing with?
Our molecular panels identify HLVd, viruses, and fungal pathogens precisely — so you can act before it spreads.