Challenge of Septoria in Cultivation

We wanted to share some information inspired by a new blog by our friends at LeafWorks.

Leaf spot symptoms associated with Septoria cannabis, a fungal pathogen that can be difficult to distinguish from other cannabis plant health problems. This may not be Septoria

Leaf spot symptoms in cannabis can have a lot of possible causes. Nutrient deficiencies, environmental stress, spray injury, and several pathogens can produce symptoms that look similar at first glance.

Septoria cannabis adds another possibility to that list. Species of Septoria are well-known plant pathogens across agriculture, but S. cannabis remains relatively understudied. Molecular sequence data for the pathogen only became available relatively recently, which has historically made identification and diagnostic testing more difficult.

The Problem With Diagnosing by Symptoms Septoria

Septoria infection can produce leaf spots, chlorosis, and progressive damage to foliage. But those symptoms alone aren't enough to identify the cause.

A grower who assumes the problem is nutritional may adjust fertilizer. Someone who suspects spray injury may change an application. Meanwhile, if the underlying cause is a pathogen, infected plant material can remain in production while the actual problem goes unaddressed. Therefore symptoms should be treated as evidence that something is wrong, not as a diagnosis. Pathogen panels based on observable characteristics are available to help diagnose problems with overlapping symptoms

Testing Changes the Question

Molecular testing allows cultivators to move beyond asking, “What does this look like?” and start asking, “What is actually present in this plant?” This is especially important for pathogens that are difficult to identify visually or can be confused with common cultivation problems.

Our friends at LeafWorks have developed molecular tools for the detection of Septoria cannabis and have written more about the pathogen, its identification, and what its presence means for cannabis cultivators.

For more information about Septoria cannabis and testing, visit LeafWorks' article on Septoria in cannabis cultivation.

Where Zennetix Fits

Pathogen testing is part of the  Zennetix larger clean-stock strategy. Tissue culture gives us a controlled environment for maintaining and propagating genetics, while molecular testing helps verify the health status of that material.

Neither visual inspection nor tissue culture alone can tell us everything that may be present in a plant.

When protecting valuable genetics, knowing what you're dealing with comes first. To learn more about testing, visit LeafWorks.