Handbook of Cannabis Production in Controlled Environments

For thousands of years, Cannabis sativa, commonly called cannabis or marijuana, has been used for many different purposes. Due to its enormous medicinal values, increasing numbers of countries and regions have started to legalise the cultivation of this plant. When grown commercially, cannabis is most often produced in controlled environments including greenhouse and indoor growing rooms, to ensure consistent growth and high quality. Even for field production, propagation is frequently conducted in controlled environments. Commercial operations and individual growers who cultivate cannabis for personal consumption, require scientific information on how to cultivate cannabis most effectively and efficiently. To meet these needs, scientists have been conducting research on how to optimize cannabis cultivation both in small and large scales.

Handbook of Cannabis Production in Controlled Environments is the result of collaborations between some leading cannabis scientists and highly experienced practitioners. Featuring full-color illustrations and photographs throughout, this book covers a broad range of topics include cannabis biology; science and techniques for breeding and propagation; management and optimization of both aerial and rootzone environments; plant nutrition and nutrient disorder diagnosis; crop training and pest management; harvesting and post-harvest processing. Along with the basic aspects of controlled environment cannabis production, this book summarises developments in these areas that may challenge old beliefs and improve production.

Led by Editor, Youbin Zheng, President of the Canadian Society for Horticultural Science/La Société Canadienne de Science Horticole, this book is a practical guide for cultivators, consultants, and researchers; a reference for students; and an information source for individuals who grow cannabis for personal consumption.

Dr. Youbin Zheng is a horticulture professor at the University of Guelph and the Vice President of the Canadian Society for Horticultural Science. He joined the University of Guelph in 2000 and has more than 25 years research experience in controlled environment plant production. His research has resulted more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and many book chapters. His recent research focus includes indoor cannabis and other medicinal and nutraceutical plant production, greenhouse ornamental and vegetable production, nursery and landscape plant production and maintenance. Dr. Zheng has been actively involved in indoor cannabis production research in the past years, and his group has published North America’s first few peer-reviewed scientific papers on indoor cannabis production. He developed and is currently teaching the world first university-level Cannabis Production course. Dr. Zheng has been frequently invited to speak about his research results both nationally and internationally.