Modern Canna Science in central Florida has developed a source water testing program to help cannabis cultivators verify that the source water they are using in their growing facilities is free from contamination and adulteration that can harm their plants.
French grape growers have long appreciated that their fruit takes on the characteristics of the environment in which it is grown. This concept is equally true for cannabis plants, which will absorb both nutrients and contaminants from soil and water. A grower that uses contaminated source water to hydrate cannabis crops will see lower crop yields and poor quality plants as a result of that contamination.
Common Source Water Contaminants
Several different source water contaminants can harm cannabis plant growth and crop yields:
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from well water, springs, and municipal water supplies can block nutrient absorption in cannabis plants
- Added Chlorine and Chloramines in municipal source water can preclude cannabis facilities from claiming that their plants are organically grown
- Calcium, Magnesium, and other minerals create “hard water” that can hamper cannabis plant nutrient absorption, and that will foul supply lines in irrigation equipment
- Fluoride in municipal water supplies can be toxic to cannabis plants, and can adversely affect enzymes that are necessary for cannabis plant growth and seed germination
- An entire host of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in source water from pesticides and herbicides can lace cannabis plants with carcinogens
- Animal and human waste in source water can promote bacteria growth that will compromise cannabis quality and crop yields
- Nitrates from fertilizers used by large outdoor farms can creep into municipal water supplies, creating problems for cannabis growers when their plants are in their flowing stage
Accurate Source Water Testing by Modern Canna Science
The accuracy of any tests for contaminants and adulterants in source water is a function of three factors: (1) equipment; (2) procedures; and (3) the technician’s skills. Modern Canna Science excels in all three.
Source Water Testing Equipment
Modern Canna Science’s testing facilities are stocked with high performance liquid chromatographs, high performance/high definition microscopes, gas chromatography flame ionization detectors, mass spectrometers, electron capture detectors, and other state of the art equipment that detect source water contaminants to concentrations of parts per million or, in the case of heavy metal contaminants, parts per billion
Testing Procedures
Modern Canna Science adheres to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and other standard operating procedures to verify that all of its tests are accurate, reliable, and objective. We regularly calibrate our testing equipment to verify its accuracy and performance.
Technician Skill and Experience
Our analysts and laboratory technicians are skilled academic researchers with backgrounds in chemistry and environmental science. We have decades of experience in laboratory quality control and advanced skills in the tests and procedures required to verify that source water is safe and free from contaminants that can affect cannabis production.
Cannabis Testing Matrix and Source Water
About eighty per cent of the weight of a cannabis plant is water. Because water is such a significant component of the plant’s total weight, cannabis cultivators need to use source water that is as free from contaminants as is possible. Our analysts subject source water samples to a full range of tests to screen for contaminants. That testing is one of the four corners of our cannabis testing matrix. The other three corners include a slate of tests on the plants themselves, analyses of concentrates and extracts in the final crop, and testing of soils and growth mediums.
Modern Canna developed this testing matrix and its source water contamination testing protocols in Florida after studying the earlier experiences of cannabis cultivation facilities in other states. Florida is a more recent entrant into the medical marijuana and cannabis cultivation industries. The state’s cannabis growers are now benefitting from developments in states that were earlier adopters of cannabis cultivation technology.
Our labs have combined all of that prior testing experience in a central Florida location that serves the needs of the state’s cannabis industry in full compliance with all laws, rules and regulations that govern the state’s cannabis production.
Modern Canna Science: The Florida Cannabis Industry’s Premier Source Water Testing Lab
Modern Canna Science offers the highest quality source water testing services for all of Florida’s agricultural production, including cannabis cultivation. A cultivator that has knowledge of the contaminants in its water sources can develop specific filtration and fertilization techniques to counteract the harm caused by those contaminants. Depending on the cultivator’s needs, we can implement our regular matrix testing services or we can prepare a customized water source testing program. In either case, a cannabis cultivation facility will see significant improvement in plant quality and crop yields with source water that is introducing less contamination into the growing environment.
Contact us today to consult with one of our cannabis source water testing specialists about how our services can enhance your cannabis cultivation efforts.
Additional “Cannabis Source Water Testing” Resources:
- Hyper-logic.com, Growing Premium Cannabis: Why Water Quality Matters More Than You Think. http://hyper-logic.com/blog/growing-premium-cannabis-water-quality-matters-think/
- SustainableAgriculture.net, Agricultural Water. http://sustainableagriculture.net/fsma/learn-about-the-issues/agricultural-water/