Macronutrients and micronutrients are essential for all plant growth, including cannabis to ensure optimum plant health and yield. Many cannabis cultivators apply nutrients and fertilizers during the growth cycle in both indoor, greenhouse and outdoor growing situations. A large challenge for cannabis growers is the lack of scientific research to back up production and application recommendations for this specific agricultural crop. By the time visual cues such as necrosis, discoloration or misshapen leaves are present, the imbalances can be difficult to correct with a short harvest cycle plant such as cannabis. By monitoring the micronutrient and macronutrient levels and ratios within individual plants, growers can use data-based decisions to ensure optimization of their nutrient application schedules, avoiding excessive run-off, costs and potentially over-feeding plants.<br/>This study focused on the microwave assisted acid digestion, sample preparation procedure and inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analytical method optimization for both macro and micronutrients in cannabis dry leaf and fresh sap (the fluid transported in xylem tubes or phloem cells of a plant). The macronutrients investigated include; calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), phosphorous (P) and sulphur (S) while the micronutrients were boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn).<br/>Fresh sap extraction and digestion methods as well as dry leaf digestion conditions were optimized in addition to the ICP-MS analysis conditions. One-step dilution and injection concentrations were optimized despite the large difference in final concentration of the micronutrients and macronutrients in relation to one another. Drift characteristics of the method as well as method validation steps will be discussed. This work has demonstrated the ability of ICP-MS, combined with microwave sample digestion to effectively analyze cannabis dry leaf and fresh sap samples for both macro and micro nutritional elements at a large range of concentration levels in cannabis leaves.

Development and optimization of test methods for macro and micro nutrients in both fresh sap and dry <i>Cannabis sativa</i> leaves using ICP-MS and microwave digestion

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

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Development and optimization of test methods for macro and micro nutrients in both fresh sap and dry Cannabis sativa leaves using ICP-MS and microwave digestion