The medical potential of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is based on its complex chemical profile, comprising hundreds of secondary metabolites including cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. Environmental and cultivation conditions affect plant function and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in cannabis. Understanding the regulation of plant response to environmental conditions is therefore key for development of optimal chemical profile for modern medicine. We have recently uncovered high sensitivity of the secondary metabolite profile in medical-(drug-type)-cannabis to mineral nutrition. Therefore, knowledge on the cannabis plant response to inorganic nutrient availability to the plant, and their uptake and translocation in the plant body, is essential for the development of optimized cultivation scheme directed at regulation of the secondary metabolism. This will facilitate production of high quality standardized plant material for the medical markets, as well as development of plant products containing specific desirable phytochemical profiles. We have recently demonstrated the potential of the individual macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, and Mg to regulate plant development and the profile of the biologically active metabolites in medical cannabis . In pot experiments under controlled conditions, we demonstrated induction of changes to the cannabinoid and terpene profiles by K, P, N, NH4/NO3 ratio, Mg and Ca nutrition. For the key macronutrients, N, P and K the level of supply required for high yield quantity differed from the levels needed for optimizing yield chemical quality; and cannabinoid and terpenoid biosynthesis and accumulation was highest under restricted supply, when the plants suffered from a physiological stress. However, the stimulated cannabinoid and terpenoid production under deficiency stress of N, P and K is not a general response to plant stress. This is evident from the response of the plants to Mg nutrition. Interestingly, for Mg, the response differed, and limited supply restricted the production of cannabinoids, pointing at a nutrient-specificity in the effect on secondary metabolism in cannabis. The rate of plant-uptake changed between macronutrients and between the vegetative and reproductive stages of development, and along the reproductive phase, with some genetic specificity. This suggest a potential for regulation of the secondary metabolism by development of precision supply and uptake of inorganic macro- and micronutrient.

Uptake of inorganic nutrients affects secondary metabolites production in medical cannabis

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