5 Ways To Identify Hop Latent Viroid in Cannabis Plants

Whether you’ve been growing cannabis for a long time or recently joined the scene, practicing care and maintenance are crucial factors in producing healthy harvests. However, what's going wrong if your plants aren’t producing healthy leaves, have developed a yellow hue, or have an overall dud-looking appearance? It may be hop latent viroid. So, what is hop latent viroid, and what are some ways to identify it in cannabis plants?

What Is Hop Latent Viroid?

What exactly is hop latent viroid? Also known as HLVd, hop latent viroid is a single-stranded, circular infectious RNA, utterly dependent on the host plants’ metabolism for production. It occurs in all hops but can also impact cannabis.

Viroids generally transmit from an infected plant to a healthy one through various methods, including contaminated tools and instruments. So, what are some common signs of hop latent viroid, and what are the prevention methods?

Signs of Hop Latent Viroid in Cannabis

The signs of hop latent viroid in cannabis plants occur between the vegetative and flowering stages of the plant. Some signs include:

• Stunted growth
• Overlapping blades
• Small leaves
• Dull smell
• Little to no terpenes

Other signs include abnormal branching, smaller buds, reduction of trichomes, and more. HLV is a silent viroid, which results in little to no signs appearing during its early development in the plant.

Transmission and Prevention

Transmission of hop latent viroid can occur quickly in greenhouses and gardens. Some causes include infected plants, clones, seeds, bugs or pests, and human touch. So, practicing prevention is a critical factor in keeping your plants healthy.

Some prevention methods for HLV include keeping your equipment clean, paying attention to visitors, ensuring pests remain under control, and proper tissue culture. Always wear a fresh pair of gloves each time you handle new plants, and provide visitors with hairnets, beard nets, coveralls, and gloves when they come within your cannabis plants’ presence.

Shore Grow offers aspiring growers cannabis care products and hydroponic supplies to keep gardens bountiful and healthy. Our catalog of cannabis hydroponic supplies ranges from electronic temperature loggers and climate control monitors to cannabis soil fertilizers and nutrient additives. If you would like to know more about our cannabis-growing products and supplies, please contact us today for more information.