Enhancing aquaponic systems for production of medical cannabis

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This project is targeted at two specific aspects of indoor cannabis production: rootzone management and crop lighting. Working within the aquaponic production systems (i.e., fish as a harvested product and also a source of fertilizer for plants) and protocols at a local indoor cannabis producer, Green Relief Inc. (GR), we aim to mitigate current limitations in production (previously identified as likely rootzone management deficiencies) by improving the rootzone environment and by manipulating the crop lighting environment using modern LED technologies. These studies will result in increased production efficiencies at GR (including water, nutrient, and energy use), and subsequent reductions in their environmental footprint. More broadly, there is a lack of peer-reviewed scientific publications related to the production of drug-type cannabis in controlled environments. Since production of cannabis for medical and recreational use is Canada's fastest growing sector of the horticultural industry, with an estimated value >$30 billion, scientifically-validated production research is desperately needed. Further to the direct economic benefits to GR (i.e., increased production efficiency), this project will also serve the broader cannabis production industry by providing production recommendations (e.g., fertility, lighting regimes) and training HQPs, who are primed to work in the Canadian cannabis industry.