The Key to Consistent Cannabis Yields

The Key to Consistent  Cannabis Yields

Producing medicinal-grade cannabis flowers can be quite complex. Earth’s Healing Colombia, a company with seven years of experience, has been continuously enhancing its processes and knowledge to meet the highest quality standards.

Colombia is well-positioned to become a global powerhouse in the export of dry cannabis flowers. Since the issuance of Resolution 539 in 2022, which regulates the approvals necessary for the international trade of dry cannabis flowers, companies in the sector have seen an opportunity to increase their exports. One such company is Earth’s Healing Colombia, founded in 2017 with the mission of producing high-quality dry flowers and feminized seeds using their proprietary genetics.

According to Luisa Arango, Chief Operating Officer of Earth’s Healing Colombia, the key to standing out in the market has been not only adapting production to the tropics but also overcoming various challenges in crop management.

“From the beginning, we have focused on developing and producing medicinal cannabis flowers of the highest quality, maintaining rigorous production standards backed by international certifications,” she says.

The First Step: Stabilizing Genetics

Nicolás Mendoza Peña, Commercial and Cultivation Process Leader at Earth’s Healing, explains that the entire production process is carried out in greenhouses to control external conditions, maintain high-quality flowers, and reduce production costs. This approach allows the company to remain competitive while ensuring superior products.

“The first thing we have done is stabilize the genetics through a process of adaptability during several cultivation cycles and hybridization techniques. This has allowed the plants to better align with climatic conditions, develop their characteristics more effectively, and become less susceptible to pests and diseases,” he says, referring to the genetics developed in the municipality of Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, where the company operates.

In addition to continuously improving their own genetics and adaptation processes, the company has researched different types of substrates, ventilation management, lighting, and nutrition to achieve optimal plant development, Mendoza Peña explains.

“As for the substrate we use, we must ensure it complies with quality standards set by international pharmacopeias, which establish maximum limits for pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants,” details Mendoza Peña.

To meet these standards, he adds, they use sterile, ‘buffered’ substrates that are completely decontaminated, free from heavy metals and potentially harmful microorganisms. Additionally, the use of pesticides is completely restricted to ensure an optimal and risk-free environment for the crops.

“The cannabis plant can easily absorb any trace of contaminants present in the air, and the same applies to the substrate. We must be very cautious even with the type of fertilizer used, as they may contain contaminants and heavy metals. Moreover, the water used for irrigation must be treated, as untreated water can contain traces of lead or other metals, as well as microorganisms that could affect human health,” Mendoza Peña says.

 

“We adopt an organic approach to our production. To adhere to high standards, we use mineral fertilizers and maintain strict control over the quality of raw materials and solutions used, aiming to minimize any possible trace of contaminants. We also implement an integrated pest and disease management approach based on organic practices, which helps reduce the risk of contamination in our crops,” Mendoza Peña adds.

Two Production Phases: Vegetative and Flowering

Regarding crop management, the company’s commercial leader emphasizes the importance of understanding the two key phases of cannabis cultivation: the vegetative stage and the flowering stage. The management strategies employed depend on the specific stage of the plant.

In the vegetative stage, integrated pest and disease management is implemented through the use of various beneficial microorganisms. For example, the substrate is enriched with Trichoderma species, which help control insects and fungi.

“We apply weekly preventive treatments to maintain an organic management approach. Prevention is key because organic products do not act immediately. Additionally, this approach helps us establish an organic ecosystem of beneficial microorganisms that assist in pest and disease control,” he explains.

However, during the flowering stage, Mendoza notes that they discontinue the use of beneficial microorganisms due to strict compliance standards, particularly regarding mold and yeast counts.

“Using beneficial microorganisms during flowering could lead to growth in Petri dish tests, which would increase the final count for the export flower,” he says.

Strategies for Managing Harmful Insects

In the flowering stage, they turn to plant extracts, which have proven effective in controlling fungi and insects.

“To control aphids—soft-bodied sucking insects that are common in cannabis crops—we use a citrus extract mixed with an adjuvant. We developed a product based on this formulation,” explains Mendoza. He adds that they also apply garlic and chili extracts, lemongrass-based solutions, and tree bark extracts, which help repel fungi like Botrytis, one of the most dangerous threats in cannabis cultivation.

Additionally, Mendoza mentions that when there is a high incidence of coleopteran insects, they sometimes wash the plants with high-pressure hoses, a method that has proven quite effective for them.

“These methodologies have had a very positive impact on crop management and, most importantly, have allowed us to achieve the quality standards we require,” Mendoza Peña emphasizes.

In line with this, the commercial leader of Earth’s Healing Colombia points out that cannabis is primarily affected by pests and diseases such as thrips, aphids, Botrytis, powdery mildew, and downy mildew.

“What affects us the most—and can quickly get out of hand if not managed in time—are aphids, as they reproduce rapidly and spread easily from one plant to another,” says Mendoza.

He also notes that aphid reproduction occurs in the substrate, so they apply entomopathogenic fungi to help control the larvae.

All Under Greenhouses

According to Luisa Arango, the company’s COO, they currently have one hectare (ha) of greenhouse space built, with the capacity to expand up to 8 ha.

“We haven’t expanded yet because we are growing at the pace of the market, and right now we are operating at full capacity within the hectare we have built.” This greenhouse is divided into two production phases: “In the flowering-only section, we have the capacity for 2,400 plants, which roughly translates to a production of 230 kilograms of dried flower,” explains Mrs. Arango.

But why divide the process? Mendoza, the company’s commercial leader, explains that one of the characteristics of the cannabis plant is its sensitivity to photoperiod. The plant can be kept in a vegetative state for as long as needed, depending on the light signals it receives.

“The plant won’t transition from the vegetative stage to flowering as long as we provide it with 18 hours of light per day,” Mendoza clarifies. On the other hand, if the photoperiod is shortened from 18 to 12 hours, the plant gets the signal to start the flowering stage.

 

“In the vegetative greenhouse, we achieve the 18-hour light cycle by combining the natural 12 hours of daylight, from about 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with additional artificial lighting until midnight,” Mendoza explains. This setup ensures the plants stay in the vegetative stage. Once the plants are prepared to begin flowering, they are transferred to a greenhouse where they are exposed to only 12 hours of light.

 

“We separate the greenhouses because even minimal light exposure during the flowering phase can harm the plants and affect the quality of the final product,” Mendoza explains. He adds that this strategy has also increased their productivity and optimized the use of their space.

A Plant Cycle as Long or Short as Desired

The COO agrees, highlighting that this approach has allowed them to maximize production per harvest.

“It’s a model that has worked perfectly for us; it might not work for other growers. It all depends on how the plants are managed,” she says. “We can make the plant’s cycle as long or as short as we want. For example, if I provide light to the plant for six months, it will remain in the vegetative state for those six months,” she adds.

But beyond greenhouse management, what is needed to achieve medicinal-grade cannabis flower? According to Mendoza, the company adheres to the standards set by the European Pharmacopoeia, which outlines all requirements, including technical and health aspects, for producing a pharmaceutical-grade product. “The pharmacopeia stipulates that the flower must not contain certain levels of heavy metals, mold, or yeast. Additionally, the client has different demands, such as a compact flower with vivid colors, a THC percentage above 20%, and a unique terpene profile (aroma),” Mendoza concludes. Discover here our high-THC strains.

Focused on the Production and Export of Dried Cannabis Flowers

As Luisa Arango emphasizes, the company is committed to producing high-quality dried cannabis flowers.

“That’s our focus, but due to legislation and the permits we have, we can also export various cannabis derivatives, such as oils, tinctures, and more.” As mentioned in the article, they are also a seed source. “We have approximately 20 registered genetics and the capacity to register 70 more. From the registered ones, we are producing dried flowers and feminized seeds,” Arango notes. They are currently producing between 100 and 120 kilograms of dried flower in constant rotation based on their various clients’ orders.

According to Mendoza, they are selling their cannabis flowers in Germany, Australia, and North Macedonia and are negotiating to enter Portugal and the United Kingdom. “In our seed business, the main markets are Ecuador and Colombia.”

Their flowers are marketed through direct export, including the first export of psychoactive flowers to North Macedonia from Colombia. They are also distributed through other Colombian companies with clients abroad, mainly pharmaceutical companies, as well as in markets in Australia and Germany, where they are sold directly to processors who produce finished cannabinoid-based products.

Read Here: Colombia’s Rise as a Global Cannabis Powerhouse: A Look at Its Growing Influence.

This article is adapted from an interview with Earth’s Healing Colombia, originally featured in the September 2024 issue of RedAgrícola magazine and written by journalist Ximena González.