Can stress actually improve flower quality? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. José Leme to dive into the science of plant stimuli and how growers can apply it in practice. We cover:

🌿 Mechanical cues — how super cropping and vibration trigger plant defense pathways.

💧 Water restriction — why moderate, timed drought can shift carbon toward secondary metabolites like terpenes and cannabinoids.

🧪 Jasmonates (MeJA) — when they increase trichome density, and what trade-offs you need to consider.

🔬 Trichome measurement pitfalls — why bracts are the gold standard for consistent data.

🌱 Propagation & trial design — the importance of clonal fidelity and standardized protocols when testing stress strategies.

Dr. Leme and I also highlight practical guardrails for growers: cultivar differences, timing, and the “sweet spot” between beneficial stress and damaging stress.

📄 Referenced Studies:

Water Deficit Stress and Secondary Metabolites

Jasmonates in Growth, Trichomes, and Cannabinoids

Metabolic Responses to Water Deficit

Trichome Sampling & Quantification Methods

Trigonelline as a Biomarker for Drought Stress (Preprint)

Propagation & Clonal Fidelity in Cannabis Research

Additional vibration study discussed in the episode.

🎧 Whether you’re a grower, consultant, or researcher, this conversation will give you a framework for using stress not as a risk—but as a precision tool to enhance plant quality.

This week on the Cannabis Cultivation and Science Podcast, we're diving deep into lighting and photobiology with Shane Torpey, founder of MIGRO. With a background in engineering and construction, Shane turned his passion for growing into a global grow lighting company known for trusted reviews and educational content.

We break down what’s working—and what’s not—in cannabis lighting for 2025, including:

Far-red and intra-canopy lighting

LED vs. HPS and how to transition

Maximizing PPFD without added CO₂

Dimming schedules at sunrise/sunset

The impact of lenses on LED light penetration

What really matters when choosing a grow light

Emerging technologies shaping the future of cultivation

Whether you’re scaling a facility or dialing in your home grow, this episode gives you the tools to make smarter lighting decisions rooted in science and real-world data.

Links to channels here:

https://www.youtube.com/@MIGROLIGHT

https://www.instagram.com/migrolight/

https://www.facebook.com/MIGROLIGHT/

https://www.tiktok.com/@migrolight

Connor’s journey from greenhouse grower to propagation leader

Scaling propagation: key infrastructure and protocols

Hormonal treatments and substrate selection for optimal rooting

Managing cultivar libraries and mother plant health

IPM and environmental control strategies tailored for veg

Writing and refining SOPs for compliance and consistency

Track-and-trace integration in a regulated cannabis market

The role of living soil vs. hydroponics in Connor’s career

Collective Elevation: www.collectiveelevation.com

KIS Organics Products & Podcast: www.kisorganics.com

Cannabis Cultivation & Science Conference: September 5–7, 2025, Bozeman, Montana — featuring Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Dr. Greenhouse, Jeremy Plumb, and more. Early bird tickets available now!

Join our Patreon for bonus content: Patreon.com/KISOrganics

Welcome to the Cannabis Cultivation and Science podcast, I'm your host Tad Hussey of KIS Organics. This is the podcast where we discuss the cutting edge of growing from a science based perspective and draw on top experts from around the industry to share their wisdom and knowledge. My guest this week is Bryant Mason. I’ve had Bryant on the podcast a few times in the past and he’s one of my favorite guests.

Bryant is a Certified Crop Advisor who specializes in organic cannabis nutrition. He has spent the last 8 years working to combine precision laboratory techniques with data science in an effort to unravel the complexities of cannabis soil and crop nutrition. Along with his work on soilless media, he also helps outdoor cultivators around the U.S. with nutrient management and cover cropping. If you would like to do soil testing, help interpreting a soil test, or are interested in an online course on these subjects, his website is www.soildoctorconsulting.com. If you want to save $100 on his course, you can use the discount code KISORGANICS, all one word. I’ve taken his course and was recently going back to review some of the content. It’s excellent and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to do a deep dive on cannabis fertility and re-using your soil.

After recording the podcast with Bryant, he had a couple of points he wanted to clarify so there is a short addendum that I added in at the very beginning of the podcast.

Now on to the show!

Before starting the podcast, I wanted to share about an exciting new conference that we are hosting in conjunction with Collective Elevation in Bozeman, Montana. I’ve been talking to Suzanne Wainwright Evans about hosting a conference for years, and Adam at Collective graciously offered to open up his doors and let us host it on his property. The event is happening on September 5-7th, 2025 and I’m super excited. We are kicking it off with workshops from The Bug Lady Suzanne and Dr. Greenhouse, followed by a facility tour and then a bunch of excellent speakers and networking events over the next 2 days. Then on the 7th, the Montana Living Soil Alliance is hosting a tasting event that will be included in the price of the conference ticket. The tasting event will be a private event, with cannabis donated by the Living Soil Alliance, as a way to have an amazing sensory experience and see what premium quality Montana Living Soil has to offer. Tickets are limited to 200 spots, so be sure to grab a ticket if you’re interested. Tickets are now on sale at kisorganics.com and the conference is called the Cannabis Cultivation and Science Conference.

In honor of the conference, I wanted to do an interview series with some of the amazing folks at Collective Elevation to give a growers perspective and share some of what they’ve been able to accomplish. I’ve already had Adam Arnold on the podcast and you can also view a tour of their facility on the kisorganics youtube page.

My guest this week is Jared Ferguson, the Greenhouse Manager at Collective Elevation. He’s been working at Collective for over 4 years now, but prior to that he studied Environmental horticulture at Montama State University in bozeman. During which he worked for the universities greenhouse facility and research farm, where hje got his first experiences in mixing soil, amending plants, managing irrigation, and conducting IPM processes. Now on to the show!

Saul began his agriculture work in vineyard and winery operations on the Central California coast.  After deciding to focus his career on crop protection he moved north where he managed IPM programs at Monterey Mushroom Company and Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo.  This work led to a position as IPM Manager at Harborside Farms where he directed their bio-intensive greenhouse cannabis IPM program.  Saul now works as a Technical Sales Representative for BioBee USA.

Dr. Nadia Sabeh is the President and Founder of Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., an agricultural and mechanical engineering firm that specializes in the design of HVAC systems for indoor plant environments. Dr. Sabeh has her PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) and is a licensed Mechanical Engineer in the State of California. For over 20 years, she has dedicated her education and career to helping farmers control their environments, allowing them to grow crops indoors, in greenhouses and in facilities that would otherwise be impossible or impractical to do so. 

Nadia has a free VPD app for both iPhone and Android as well as an amazing podcast called "The Doctor is in" that's available on all streaming platforms. https://www.doctorgreenhouse.com/podcast/tag/podcast

My guest this week is my good friend, Suzanne Wainwright-Evans also known by many as The Bug Lady. She is an Ornamental Entomologist specializing in integrated pest management.  Suzanne has been involved in the Green Industry for more than 25 years with a primary focus on biological control and using pesticides properly.  She is a graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in both Entomology and Environmental Horticulture. Suzanne has been on the podcast multiple times and I highly suggest folks go back and listen to some of her other podcasts if you haven’t already. Her website is bugladyconsulting.com where you can find links to other webinars, podcasts and information as well as how to contact her for direct consulting. Now on to the show!

My guest this week is my good friend, Suzanne Wainwright-Evans also known by many as The Bug Lady. She is an Ornamental Entomologist specializing in integrated pest management.  Suzanne has been involved in the Green Industry for more than 25 years with a primary focus on biological control and using pesticides properly.  She is a graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in both Entomology and Environmental Horticulture. Suzanne has been on the podcast multiple times and I highly suggest folks go back and listen to some of her other podcasts if you haven’t already. Her website is bugladyconsulting.com where you can find links to other webinars, podcasts and information as well as how to contact her for direct consulting. Now on to the show!