CannMed Coffee Talk

Discovering Non-Glandular Trichomes Secrete Salts with Zamir Punja, PhD

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Dr. Zamir Punja is a Professor of Plant Biotechnology at Simon Fraser University in Canada. His research interests include the etiology and management of plant diseases and the applications of plant biotechnology for disease management. Since 2018, his work has focused on cannabis, identifying and describing a range of previously unreported pathogens affecting the crop and evaluating various methods for disease management. 

Zamir is CannMed regular, having presented at 5 previous events. His presentations are always a highlight of the event because they often feature stunning electron microscope images showing plant structures and pathogens up close. In fact, his CannMed 22 presentation about glandular trichomes has gotten more than 300,000 views on our YouTube page, making it the most viewed CannMed presentation. 

Zamir will again present at CannMed 26, this time about non-glandular trichomes in a presentation titled “Non-glandular trichomes in cannabis plants can secrete salts”. 

During our conversation, we discuss:

  • Non-glandular trichomes: What they are and what they do.
  • How leaf spots, initially mistaken for disease, led to the finding that cannabis secretes excess fertilizer salts through these trichomes.
  • Theories on why the plant would develop the ability to actively excrete excess salts.
  • Practical guidance for cultivators on how to distinguish overfertilization from disease.
  • Future research directions — comparing salt-tolerant vs. non-tolerant strains under varying salinity levels and exploring whether this mechanism explains cannabis’s resilience in drought-prone, high-salt environments.

    • Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: Advanced Nutrients

    Advanced Nutrients will once again be a partner-level sponsor for the CannMed 26 Summit, and this year they have put together an amazing package for cultivators that includes:

    • Full Access to all the presentations, networking events, and meals at the CannMed 26 summit 
    • Accommodations at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe 
    • An elite package of Advanced Nutrients 8th Gen Fertilizers – enough for a complete crop valued at $11,126*
    • 1x StrainSEEK® Whole Genome Sequence, valued at $547 – Provided by Medicinal Genomics

      • That’s a $14,000 value for just $3,499!  

      Learn more at cannmedevents.com/package-options

      Additional Resources

      • [Article] Non-glandular trichomes (epidermal hairs) in cannabis plants are capable of excreting nutrient salts under excessive fertilizer regimes
      • [Video] Exploring the fascinating development of cannabinoid-producing trichomes
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