Enhancing yield of cannabis inflorescences and cannabinoids through plant stem infusion of sucrose: A novel cannabis cultivation approach

The rising demand for cannabis, both medicinal and recreational, requires innovative cultivation methods to maximize yield and cannabinoid production. This pilot study investigated the potential of plant stem infusion of sucrose (PSIS) as a novel approach using precise control of infusion pressure and sucrose concentration to improve cannabis growth, morphology, physiology, and cannabinoid yield. Cannabis plants infused with sucrose under low pressure (0.5 bar) and high sucrose concentrations (15–30 %) exhibited significant improvements in flower dry mass (up to 31 %) and cannabinoid yield (up to 34 %) compared to control plants. Morphological analysis revealed that plants treated at 0.5 bar exhibited increased plant height and significantly greater flower and stem dry mass, while leaf biomass was reduced across all treated groups. Physiologically, respiration increased significantly under 1 bar pressure, likely due to metabolic responses to exogenous sucrose. However, net carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and other photosynthetic parameters showed no significant differences compared with the control. Our findings highlight that PSIS at an optimal pressure of 0.5 bar and sucrose concentration of 15–30 %, is an effective method for increasing cannabis flower mass and cannabinoid yield. While high pressures negatively impacted plant morphology and physiology, low-pressure infusion proved beneficial. This study establishes PSIS as a promising innovation in cannabis cultivation, warranting further research to optimize pressure and sucrose concentrations for even greater improvements in yield and quality. • Sucrose stem infusion at 0.5 bar increased cannabis flower dry mass by up to 31 %. • Cannabinoid yield rose by up to 34 % using 15–30 % sucrose and low pressure. • Higher pressures (1–2 bar) negatively affected morphology and cannabinoid content. • Stem infusion is a novel, effective method to optimize cannabis cultivation. • First study to use sucrose stem infusion in cannabis, showing promising results.