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Review
. 2021 Jul 3;3(1):25.
doi: 10.1186/s42238-021-00082-0.

Potential impacts of soil microbiota manipulation on secondary metabolites production in cannabis

Bulbul Ahmed  1 , Mohamed Hijri  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Potential impacts of soil microbiota manipulation on secondary metabolites production in cannabis

Bulbul Ahmed et al. J Cannabis Res. .

Abstract

Background: Cannabis growing practices and particularly indoor cultivation conditions have a great influence on the production of cannabinoids. Plant-associated microbes may affect nutrient acquisition by the plant. However, beneficial microbes influencing cannabinoid biosynthesis remain largely unexplored and unexploited in cannabis production.

Objective: To summarize study outcomes on bacterial and fungal communities associated with cannabis using high-throughput sequencing technologies and to uncover microbial interactions, species diversity, and microbial network connections that potentially influence secondary metabolite production in cannabis.

Materials and method: A mini review was conducted including recent publications on cannabis and their associated microbiota and secondary metabolite production.

Results: In this review, we provide an overview of the potential role of the soil microbiome in production of cannabinoids, and discussed that manipulation of cannabis-associated microbiome obtained through soil amendment interventions of diversified microbial communities sourced from natural forest soil could potentially help producers of cannabis to improve yields of cannabinoids and enhance the balance of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) proportions.

Conclusion: Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated crops in history, grown for food, fiber, and drugs for thousands of years. Extension of genetic variation in cannabis has developed into wide-ranging varieties with various complementary phenotypes and secondary metabolites. For medical or pharmaceutical purposes, the ratio of CBD to THC is key. Therefore, studying soil microbiota associated with cannabis and its potential impact on secondary metabolites production could be useful when selecting microorganisms as bioinoculant agents for enhanced organic cannabinoid production.

Keywords: Bioinoculants; Cannabidiol (CBD); Cannabinoid; Cannabis; Microbiota; Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

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Conflict of interest statement

Both authors (BA and MH) work for the Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
This illustration shows the technical workflow for the development of microbial consortia for Cannabis (hemp and marijuana). The source is a microbial suspension from a natural environment rich in microbes. A root colonization study at 4 weeks allows assessment of whether microbes have been established. Next-generation sequencing and the DADA2 pipeline in R can determine community composition, and core microbes can be isolated from cannabis roots and rhizospheric soils. Network analysis will provide insight into the core microbial taxa and hub microbes. Later, the core microbes can be cultured in different microbial growth mediums and microbial synergism can be evaluated. Then, different microbial consortia can be considered for efficacy assessment, and functionally feasible consortia considered for utilization in the cultivation of marijuana and hemp
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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