Hops latent viroid- the epidemic no one is talking about

[Og_punkgenetics]

Hops latent viroid is no joke so its good to keep your eyes open as its symptoms are very subtle at first. In veg it makes branching very brittle and new growth comes in smaller than normal. The reason why I am bringing it up is because in the state of California in 2019 every single major nursery of Clone stock had it in percentages of up to 50 percent. I have been growing since the 80s and learned a long time ago to be super careful about what I bring in, I have a room strictly designated for quarantine. Most of the pathogen's that come through have abatement protocols that are easy enough. Problem with hops latent viroid is that it can come through seed. It's epidemic in Canada and the United States right now. As a commercial grower I stay in touch with other growers in my state and every single one of them has had to deal with it. So if you're having an issue with your growth, or if it's dudding in flower you may have it. It totally fucks with the terps and triches. The end product smells like rancid taco bell farts. I recently discovered I had it and had my whole mother block tested, out of 19 mothers 7 had it in quantity to be picked up through the pcr test. The only real cure for it is meristem cell culture which takes a ling time and costs a fortune. Im having it done on 2 of my one of a kind cultivars and with amazing grief, i'm tossing the others. One that I've had for 11 years that I just can't justify paying for. It's the industry's dirty little secret right now and only a few of the majors are talking openly about their struggle with it. ( I was told by one grower that it was like telling your girlfriend you had the clap). Old sanitation methods like 99% alcohol does not kill the viroid. You need to use a 10% bleach solution. I'm posting this in the hope that I can help someone avoid the nightmare that its becoming in this industry, know where you get your clones, make sure the nursery tests their mother block regularly for it

 

[Taurus]

Hops latent viroid is no joke so its good to keep your eyes open as its symptoms are very subtle at first. In veg it makes branching very brittle and new growth comes in smaller than normal. The reason why I am bringing it up is because in the state of California in 2019 every single major nursery of Clone stock had it in percentages of up to 50 percent. I have been growing since the 80s and learned a long time ago to be super careful about what I bring in, I have a room strictly designated for quarantine. Most of the pathogen's that come through have abatement protocols that are easy enough. Problem with hops latent viroid is that it can come through seed. It's epidemic in Canada and the United States right now. As a commercial grower I stay in touch with other growers in my state and every single one of them has had to deal with it. So if you're having an issue with your growth, or if it's dudding in flower you may have it. It totally fucks with the terps and triches. The end product smells like rancid taco bell farts. I recently discovered I had it and had my whole mother block tested, out of 19 mothers 7 had it in quantity to be picked up through the pcr test. The only real cure for it is meristem cell culture which takes a ling time and costs a fortune. Im having it done on 2 of my one of a kind cultivars and with amazing grief, i'm tossing the others. One that I've had for 11 years that I just can't justify paying for. It's the industry's dirty little secret right now and only a few of the majors are talking openly about their struggle with it. ( I was told by one grower that it was like telling your girlfriend you had the clap). Old sanitation methods like 99% alcohol does not kill the viroid. You need to use a 10% bleach solution. I'm posting this in the hope that I can help someone avoid the nightmare that its becoming in this industry, know where you get your clones, make sure the nursery tests their mother block regularly for it

It should be talked about more often, it’s like the flu of the cannabis industry and equally as hard to get rid of.

 

[Og_punkgenetics]

It should be talked about more often, it’s like the Covid-19 of the cannabis industry and equally as hard to get rid of.

Yeah it pretty much fucked up my year. But I did get a lot of upgrades done and now I have my mothers tested every 60 days. I got clones through darkheart nursery because they test everything before selling. Gone are the days going to canna cups and picking up cuts

 

[tobh]

Yeah it pretty much fucked up my year. But I did get a lot of upgrades done and now I have my mothers tested every 60 days. I got clones through darkheart nursery because they test everything before selling. Gone are the days going to canna cups and picking up cuts

a lot of people got hit hard with it in 2021. really sucks, too, given how prevalent it's become and the carelessness of some facilities not staying on top of their stock, and inadvertently infecting others.

 

[Taurus]

Yeah it pretty much fucked up my year. But I did get a lot of upgrades done and now I have my mothers tested every 60 days. I got clones through darkheart nursery because they test everything before selling. Gone are the days going to canna cups and picking up cuts

Are they in Oregon?

 

[Taurus]

Yeah it pretty much fucked up my year. But I did get a lot of upgrades done and now I have my mothers tested every 60 days. I got clones through darkheart nursery because they test everything before selling. Gone are the days going to canna cups and picking up cuts

Is this it or just genetics?

 

[tobh]

Are they in Oregon?

according to google, no.

 

[Og_punkgenetics]

Are they in Oregon?

I’m not sure, I know they are in California. But if you’re getting clown stock you can always call and find out if they do regular testing, a lot of them are going that way now here in California

 

[Og_punkgenetics]

Is this it or just genetics?

I wouldn’t be able to tell you, it’s symptoms are so subtle in veg. I noticed some mottled variagation in some but not much. The primary symptom I noticed in veg was super brittle branching and very wimpy curved (like a candlebra) branching. When I really noticed it was after a couple weeks of flower. Barely any trichome production and it smelled like trash, hardly any terps And the pistols had a yellowish hue

 

[Taurus]

I’m not sure, I know they are in California. But if you’re getting clown stock you can always call and find out if they do regular testing, a lot of them are going that way now here in California

I’m just having a hard time finding the newer genetics here in Oregon. Everyone goes to one place and they still sell friggin wedding cake lol. I got my Oreoz from Santa Cruz. I wish I didn’t have to travel so far for solid genetics :/

 

[DarkCoast]

You can send samples in to Tumi Genomics for testing. They seem super legit but its a little strange because i know a lot of people that have sent their cuts in and nobody has tested positive for HPLV yet. Either this virus isn't nearly as prevalent as everyone is saying or Tumi has some faulty testing.

 

[Taurus]

I wouldn’t be able to tell you, it’s symptoms are so subtle in veg. I noticed some mottled variagation in some but not much. The primary symptom I noticed in veg was super brittle branching and very wimpy curved (like a candlebra) branching. When I really noticed it was after a couple weeks of flower. Barely any trichome production and it smelled like trash, hardly any terps And the pistols had a yellowish hue

Well thank god I’m not seeing any of that in veg. I just started week 2 of flower so we’ll see

 

[Taurus]

You can send samples in to Tumi Genomics for testing. They seem super legit but its a little strange because i know a lot of people that have sent their cuts in and nobody has tested positive for HPLV yet. Either this virus isn't nearly as prevalent as everyone is saying or Tumi has some faulty testing.

View attachment 1205931

Well thst doesn’t sound promising and does at the same time lol

 

[Og_punkgenetics]

I’m just having a hard time finding the newer genetics here in Oregon. Everyone goes to one place and they still sell friggin wedding cake lol. I got my Oreoz from Santa Cruz. I wish I didn’t have to travel so far for solid genetics :/

Lol i was born and raised in santa cruz. Dark heart has a couple dispensaries they serve in santa cruz. A lot of dispensaries here sell cuts and there’s only a handful of distributors like dark heart. Then theres king clone and purple city genetics. I’m wondering if there are dispensaries up there that do the same thing, But with a different clone distributer.

 

[Taurus]

Lol i was born and raised in santa cruz. Dark heart has a couple dispensaries they serve in santa cruz. A lot of dispensaries here sell cuts and there’s only a handful of distributors like dark heart. Then theres king clone and purple city genetics. I’m wondering if there are dispensaries up there that do the same thing, But with a different clone distributer.

So dark heart produces clones? If so , wouldn’t it be the farms that work with them instead of the dispensaries? And can anyone buy clones in Bulk in Cali? I’m licensed in Oregon.

 

[Og_punkgenetics]

So dark heart produces clones? If so , wouldn’t it be the farms that work with them instead of the dispensaries? And can anyone buy clones in Bulk in Cali? I’m licensed in Oregon.

You can buy bulk from darkhearr directly with a license, you can buy six at a time at the dispensaries.

 

[Tilt_no_guilt]

I’m just having a hard time finding the newer genetics here in Oregon. Everyone goes to one place and they still sell friggin wedding cake lol. I got my Oreoz from Santa Cruz. I wish I didn’t have to travel so far for solid genetics :/

I’m in Oregon. I think a group in Bend works with King Kong and that group, or is reselling. Kaprikorn is local too but watch out for root aphids. I would still be careful and test everything coming in for HLV.

 

[Tilt_no_guilt]

You can send samples in to Tumi Genomics for testing. They seem super legit but its a little strange because i know a lot of people that have sent their cuts in and nobody has tested positive for HPLV yet. Either this virus isn't nearly as prevalent as everyone is saying or Tumi has some faulty testing.

View attachment 1205931

I just had 20 cultivar test sent off to Tumi last week and got results back today. I did get a couple positive test. If they say they are clean I would trust it but you should always be testing as it can stay dormant for months, so I’ve heard. Take a couple petioles and cut them up from around the plant. I got the clones from a clone site and waiting on their reply to the test results. Don’t trust a site saying they test, do it yourself or you’ll be sorry later. Spend weeks going back and forth about the shitty growth and weak branches without hips.

 

[Tilt_no_guilt]

Tested healthy plant on the left. Sick plant on the right.

 

[Taurus]

I’m in Oregon. I think a group in Bend works with King Kong and that group, or is reselling. Kaprikorn is local too but watch out for root aphids. I would still be careful and test everything coming in for HLV.

How can I find that group in bend?