Tricking plants into thinking there's an insect infestation, can it be done, and how...

[FATAL]

I've never even heard of trehalose. Your thread inspired me to sign up.

All that I've ever heard about artifical induction of stress response is the following:

Harpin Proteins are produced in nature by certain bacterial plant pathogens and plants develop receptors on their seeds, roots, and foliage to detect the presence of Harpin Proteins which triggers an “early warning system” leading to increased plant yields and health.

"In contrast to Systemic Acquired Resistance which is triggered by the accumulation of salicylic acid, Induced Systemic Resistance instead relies on signal transduction pathways activated by jasmonate and ethylene."


Giant knotweed extract is said to contain a metabolite that will induce a salicylic acid response. The ISR seems to have much more potential though.

I heard a reputable organic farm consultant say that microbiology will stimulate plants in these ways also, or more so that they are doing it constantly. "Trehalose is present in various organisms, such as plants, algae, fungi, yeast, bacteria, insects, and other invertebrates."

I'm not far enough into growing to experiment with any of this stuff yet other than microbes. Gotta mids before you can dank.

 

[Frankster]

Ever hear of this?:
It tricks the plants into making more trichomes.

Sticky Icky-Enzyme Blend

Sticky Icky supplements your soil’s naturally produced enzymes, to give you a shortcut and a boost to radical oil and resin production.—including enzymes that “stress” your plants, sending them into oil-producing hyperdrive. This doesn’t hurt the plant...or your pocketbook, for that matter!

dakine420.com

Yea, think this is in a very similar vein, there's obviously multiple pathways of isolating these "switches" in hormone and precursor production.
Looks like some cutting edge research is currently being done in this regard. It's an evolving field of study. There's only about a half dozen companies worldwide that even do any research on this front, for ag research as a whole. No doubt, there's much that can be applied here in regards to cannabis cultivation, especially during the flowering phase.


In nature, all living organisms have ways of communicating with one another. Insects and plants use what are known as “semiochemicals.” These organisms produce semiochemicals (such as sex pheromones) sending information that informs the behavior of insects and plant. Insects use this information to inform their behavior, such as finding a mate or locating plants that will serve as hosts. ie. a place to "lay eggs"

Pest management via plant cues and response;
Semiochemicals including pheromones, plant volatiles, flower oils, sugars, and proteins can be utilized to manipulate plant & insect behavior in ways that protect, drive flowering, improve stress resistance by mimicking systems already found in nature.

For example:
Fennel plants produce a natural chemical in the form of a pheromone which inhibits the growth of plants nearby. Chili seeds however are found to grow quicker when in the presence of fennel plants. Many of these processes are currently poorly understood, so unfortunately, much is learned though trial and error, and/or by mistake.

 

[Frankster]

Micellar catalyst are also an interesting related subject in this field of study. Increasing the rate of chemical reaction in the presence of surfactant micelles reaction systems is known as micellar catalysis. Reducing surface tension in aqueous solutions.

Surfactants are a big piece of the puzzle here in understanding intracellular and extracellular fluid dynamics. They hold big promise in regulation of cell wall permeability, and regulating the rates of reactants. Were talking tiny, tiny amounts in some cases, probably "drops" per gallons. Some of these substances biological properties are simply amazing.

 

[PauliBhoy]

Terpenes are commonly used by plants to attract predators of pests attacking it. Cannabis produces multiple terpenes known to attract predatory mites, specifically. I'd guess that mite (or other pest) pressure could very well alter the terpene profiles of this beautiful and amazing plant, that could undoubtedly effect the psychoactive effects.

 

[Capital_Florica]

Another potential approach to initiate plant stress response is wounding. Seen in a paper published at the end of last month, Limited effect of environmental stress on cannabinoid profiles in high-cannabidiol hemp (Cannabis sativa L.):

Wounding: Mechanical damage can be caused by natural sources, such as hail or herbivory, or result from cultivation and mechanical weed removal. It has been suggested that wounding that mimics insect damage might increase cannabinoid levels, and that the resistance of Cannabis to insects might be substantially affected by cannabinoids (Gorelick & Bernstein, 2017). In general, wounding has the potential to cause a systemic response, inducing the systemic production of hormones such as jasmonic acid and abscisic acid (Savatin et al., 2014), which have been linked to changes in cannabinoid abundance (Mansouri et al., 2009; Salari & Mansori, 2013).

I haven't time to look closely through this paper or the ones cited talking about jasmonic acid and abscisic acid. But from a brief scan, seems like positive and negative results. The wounding treatment detailed in the paper above is interesting:

The wounding treatment was accomplished by partially damaging the lower and middle foliage with a grass and weed trimmer (Model FS70R, Stihl Inc) in such a way as to remove or wound a majority of the foliage on the outer portion of the plant below the inflorescence. The percentage of damage was not precisely quantified, but since the inner portions of each stem were not affected, the damage was approximately 40%–50% of foliage wounded below the inflorescence. The damage was implemented to remove and damage the leaves, but not to break or prune stems. The wounding treatment was applied on September 14 and repeated immediately after the week two sampling on September 29, 2019.

It sounds almost like a heavy defoliation, though some people remove more than 50%. The main difference is that it was wounded and not removed entirely. Obviously, invoking more of a stress response as opposed to full removal of the leaf. I'd be curious of other wounding treatments that have been tried.

The first paper cited in the blurb on wounding looks good. You can use Sci-Hub to bypass the paywall.

Chemical and Physical Elicitation for Enhanced Cannabinoid Production in Cannabis

 

[DankNugz420]

Interesting.. what if you just nip the tips of the leaves off with scissors I wonder if it would be enough to trigger that response

 

[CurtisBlow916]

Another potential approach to initiate plant stress response is wounding. Seen in a paper published at the end of last month, Limited effect of environmental stress on cannabinoid profiles in high-cannabidiol hemp (Cannabis sativa L.):

Wounding: Mechanical damage can be caused by natural sources, such as hail or herbivory, or result from cultivation and mechanical weed removal. It has been suggested that wounding that mimics insect damage might increase cannabinoid levels, and that the resistance of Cannabis to insects might be substantially affected by cannabinoids (Gorelick & Bernstein, 2017). In general, wounding has the potential to cause a systemic response, inducing the systemic production of hormones such as jasmonic acid and abscisic acid (Savatin et al., 2014), which have been linked to changes in cannabinoid abundance (Mansouri et al., 2009; Salari & Mansori, 2013).

I haven't time to look closely through this paper or the ones cited talking about jasmonic acid and abscisic acid. But from a brief scan, seems like positive and negative results. The wounding treatment detailed in the paper above is interesting:

The wounding treatment was accomplished by partially damaging the lower and middle foliage with a grass and weed trimmer (Model FS70R, Stihl Inc) in such a way as to remove or wound a majority of the foliage on the outer portion of the plant below the inflorescence. The percentage of damage was not precisely quantified, but since the inner portions of each stem were not affected, the damage was approximately 40%–50% of foliage wounded below the inflorescence. The damage was implemented to remove and damage the leaves, but not to break or prune stems. The wounding treatment was applied on September 14 and repeated immediately after the week two sampling on September 29, 2019.

It sounds almost like a heavy defoliation, though some people remove more than 50%. The main difference is that it was wounded and not removed entirely. Obviously, invoking more of a stress response as opposed to full removal of the leaf. I'd be curious of other wounding treatments that have been tried.

The first paper cited in the blurb on wounding looks good. You can use Sci-Hub to bypass the paywall.

Chemical and Physical Elicitation for Enhanced Cannabinoid Production in Cannabis

Yea probably won’t be taking a weed wacker to my plants I was more thinking a hole puncher to mimic a bite of sorts.. or scissors like dank nugs said

 

[Ponky]

Yea probably won’t be taking a weed wacker to my plants I was more thinking a hole puncher to mimic a bite of sorts.. or scissors like dank nugs said

Splitting or drilling the stalk was the move back when. Not sure it's legit. Old head move.

 

[DankNugz420]

Ive heard someone talkin about driving a nail thru the main stalk to induce stress or something but i always thought it sounded like an invitation for fungus or infestation or something

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Blind Yard guys Rejoice! They can now weedie your plants and it will make them more potent. If there is anything left.

Interesting concept.

 

[Capital_Florica]

Blind Yard guys Rejoice! They can now weedie your plants and it will make them more potent. If there is anything left.

Interesting concept.

Now we wait for some old head to come in and tell the story about the summer his blind yard guy accidentally wacked off the lower foliage of his pot plants and they turned out being the dankest he’d ever grown.

 

[Frankster]

Another potential approach to initiate plant stress response is wounding. Seen in a paper published at the end of last month, Limited effect of environmental stress on cannabinoid profiles in high-cannabidiol hemp (Cannabis sativa L.):

Wounding: Mechanical damage can be caused by natural sources, such as hail or herbivory, or result from cultivation and mechanical weed removal. It has been suggested that wounding that mimics insect damage might increase cannabinoid levels, and that the resistance of Cannabis to insects might be substantially affected by cannabinoids (Gorelick & Bernstein, 2017). In general, wounding has the potential to cause a systemic response, inducing the systemic production of hormones such as jasmonic acid and abscisic acid (Savatin et al., 2014), which have been linked to changes in cannabinoid abundance (Mansouri et al., 2009; Salari & Mansori, 2013).

I haven't time to look closely through this paper or the ones cited talking about jasmonic acid and abscisic acid. But from a brief scan, seems like positive and negative results. The wounding treatment detailed in the paper above is interesting:

The wounding treatment was accomplished by partially damaging the lower and middle foliage with a grass and weed trimmer (Model FS70R, Stihl Inc) in such a way as to remove or wound a majority of the foliage on the outer portion of the plant below the inflorescence. The percentage of damage was not precisely quantified, but since the inner portions of each stem were not affected, the damage was approximately 40%–50% of foliage wounded below the inflorescence. The damage was implemented to remove and damage the leaves, but not to break or prune stems. The wounding treatment was applied on September 14 and repeated immediately after the week two sampling on September 29, 2019.

It sounds almost like a heavy defoliation, though some people remove more than 50%. The main difference is that it was wounded and not removed entirely. Obviously, invoking more of a stress response as opposed to full removal of the leaf. I'd be curious of other wounding treatments that have been tried.

The first paper cited in the blurb on wounding looks good. You can use Sci-Hub to bypass the paywall.

Chemical and Physical Elicitation for Enhanced Cannabinoid Production in Cannabis

Yea, I've been instituting controlled defoliates, whereas, I remove a little here, a little there, picking at it throughout the flowering cycle, especially after weeks 2-4 and onward, depending on all factors. What I'm attempting to do with that is to allow those tops buds to get thick and heavy, then open up the inside, while also keeping pressure on the plant by the constant removal of leaves. The end result appears to be a trans-relocation of some of the plants buds, or increased uniformity.

This is all essentially new techniques I've started in the last few plants, so perfecting it is still a work in progress, but it's got upsides, no doubt. I'm noticing the stuff might not be as thick on the outer parts of the plants, but the insides are getting fuller, and the overall hardness is increased, and earlier... There are simply so many levels IMO of incrementally increasing terps, and oils. Been making good use of UV A+B with the Agromax Pure UV bulbs, the more targeting of specific sugars, and "energy" substances, in addition to utilizing lactobacillus, humics/fluvics and controlling calcium very closely.

 

[Frankster]

Splitting or drilling the stalk was the move back when. Not sure it's legit. Old head move.

I do an incredible amount of training that mimic's much of what your saying here, and I go back everyday, or every few days and actively crimp or "smash" them down again. Constantly reapplying stressing to the stalks... Look dead center of that plant, and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is the land Thai, so strechy.

 

[Frankster]

Now we wait for some old head to come in and tell the story about the summer his blind yard guy accidentally wacked off the lower foliage of his pot plants and they turned out being the dankest he’d ever grown.

I think it's more like sometimes, some of us finally do "something" different, and it creates a situation where the weed is improved, and people associate to a specific cause, or a very isolated incident, but there's generally a bigger process at play, and were simply not seeing the "bigger" picture sometimes.

It's like people sucking on some willow bark, for a headache. Or someone taking Viagra for chest pain (angina), then believing the chest pain made there dick hard.

 

[Pushrod Monkey]

Another potential approach to initiate plant stress response is wounding. Seen in a paper published at the end of last month, Limited effect of environmental stress on cannabinoid profiles in high-cannabidiol hemp (Cannabis sativa L.):

Wounding: Mechanical damage can be caused by natural sources, such as hail or herbivory, or result from cultivation and mechanical weed removal. It has been suggested that wounding that mimics insect damage might increase cannabinoid levels, and that the resistance of Cannabis to insects might be substantially affected by cannabinoids (Gorelick & Bernstein, 2017). In general, wounding has the potential to cause a systemic response, inducing the systemic production of hormones such as jasmonic acid and abscisic acid (Savatin et al., 2014), which have been linked to changes in cannabinoid abundance (Mansouri et al., 2009; Salari & Mansori, 2013).

I haven't time to look closely through this paper or the ones cited talking about jasmonic acid and abscisic acid. But from a brief scan, seems like positive and negative results. The wounding treatment detailed in the paper above is interesting:

The wounding treatment was accomplished by partially damaging the lower and middle foliage with a grass and weed trimmer (Model FS70R, Stihl Inc) in such a way as to remove or wound a majority of the foliage on the outer portion of the plant below the inflorescence. The percentage of damage was not precisely quantified, but since the inner portions of each stem were not affected, the damage was approximately 40%–50% of foliage wounded below the inflorescence. The damage was implemented to remove and damage the leaves, but not to break or prune stems. The wounding treatment was applied on September 14 and repeated immediately after the week two sampling on September 29, 2019.

It sounds almost like a heavy defoliation, though some people remove more than 50%. The main difference is that it was wounded and not removed entirely. Obviously, invoking more of a stress response as opposed to full removal of the leaf. I'd be curious of other wounding treatments that have been tried.

The first paper cited in the blurb on wounding looks good. You can use Sci-Hub to bypass the paywall.

Chemical and Physical Elicitation for Enhanced Cannabinoid Production in Cannabis

I snap the living piss out plants. Over and over. Twisting stems until you feel that slight “snap” as well. My buds are always hard, sticky and smell strongly. I do this starting about the 4 node after topping. I top early and do it 3 times in a row. I’m snapping before the second topping has started growing out. With 8 main branches I keep snapping and shaping leaving a fairly flat round plant belly high.

You can do this through about the second of flower and then stems turn too hard to do it. Snap sideways to shape. Twist to slow elongation of the stem. To control length. They grow thick as hell with buds fitting those thick branches and stems. Don’t cut the cal mag short either.

 

[Frankster]

I snap the living piss out plants. Over and over. Twisting stems until you feel that slight “snap” as well. My buds are always hard, sticky and smell strongly. I do this starting about the 4 node after topping. I top early and do it 3 times in a row. I’m snapping before the second topping has started growing out. With 8 main branches I keep snapping and shaping leaving a fairly flat round plant belly high.

You can do this through about the second of flower and then stems turn too hard to do it. Snap sideways to shape. Twist to slow elongation of the stem. To control length. They grow thick as hell with buds fitting those thick branches and stems. Don’t cut the cal mag short either.

Agreed, I don't top, but it's no doubt the same effect. Bending, cutting, crimping, it's all introducing stress, and making the plant mount a robust response to it. Would be interesting to further explore what's behind these particular stressing response, if it's possibly linked to sugar levels somehow. It's reasonable to assume some sugars are released into circulations as these cells are burst. Certainly enzymes, sugars, vitamins, hormones, cofactors, and other intracellular components are moved into general xylem circulation.

I've switched from cal mag, to calcium carbonate, and finally to quick lime. aka calcium hydroxide. The hydroxide form of calcium give (immediate) solubility control over your formulations without worry about your corresponding anion. Bypassing that pesky extra nitrogen in the case of Calcium Nitrate (which I still use). Extremely useful form of Calcium, IMO. Specifically geared toward blowing up the flowering phases. It's also an excellent counterbalance for micro adjusting pH.

Creating that very useful soluble form of Monocalcium phosphate + 2 molecules of water.
Ca(OH)2 + 2 H3PO4 → Ca(H2PO4)2 + 2 H2O

It can also be purchase in a (crystalized) anhydrous form. This is "by far" the most biologically correct active (immediate) form of calcium for flowering. Not to be confused with the much cheaper insoluble form of dibasic, or tribasic calcium phosphate.

 

[Moshmen]

Do like I do and just get ya some mites and let em do there thing -

 

[Moshmen]

Do like I do and just get ya some mites and let em do there thing -

Now that’s insect stress!

 

[Grapefruitroop]

Ahahah Someone reported that the mite infested buds were frostier than the non infested!!!
Nice read Frank! Any tips on Calcium Acetate? thats the one im using now to boost calcium aswell togheter with calcium nitrate

 

[Moshmen]

Ahahah Someone reported that the mite infested buds were frostier than the non infested!!!
Nice read Frank! Any tips on Calcium Acetate? thats the one im using now to boost calcium aswell togheter with calcium nitrate

Yeah tell that to my girl ! Lol