Monitoring for Pollen in Cannabis Crops

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

You’ve probably heard about sensors helping in agriculture in areas such as soil, water, and canopy. But Utah-based PollenSense is helping growers monitor pollen. This is especially important in the growing cannabis industry, says CEO Landon Bunderson.

Bunderson… “If they can't prevent their female flowers from being pollinated, then their THC and CBD levels drop. And their crop is basically ruined. And since the production of hemp and cannabis, the acreage is rising every year, the risk for pollinating their production fields and even in their greenhouses goes up and up. And our technology can notify them. When there's a risk, they can turn on sprinklers to basically missed it out of the air.”

Obviously wind can blow pollen into a field, but Bunderson says even indoor growers have reason to be concerned. Pollen can spread via the HVAC system, and if grown from seed there’s no guarantee that you won’t get any male plants.

Bunderson… “If you're growing from seed, there's a percentage that's going to be male, even if it's feminized seed. Suffice to say everybody's worried about pollen and they all have unique risks and we can help them monitor for those risks.”

Tune in tomorrow to hear how this technology is also being used for olives and hazelnuts - and not just for pollen - but for disease spores as well.