The Details Behind Crop Steering in Cannabis Production

Posted by Brian Sparks|May 28, 2021

Conversations around the idea of crop steering to increase yields, save resources, and boost terpenes and aromas have increased in the last few years amongst cannabis growers. Some growers contend that crop steering is just a new way of discussing dry down, a technique where farmers allow crops to dry out between watering or feeding to encourage a particular type of growth. Others contend that it’s basically just mimicking the natural conditions plants would be subject to if they were grown outdoors.

In a two-part series on its blog page, GrowLink experts dig into crop steering and see what all the hype is about. The first part of the series offers an overview of the vegetative and generative growth stages of cannabis flower, how crop steering works with irrigation to enhance growth in both stages, and how automation can help.

The second part of the series examines how to apply these techniques using environmental conditions. Climate has a profound impact on plant growth and, like irrigation, can be used as an effective tool to steer the growth of crops. Increasing or decreasing temperatures, humidity, or airflow will direct the plant energy towards the desired outcome. As with any growing method, these techniques should be tested before rolling it out to your entire operation.

Be sure to check out both parts of the series!