Increase Quality Control With A Cloning Cart

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September 15, 2021
Increase Quality Control With A Cloning Cart

The nursery is where it all begins. Unfortunately, cloning cannabis plants is not as easy as buying a plant cloning kit on the internet. Having gone through the process to obtain your ACMPR Nursery license, you have set the bar high and are committed to growing genetically consistent, robust, disease-free clones and seedlings. Whether you hold a single nursery license or make up part of a multi-tiered operation, production quality and risk management is a key component when supplying plants for processing, cultivation, research or analytical testing. Compromised young plants can lead to major die-offs and disrupt production schedules.

 

The difference between a quality cloning rack and a sub-standard set up can also mean higher insurance premiums as well as property and liability risks. Something as straightforward as a cloning rack can give you a headache you don’t need. Here we cover what to look for with some guidance from Good Production Practices (GPP), enforced under the Cannabis Act.

 

 

Prevent Cross-Contamination
 

Success is in the details. As young cannabis cuttings and seedlings are fragile and prone to disease, large cloning racks can pose a significant risk of cross-contamination. This risk is even higher when cloning plants in water. If a disease infects one clone, this can easily spread to other plants and the entire grow facility.

 

Cloning racks differ from industrial mobile shelves in part because of the materials, design and manufacturing process that is made specifically for easy sterilization inside the greenhouse. Section 5.1.6 of the GPP outlines the need for cannabis equipment to permit the effective cleaning of its surface as well as contamination from extraneous substances.

 

Nursery equipment like Wachsen Professional Cloning Racks are made from 304 stainless steel that is treated with an electropolishing micro-finishing process instead of passivation. Electropolished steel serves to remove sharp abrasive edges, improve corrosion resistance and remove microscopic holes in the surface, which can harbour bacteria. Electropolishing removes the outer skin to create a steel frame with a smooth, sealed surface that will remain ultra-sterilized during a demanding life cycle. The Wachsen Pro Commercial Cloning Racks also contain sealed joints to prevent bacteria from accumulating in small crevices. Professional cultivation equipment, like those from the Wachsen brand, are designed to promote antibacterial facilities and comply with production regulations under the Cannabis Act.

 

These design considerations allow growers to stay in a preventative phase when it comes to pest, mold and fungal control.

 

 

Encourage Air Circulation
 

Make sure to look out for a plant cloning machine or vertical cloning racks with extra space between levels to allow for a higher volume of fresh air to access plants. Cloning racks by Wachsen, for example, allow for shelf increments of 1¼” to achieve breathability inside your ventilation system. Extra space and airflow between your lids and the levels above them will help prevent mold and disease around humidity loving clones. This kind of equipment amendment supports the requirements of your ventilation system as described in GPP section 5.1.5.1:

 

  • Provide natural or mechanical ventilation with sufficient air exchange to provide clean air and to remove unclean air in order to prevent the contamination of the cannabis or thing that will be used as an ingredient.


A spacious cloning rack design should also be able to accommodate most plant cloning machines and propagation lids with the ability to easily monitor plant health. This is especially important for frequent dome adjustments that reduce the shock of transitioning to a pot plant or veg room climate.

 

 

Large-Scale Consistency
 

Within the Cannabis Act, a seed only nursery license limits producers to a total surface area that does not exceed 50 square meters. A vertical industrial cloning rack is a solution that increases floor space while maintaining accessibility to plants and sanitization practices. It is important to note that total surface area calculation includes those arranged vertically.

 

For large-scale producers using the cuttings method, or holding multiple nursery licenses, a multi-level cloning rack will allow you to maintain and upscale production while retaining consistent genetics and plant quality. The commercial Wachsen Cloning Racks feature level surfaces and draining trays that provide a method of growing large batches of plants that will be ready for transplant and eventual cultivation at the same time.

 

It’s time to turn those hormone-packed clones into vigorous flowers!

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