METHODS OF GROWING CANNABACEAE PLANTS USING ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

• US 20160184237A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MJAR Holdings, LLC (MJardin Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MJAR Holdings, LLC (MJardin Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lowe, James, Franz, Benjamin, Curran, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,844,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 22/00 Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 22/60 Flowers; Ornamental plants
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/00 Watering gardens, fields, sports grounds or the like special apparatus or adaptations for fertilising-liquids A01C23/00; nozzles or outlets, spraying apparatus B05B
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/04 Electric or magnetic or acoustic treatment of plants for promoting growth
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/05 Phenols cannabinoids A61K31/658
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 36/185 Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons)

Abstract

This invention is directed to a method of growing a plant from the Cannabaceae family, the cultivar or composition produced therefrom, wherein the plant is exposed to artificial lighting of different intensities based on spacing, growth phase, and flowering yield.

Claims

1. A method of growing a plant of the Cannabaceae family, comprising exposing said plant to artificial light, irrigating said plant with water, and providing one or more nutrients to the plant;

wherein exposing said plant to artificial light comprises one or more of;

providing said artificial light at a different intensity level for at least two different non-reproductive phases of plant growth; and

providing said artificial light to the plant from at least two different directions, which directions are the top, the sides, and the bottom of the plant; and

optionally changing the relative positions of the plant to the artificial light by moving either or both of the plant and a source of the artificial light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant is a humulus plant.

3. A method of growing a cannabis or humulus plant, comprising exposing said plant to artificial light, irrigating said plant with water, and providing one or more nutrients;

wherein exposing said plant to artificial light comprises;

providing said artificial light at a different intensity level for plant growth phases of vegetative and flower growth; and

said plants are exposed to about 125 micromoles to about 500 micromoles during the vegetative phase and from about 400 micromoles to about 975 micromoles during the flower phase of growth; and

providing said artificial light to the plant from one or more different directions, which directions are the top, the sides, and the bottom of the plant; and

optionally changing the relative positions of the plant to the artificial light by moving either or both of the plant and a source of the artificial light.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the intensity of lighting provided to the plant is increased by at least 3% each day for at least a portion of the life cycle of the plant.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the increase of light intensity is at least 7% on every fourth day for at least a portion of the life cycle of the plant.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the increase is at least 3% and occurs on random days during growth, provided that there is at least one increase within a five day period.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein one or more sources of artificial light is stationary and the plant is moving.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the plant is stationary and one or sources of artificial light is moving.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the duration of a given phase and/or the level of lighting intensity in a given phase is adjusted dependent upon at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:

humidity in the atmosphere, temperature of the atmosphere, over and/or under fertilization of one or more of the plants, ammonium toxicity of one or more of the plants, low root zone temperature of one or more of the plants, circulation of the atmosphere, crowding and/or stretching of one or more of the plants, and leaf temperature of one or more of the plants.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the humidity in the atmosphere, temperature of the atmosphere, circulation of the atmosphere, fertilizer content of one or more of the plants, or crowding and/or stretching of one or more of the plants is adjusted dependent upon the desired duration of a given growth phase and/or the level of lighting intensity in a given growth phase.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein water and nutrients are provided to the plant by a capillary mat.

12. A cannabinoid composition produced from the method of claim 3, wherein the composition comprises an assayable ratio of cannabidiol and/or cannabidiolic acid to A9-tetrahydrocannabinol and/or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid between about 300:

1 and about 25;

1.

13. The composition of claim 12, comprising a cannabis product selected from the group consisting of dried flower, kief, hashish, tincture, hash oil, an infusion, a pipe resin, and an edible.