Top 4 Opportunities for Cannabis Cultivators in the New Year

There’s an old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” There is perhaps in no other industry where that saying more appropriate than the cannabis industry. However, that doesn’t mean things are stuck. There are still opportunities that cultivators can pursue to gain a competitive advantage in the future.

Think of it this way. In all industries, one company’s challenges are another company’s opportunities. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the biggest cultivation-related challenges that commercial cannabis growers cited in the 2023 State of the Cultivation Industry Report from Cannabis Business Times and Prospiant, and we’ll reverse-engineer them into opportunities.

Opportunity 1: Increasing Yield

In 2023, the biggest cultivation-related challenge reported by the largest number of cannabis cultivators is increasing yield. This presents a big opportunity for growers who can maximize cycles, plant health, and crop yields consistently.

Fortunately, there are ways to achieve all three of these outcomes.

You can try new inputs and test processes to learn how to achieve improvements. Switching to bio365 growing media will make a big difference. You’ll also get faster crop cycles and higher yield per plant when you use bio365’s biologically-active, clean growing media.

For example, cultivators who switch to bio365 can reduce transplant shock and its associated delays thanks to the BIOCHARGE biochar in our growing media and using a single transplant growing system. That means faster crop cycles – every time!

The results speak for themselves. A multi-state operator (MSO) headquartered in Massachusetts increased crop yield by 121% when it switched from Rockwool to bio365’s BIOCOCO. Another national MSO switched to bio365’s BIOBLEND and doubled its crop yield at each of its locations. Opportunity is knocking!

Opportunity 2: Achieving Desired Terpene and Cannabinoid Content

The second most commonly mentioned challenge by cannabis cultivators in the report is achieving desired terpene and cannabinoid content. Did you know the growing media you use can have a direct effect on terpene and cannabinoid levels? That knowledge equals a big opportunity for you.

The key to seizing this opportunity is to use a growing media that allows you to effectively push your plants to influence the genetic profile. You can’t do that with a block of coco. You can do it with bio365 growing media, which is engineered to have the right porosity profile, biological activation, and biomimicry to maximize cannabinoids and terpenes.

As an example, an MSO headquartered in Massachusetts boosted total cannabinoids by 35%, THC by 36%, and terpenes by 48% after switching to bio365 growing media. That’s not an isolated result. Another cultivator recorded a 70% increase in THC after switching to bio365’s BIOCOCO. We have lots of data and real-world case studies available. Contact us if you want to see more!

Opportunity 3: Controlling and Preventing Pests and Disease

A study published by Cannabis Business Times last year, The State of the Pest Control Market, reported that 80% of cannabis growers were losing money to pest problems, which caused crop and revenue losses. If you can prevent pests and diseases, you’ll have a significant competitive advantage in the cannabis industry, making it another big opportunity for the new year.

The key to preventing pests and disease is understanding the sources of contamination, some of which can be hidden!

In addition, your inputs must be pest and pathogen free. Controlled environment growers should only use growing media that is made in a controlled environment and 100% clean, like bio365.

Everything that goes into making bio365 growing media is manufactured and stored indoors in pest- and disease-controlled spaces. All workers have to change their clothes and go through a comprehensive hygiene process to enter. Every input is fully tested and anything that doesn’t meet our high quality standards is thrown out. We also use elaborate environmental testing that is monitored in 20 different places for pests, pathogen, and contaminants.

Not only is bio365 free of pests, pathogens, and contaminants, but it also includes a beneficial biology that we culture ourselves. This biology makes plants healthier and more resilient, so they are better able to fight off or thrive in a disease pressured environment, such as a cultivator’s facility where pests were introduced through other sources.

Real-world data proves it. As an example, a Colorado cultivator that switched to bio335’s BIOALL saw a decrease in disease pressure and reported their plants were more resistant to pests like bugs, mildew, and botrytis after making the switch.

Opportunity 4: Maintaining Consistent Product and Yields

You can’t get consistent products and yields if you’re not using consistent inputs, and consistency will be what sets cultivators apart in the new year and beyond. The reality is wholesalers and dispensaries don’t want to buy from cultivators that have a great crop one week if there is no way of knowing what they’ll get if they buy from that cultivator next week.

Furthermore, since there is so much product available today, they don’t have to waste time considering less reliable, inconsistent cultivators. There is always another grower to buy from. However, when a company delivers consistently high-quality crops on time, their reputation will improve and more wholesalers and dispensaries will want to buy from that grower.

That’s not the only reason consistency matters. Businesses in every industry need replicable, data-driven results to scale. In the cannabis industry, consistency is the difference between operating in the illicit market and being able to build a massive, legal cultivation operation. No one in the illicit market does it, and the cultivators who do it in the legal market will win in the future.

Considering the second biggest business-related challenge cited by cultivators in the 2023 State of the Cultivation Industry Report is competition from the illicit market (behind declining prices), consistency could be a game-changing opportunity for the growers who prioritize it in the future.

Key Takeaways about Opportunities for Cannabis Cultivators in the New Year

When looking for opportunities, consider reverse-engineering problems! The challenges reported by cannabis cultivators in the past year can be turned into competitive advantages for growers who take the steps to find the right solutions, and often, those solutions begin with your growing media. Contact us to learn more about bio365, or start a trial today!