Cannabis News
Using plasma to kill airborne pathogens
Whether it’s cannabis or produce, every grower faces a constant battle against mold and similar threats. Cannabis is particularly vulnerable, as its humid growing environment and the physical structure of its flowers create an ideal breeding ground for many pathogens. Fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, on the other hand, often die in large quantities as they sit in containers or trucks before reaching their final destination.
For the past two years, DDH has been working with an industrial plasma manufacturer to adapt cold plasma technology for controlled environment agricultural and shipping environments. The result is a variety of products sold under the name Quantum Clear (QC).
plasma
DDH’s Travis Higginbotham says the original inventor had used plasma technology in other sectors and was looking for a partner to bring it to agriculture and horticulture. “It took us two full years of design and testing to get the equipment to work in grow facilities, centralized HVAC systems, shipping trailers and cold rooms,” he said. The company has collected data on various USDA fruit crops, third-party air quality testing for 50 different pathogens and volatile organic compounds such as ethylene, and pilot projects with large ornamental and cannabis operators.
© Due Diligence Horticulture
The appeal of this approach, Travs points out, is that the plasma field does not produce ozone, which is a concern with some current plasma technologies. The company has UL and Carb certifications, which verify that there is no ozone and that the units are safe for plant and human workplaces.
Preservation of products
The way it works is pretty simple, practically speaking, at least. Air enters on one side of the device, passes through a plasma area and exits on the other side. In this area, gases are energized into a plasma state that produces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, including hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. These compounds interact with airborne pathogens and organic molecules. “The idea is to create an area in the environment that breaks down the cell walls and changes the structure of certain compounds,” explains Travis.
Fruit storage and shipping environments have been an early focus. “The combination of darkness, low temperatures, humidity and well-packaged produce creates ideal conditions for mold,” he says. “Less air exchange and increased ethylene levels also encourage faster fruit ripening and smoother texture. USDA work with bananas, tomatoes, apples and strawberries showed that shipments treated with cold plasma maintained quality and had virtually no visible mold.”
© Due Diligence Horticulture
Due Diligence Horticulture has designed versions of the unit for shipping containers, refrigerators, HVAC systems and growing spaces. This enables flexibility throughout the supply chain, providing redundancy and centralized air handling.
All of this potential implementation was also based on the company’s focus on safety, Travis noted, not just for the humans working in the grow rooms, but for the plants as well. Several data sets suggested neutral or positive effects on performance and quality, although the company is still gathering more information. “We’ve doubled and even tripled the application capacity without negatively affecting the pistils of cannabis flowers. The technology is gentle on the plant, but destroys pathogens.”
cannabis
For cannabis growers, interest centers on airborne pathogens associated with empty fills, including aspergillus. “Operators also want to cut down on powdery mildew losses or limit the cost and frequency of IPM interventions during flowering. Since plasma treatment can be applied from tissue culture rooms to post-harvest spaces, trials have looked at how the units behave during the crop cycle.” The graph below shows the results of a producer trial in November 2025 where the Aspergillus count was reduced by 90% after 4 days of use.
© Due Diligence Horticulture
Growers of vegetables and ornamentals are also in trouble. Trials in shipping with coastal farms and cooler storage with Metrolina Greenhouses have been completed, and further work is underway in Central American Tissue Culture facilities and other controlled environments with good air exchange.
© Due Diligence Horticulture
Travis emphasized that installation is easy compared to systems that rely on chemical injection. “The units are stand-alone boxes designed for different voltages and room sizes. There is no subscription service attached to the equipment, and the devices come with a standard warranty and optional extended coverage. DDH also offers financing to help manufacturers secure Quantum Clear cold plasma units.”
© Due Diligence Horticulture
In various studies, the company reports an average reduction of 87.2% in airborne pathogens in less than a week and a greater reduction of over 95% when the units are run continuously for up to a month. “It’s a practical tool for growers who want to not only monitor air quality, but better understand air quality management.” he says “He’s responsible for getting the technology into the hands of producers through our testing program and QC to make sure it’s the solution they expected.”
Want to know more? tune in DDH December 10 webinarth at 10:00 a.m. PT. Click here to register.
For more information:
Due Diligence Horticulture
www.ddhort.com
Bountiful Farms placed first and second in the licensed solvent-free concentrate division at this year’s NECANN Cup, then also won the mixed licensed and unlicensed division to win best overall, putting the Massachusetts operator in the running for best in show with the highest-scoring product in New England.
© Bountiful Farms
NECANN is the largest B2B cannabis event in New England and the second largest in the country, attracting over 9,000 attendees. Everything is unbranded. Licensed and unlicensed operators in the six New England states compete only in product. Zachary Taylor, Director of Agriculture at Bountiful Farms, says the win for Maine’s craft growers means a lot to him and his team. “Whenever you compete against Maine, with its regulations and the craft culture of the caretakers, to be considered a craft on our scale is the greatest honor. When you look at cups across the nation, you see cups of culture, and Maine is always well represented. To be recognized on the same playing field and to excel at this scale is very difficult, and I don’t think that’s what people mean.”
Of course, rosin isn’t given more forcefully to Bountiful Farms. But Zach in a clean way
© Bountiful Farms he says, “A good raisin doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It comes from the flower.” The award-winning genetics were bred by Crystal Rose, and built around a high-resin, terpene-rich expression.
“The buds come in within 15 minutes of harvest, it’s like a timer,” Zach says. “Then we move them to a chest freezer, before moving them to an aisle freezer, where they’ll sit until they’re cleaned. All the rosin is pressed by hand in a hydraulic press.” At its scale, Bountiful Farms must use automation to achieve consistently high quality. “But we have very practical components,” he said. “The backlash of the press tells you how hard it is to go. Same approach with agitation, for example. The flower heads themselves, how we maintain the integrity of the trichome, the rise time of the wash, the temperatures: everything is handled like a small-scale race.”
That level of attention comes from the team. Matt Bearup, now a solventless QC manager, started growing and built the hash lab from the ground up all by himself. There are currently eight hash makers, all passionate about complex genetics and terpenes. Strains include not only the main terpenes, but also tasting notes and effects. Using the SC Lab framework, limonene as the current focus. “There’s not a lot of that in the hashish sector in particular. Several growers are moving in that direction.”
© Bountiful Farms
“There’s not a lot like it. Several breeders are moving in that direction.”
Bountiful Farms has been producing rosin since 2021, when the category had little traction
© Bountiful Farms in Massachusetts. Since then, the company has expanded into a high-end cultivation center to produce even more rosin. They operate two production rooms and processes not only for themselves, but also for other clients including Native Sun, Breathe Free and u4ea. They have recently opened two new dispensaries, allowing them to expand into recreational retail from 2021. Another limited release of the full melt is planned, along with a dual-cartridge solvent-free pen developed with O2 Vapes, two flavors in one device.
“When you bring award-winning companies together, you get products that represent the industry at its best. Massachusetts deserves its place among the leaders in this industry. When we win, the industry wins.”
For more information:
Prosperous Farms
prosperous farm. take care of
Cannabis News
Federal Drug Testing Rule Will Require ‘Directly Observed’ Urine Collection From Truck Drivers
Over the past week, many news organizations have been running exaggerated headlines about a supposed change by the federal government to allow marijuana to be brought into airports and airplanes. But it’s not true, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) tells Marijuana Moment.
“TSA’s policy on medical marijuana has not changed,” a TSA spokeswoman said in an email Wednesday.
“According to the TSA website: If any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity is found during the security screening, TSA will refer the matter to law enforcement,” they said. While it’s true that the agency’s list of medical marijuana “What can I bring?” section of its website was updated on April 27, there were no major changes in policy.
Currently, the website says “Yes,” passengers can carry medical marijuana in carry-on and checked bags with special instructions. But the TSA cannabis policy has said “Yes” to medical marijuana, with the same caveats, since 2019.
Read more at Marijuana Moment
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