TUMI Genomics Partners With Growers to Find Solutions
Northern California Farm
Problem: A Northern California cultivator watched their nursery decline for months. Plants were getting smaller, stems became brittle, flower structure was abnormal, and yields continued to fall. Every classic sign of HLVd pressure was present. But their lab kept reporting only 2–4% positivity, so the team spent months chasing nutrient fixes and bad genetics theories. Out of options, they sent the same plants to TUMI Genomics. The retest came back at 40% positive. The previous lab had been missing nearly all of the infection.
TUMI Genomics Solution: Working with TUMI’s mitigation team and quantitative pathogen load data, the operation gained a clear understanding of the outbreak and implemented a targeted mitigation strategy. In just six months, the cultivation team reduced infection to a sustainable 2–5%, increased harvests by more than 50%, saved key genetics, and built a long-term clean mother stock program. Production never stopped.
Evok Cannabis
Problem: In the spring of 2021, a flower room at Evōk Cannabis showed stunted growth and brittle branches, abnormalities that staff suspected were HLVd but they were not 100% certain. After hearing TUMI’s Chief Science Officer discuss hop latent viroid on a podcast episode, Evōk ordered 25 test kits and soon confirmed a severe HLV outbreak in their facility.
TUMI Genomics Solution: After unreliable testing forced Evōk to discard nearly 3/4 of an infected harvest (worth nearly $100,000), the company turned to TUMI’s continuous testing programs. Eight months later, thanks to reliable monitoring that allowed for the removal of infected plants, Evōk was able to finally record a crop that was entirely HLVd-free. With TUMI’s help, they were also able to implement many custom SOPs throughout the facility to maintain crop health.
Haze Valley Nursery
Problem: In mid-2020, the team at Haze Valley recognized their plants were not looking healthy and they had spotted “stunted” plants in the facility next door. After finding a few positive test results for hop latent viroid in their crop, the team realized their facility was suffering from a pathogen outbreak. Unfortunately, the search for solutions was not reliable.
TUMI Genomics Solution: With guidance from the TUMI Genomics team, the Haze Valley cultivation team was confident in their results and developed a clean mother stock program complete with custom operating procedures. In 10 months, the nursery reduced the level of HLVd-infected plants from 30% to under 5% and saved over $80,000 on fees for inaccurate testing and lost revenue.
Humboldt Farm
Problem: The cultivation team at a farm in Humboldt had some bad runs in early 2022, with yields reduced by about 30%. They started looking for the cause but couldn’t identify it. Improvements in nutrition, air quality, and irrigation did not help yields.
The Result: After hearing about Hop latent viroid from a nursery, the farm decided to test for HLVd with TUMI. The initial results showed a 20% to 25% positivity rate. Once the sick plants were removed, yields began to improve quickly. The Cultivation Director now believes, “Anybody that doesn’t include testing for viroids in their plants is hurting themselves.”