Detailing the Life-History, Biology, and Population Ecology of Phorodon cannabis

Cannabis sativa is a plant grown used as industrial hemp, for CBD oil, and both medicinal and recreational cannabis (marijuana). Since production has historically been prohibited in Canada and the USA, little is known about insect pests of cannabis, including a species of aphid, the cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis). In order to develop effective management techniques, one first needs to generate an understanding of the insect’s basic biology. The proposed research will document the life-history and ecology of cannabis aphids in commercial fields and greenhouses. This project will be performed with the industry partner, Canopy Growth, which has the field and greenhouse infrastructure to examine these insects in commercial contexts. This project will generate information essential to developing management methods for cannabis aphids that can be directly employed by the partner organization and will be serve as a baseline for future research into the aphid and cannabis pests.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sean Michael Prager

Student:

Jacqueline Verhallen

Partner:

Canopy Growth

Discipline:

Forestry

Sector:

Other

University:

University of Saskatchewan