Cappello Fusaro Maddalena, Lucchetta Irene, Bona Stefano
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padua, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Apr 21;14(8):1267. doi: 10.3390/plants14081267.
Water availability is a key factor affecting both morphological development and secondary metabolite production in L. This study evaluated the effects of water stress applied during the vegetative and flowering stages on plant performance, cannabinoid concentration, and terpene composition in two Chemotype III (cannabidiol-dominant) varieties. Plants were subjected to moderate and severe water stress, and responses were assessed through biomass measurements, GC-MS analyses, and multivariate statistics. Water stress significantly influenced biomass allocation, with increased dry biomass but reduced harvest index, particularly under flowering-stage stress. Cannabidiol (CBD) content declined with increasing stress, while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels increased under vegetative stress, indicating a stress-induced shift in cannabinoid biosynthesis. Cannabinol (CBN) levels also increased, suggesting enhanced THC degradation. Terpene composition was predominantly genotype-driven. PCA-MANOVA showed significant effects of variety, stress level, and their interaction, yet only minor volatiles were modulated by stress, while the most abundant terpenes remained stable across treatments, preserving the varietal aroma profile. These results underline the importance of genetic background and irrigation timing in determining cannabis yield and quality. Optimized water management is essential to ensure phytochemical consistency and sustainable production, especially in high-value medicinal and aromatic applications.
水分可利用性是影响该植物形态发育和次生代谢产物生成的关键因素。本研究评估了在营养生长阶段和开花阶段施加水分胁迫对两个化学型III（以大麻二酚为主）品种的植物性能、大麻素浓度和萜烯组成的影响。对植株施加中度和重度水分胁迫，并通过生物量测量、气相色谱 - 质谱分析和多变量统计来评估响应。水分胁迫显著影响生物量分配，干生物量增加但收获指数降低，尤其是在开花期胁迫下。随着胁迫加剧，大麻二酚（CBD）含量下降，而在营养生长胁迫下四氢大麻酚（THC）水平增加，表明胁迫诱导了大麻素生物合成的转变。大麻酚（CBN）水平也增加，表明THC降解增强。萜烯组成主要由基因型驱动。主成分分析 - 多变量方差分析显示品种、胁迫水平及其相互作用有显著影响，但只有少量挥发物受胁迫调节，而含量最丰富的萜烯在各处理间保持稳定，保留了品种的香气特征。这些结果强调了遗传背景和灌溉时机在决定大麻产量和品质方面的重要性。优化水分管理对于确保植物化学一致性和可持续生产至关重要，特别是在高价值药用和芳香应用中。
