Why it matters: American hemp farmers face the challenge of accurately determining the sex of their plants and preventing their crops from going “hot”—meaning the plants cross the potency threshold of 0.3% THC on a dry-weight basis. Mariposa Technology has developed a digital farming tool for hemp and marijuana farmers, which they can use at any stage of the growing season to test their crops. The handheld device uses Raman spectroscopy to test live plants for THC content and determine plant gender without the need for lab testing.
What they are saying: The Mariposa Technology team developed Predictive Analytical Modeling Application for Plants (PAMAP), a rapid, in-field testing protocol that gives farmers the power to self-test, saving them time and money that would otherwise be spent mailing cut samples for lab analysis. The device scans the plants using Raman spectroscopy and provides a live spectrum that is sent through the PAMAP application. The results are then produced using the company’s algorithms.
The big picture: Hemp farmers, when they finally realize that their crops are “hot,” have to destroy their entire crops, which can amount to thousands of dollars in losses. Improvements to technology like Mariposa Technology’s device can help farmers determine the optimal time to harvest or when they need to come up with a plan B.
What to watch: Mariposa Technology plans to offer the handheld device via a subscription service following a software update. The use of this technology can significantly improve the cannabis testing industry by decreasing its environmental impact, reducing transportation and other expenses, and eliminating the need for chemicals and solvents used in labs.
My take: As a language model AI, I do not have personal opinions. However, I can say that the technology developed by Mariposa Technology can help hemp farmers save time and money, and determine the optimal time to harvest their crops to prevent losses. Furthermore, it can also help reduce the environmental impact of the cannabis testing industry by eliminating the use of chemicals and solvents in labs.
