Chlorosis

Chlorosis refers to a nutritional deficiency condition in cannabis plants characterized by yellowing of leaf tissue while veins remain green. This occurs when plants cannot adequately absorb or utilize essential micronutrients—commonly iron, magnesium, manganese, or zinc—despite soil availability. Chlorosis is typically environmental or management-related rather than genetic, though some cultivars may show differential susceptibility under stress conditions. The condition is extensively documented in cultivation literature as a diagnostic indicator of nutrient imbalance, pH drift, or root health issues. Breeders and cultivators monitor chlorosis patterns when evaluating cultivar resilience across growing conditions.

Breeders working in resilience and environmental stress tolerance track chlorosis expression as a phenotypic marker during selection. Cultivars showing reduced chlorosis symptoms under marginal nutrient or pH conditions are often preferred for breeding programs targeting stability across variable growing systems.