For the second year in a row, Cultivators organized, with the support of GreenTech Americas in Mexico to help lead the conversation around hydroponic leafy greens in Latin America. Together with partners and speakers from across the value…
Published on 05/01/2026
24 – 26th November 2025: Cultivators brought together growers, specialists, and industry partners for a comprehensive three-day Cannabis Masterclass. Offering participants a rare opportunity to explore modern cultivation practices through a blend of scientific theory, practical workshops, and live demonstrations. The program showcased the latest developments in crop management, pest control, lighting technology, and post-harvest processing.
The masterclass began with a welcome session and facility tour at
World Horti Center, followed by a series of theoretical modules that laid the groundwork for the days ahead. Participants received in-depth briefings on crop phases, propagation strategies, and selecting optimal cultivars and climate conditions for commercial cannabis production.
The afternoon shifted toward practical instruction, including demonstrations on transplanting, substrate selection, and mother plant care. Participants compared different substrates and discussed how each influences root development. These sessions on rootzone management and sensor interpretation emphasised plant health, nutrient steering, and data-driven decision-making.
Day two: the focus turned to active crop development. Specialists led detailed modules on vegetative and flowering crop care, highlighting plant maintenance, substrate nuances, and environmental factors affecting morphology and yield.
Participants took part in a hands-on crop-handling workshop, practised maintenance techniques, and explored how external factors influence the flowering phase. The program also included expert insights from Nick Abbingh of Cannabis-drying.com, who shared practical and theoretical knowledge on drying methodologies, airflow optimisation, and the impact of drying conditions on final product quality.
Afternoon sessions addressed harvest preparation, including validated SOPs, microscopic flower assessment, and an introduction to post-harvest processes such as drying, trimming, and curing. Practical demonstrations enabled attendees to experience wet and dry trimming firsthand.
The final day centred on two key elements of modern cannabis production: Integrated Pest Management and lighting technology.
Industry partner Biobest delivered an in-depth presentation on sustainable pest control methods for cannabis. Led by Juliette Pijnakker, the session covered pest and disease identification, biological control solutions, and emerging research projects. Including the use of beneficial mites to combat persistent pathogens (for more information, see Winning the Mite Against Mildew). Participants then moved into the greenhouse for a live scouting workshop, assessing real examples of pest pressures and management techniques.
Later in the day, lighting experts Sabrina Carvalho and Theo Tekstra from Fluence provided a highly informative overview of lighting R&D. Their session examined dynamic lighting strategies, spectrum manipulation, plant photo-acclimation, and best practices for indoor and greenhouse production. A practical field demonstration followed, during which participants measured light spectrum and intensity while discussing layout considerations for commercial cultivation facilities (for more insight, please see Fluence is More than a Lighting Manufacturer).
The day concluded with a final demonstration and a networking session, giving attendees the opportunity to exchange insights with peers, trainers, and technology partners.
Throughout all three days, participants remained highly engaged, taking part in discussions, hands-ondemonstrations, and Q&A sessions that encouraged practical understanding. Attendees praised the opportunity to interact directly with specialists, explore new technologies, and apply techniques in real cultivation environments.
The Cannabis Cultivation Masterclass 2025 reinforced the importance of education and collaboration in an evolving industry. It highlighted Cultivators’ commitment to raising the standard for training and professional development in cannabis cultivation.