## 5 Practical Applications in Cannabis Cultivation
### Field Production and Stress Resistance  
Beyond the confines of carefully controlled indoor facilities, MeJA application in open-field or less protective greenhouse environments presents additional opportunities and challenges for growers. In these less controlled settings, plants are exposed to a range of environmental stressors, including temperature fluctuations, variable humidity levels, and naturally occurring pressures from pests or pathogens. By mimicking a wound or attack response, MeJA primes cannabis to mount stronger defenses, which include higher levels of cannabinoid and terpene compounds [42]. These compounds, secreted in resin  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**MeJA Concentration** & \begin{tabular}{c} **Timing of** \\ **Application** \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{c} **Observed Effects on** \\ **Trichomes** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Impact on** \\ **Cannabinoid Yield** \\ \end{tabular} & **Associated Risks** \\ \hline
0.05–0.1 mM & \begin{tabular}{c} Early-to-mid- \\ flowering; 1–2 foliar \\ sprays \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} Moderate increase in \\ trichome density \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{c} 15–30\% increase in \\ THC/CBD content \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} Minimal vegetative \\ impact; safe for most \\ cultivars \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
0.5–1 mM & \begin{tabular}{c} Early flowering; may \\ require repeated \\ applications \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} Substantial increase \\ in trichome initiation \\ and stalk elongation \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{c} 30–60\% increase, \\ depending on \\ cultivar \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} Mild stunting, \\ potential for leaf \\ chlorosis \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
5–15 mM & \begin{tabular}{c} Early flowering or \\ late vegetative stage; \\ single dose \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{c} Maximal trichome \\ formation; high resin \\ output \\ \end{tabular} & Up to 100\% increase, &
\begin{tabular}{c} Severe dwarfing, \\ biomass reduction, \\ and potential stress \\ symptoms \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Practical and empirical summary of MeJA treatments in cannabis: application timing, trichome and cannabinoid responses, and risks.  
glands, can deter herbivory and inhibit certain fungal pathogens. Particularly in regions where cannabis flowers are susceptible to diseases such as _Botrytis cinerea_ (\"bud rot\"), hormonal crosstalk with the ethylene pathway may further enhance the plant's necrotrophy resistance, but research detailing this effect in cannabis specifically is still limited [59]. The feasibility of applying broad-spectrum MeJA in field conditions depends on the local climate, cost considerations, and potential side effects, such as unintentional stunting or slowed growth, which may reduce the overall biomass. Lower-to-moderate MeJA doses can sometimes avert extreme growth inhibition while still conferring partial disease protection and heightened resin production. Larger-scale trials remain necessary, however, to confirm whether these improved defense traits translate into a reduction in loss caused by insects and pathogens, and whether the monetary gains from higher cannabinoid yields outweigh the cost of repeated elicitor applications.