Genetics is by far #1 . Without the genetics nothing else matters. Other then that post harvest has the largest effect on potency .
Also to play devils advocate , it could be argued , and has been argued, that some stressing of plants does slightly increase their potency.
I myself try to choose the right genetics and try to keep my plants happy.
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Been saying this for ever. The grower is the catalist.
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Even average potency bud is plenty powerful if grown well. I think growers should focus on the perfect environment before considering tricks to up potency. Those tricks shouldn’t even be considered until you get the grow environment dialed in. Want to improve potency? Best thing you could do is create the perfect grow conditions.
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Yep. Unless you already have a perfect environment (almost no one does) all the little supposed tricks to up potency are a non-starter.
Unstressed plants with everything they want at all times are going to be better than something stressed to ostensibly increase potency every time, and way more total product.
We don’t grow weed. We maintain an environment weed can grow in.
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Close… it has to do with few variables thc at cost of yield. The trick you use to get your test slips up like NOS at the drag strip. No snake oils but environmental so some are close.
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Dropping temps just brings out anthocyanin, the purple colors, it has nothing to do with potency.
Adding uva/b will increase surface trichromes (they act as sunblock) but it will also degrade the THC faster, I feel it’s best used during the final 3 weeks. I’ve used it a whole run before too, but the last 3 weeks makes them just ice up.
Flushing has been pretty well debunked now. In organics there isn’t anything to flush; the life in the soil will keep bringing nutrients regardless. Grown in soil outdoors is the same, and in hydro trials it’s been shown that no flush makes for better tasting final product.
https://manicbotanix.com/flushing-the-science/
I like 2 or 3 doses of coconut water and molasses during flower in my soil grows. I feel the coconut water is like trichromes in a box.
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@Space, you got them all except light. 
Once you have all of those variables dialed in, you should be most of the way there. From there you can make additional tweaks like playing with spectrum (UV, Emerson effect) and crop steering. 
Definitely genetics play a major role. Good genetics grown poorly will likely be better than poor genetics grown perfectly.
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