For growers that want to breed, regular seed is ideal as it has not undergone any genetic tampering. Those that prefer to be more practical may choose feminized seeds instead, though.
Feminized seeds produce only female plants so growers can save time on removing males. However, many still find working with regular seed more exciting and rewarding.
Stability
Many growers prefer to work with regular seeds due to the ability to create new strains by cross breeding. This is because cannabis plants are dioecious, meaning they produce both male and female plants. The female plants must be pollinated to create the seeds from which a new cultivar can be created. Regular seeds allow this process to take place without the risk of producing any unwanted male plants.
The genetics of regular seed are also more stable than feminized seeds. This is because feminized seeds are produced through a process that causes stress on the plant. This can lead to the creation of unstable offspring. Regular seeds are the result of natural breeding and do not experience this type of instability.
Finally, regular seeds can be used to produce clones and cuttings of the plants in your garden. This means that you can use all of your growing space and save on products such as nutrient solutions.
Genetic Diversity
In addition to its role in reducing genetic erosion, diversity provides the plant with an extra buffer against environmental stresses. For example, if an insect or disease attacks a population, the variety of alleles present in the plant can help it resist this attack.
Genetic diversity can be improved by ensuring that more individuals are included in breeding programs, as well as by introducing new alleles into the gene pool through genetic crossing. This can be done by selecting plants that exhibit desirable traits, such as disease resistance or increased tolerance to drought and pests.
The quality of regular seed is also impacted by the genetic diversity of the crops used to produce it. It is important that crop landrace and wild-relative genetic diversity be preserved in ex situ collections and that these collections are designed to meet conservation targets. We demonstrate that species mating systems profoundly influence genetic representation in seed collections and can be leveraged to improve the quality of ex situ conservation.
Affordability
Seed prices matter because high prices lead to narrow margins for farmers and expensive food for consumers. The underlying problem is a complex set of factors, including intellectual property protections, complicated regulation and public research funding.
Growers and breeders require regular seeds to create the strains they love — specimens with desirable terpene profiles, flavours and colours. They also need to produce clones — genetically identical versions of a particular plant that can be grown indoors or outdoors and replicate a specific strain’s unique qualities.
Using regular seeds, growers can work with large selections of male plants to find the perfect phenotype for an upcoming breeding project. This allows them to save time and money by eliminating the need to remove male plants and reduce the amount of growing space and nutrients used on unneeded plants. This is an advantage that feminized and autoflower seeds cannot provide.
Ease of Breeding
Breeding regular seed is an essential part of growing cannabis. This allows cultivators to create their own strains by crossing different specimens in order to bring out the best traits of each. For example, if one strain has exceptional potency and the other is known for its terpene profile, you can produce offspring that exhibits the best qualities of both parents. This can also be useful when it comes to determining the optimal morphology and colour of a particular cultivar.
While sexing plants is often something of a lottery, it’s a necessary process in creating new seeds. This is because male flowers provide pollen, which can be used to fertilise female flowers and produce the next generation of seeds. This method is favoured by breeders who are trying to improve the variety of their strains. They may also be looking for specific characteristics, such as flowering speed or terpene profiles. This is a very natural way to grow, and it can lead to some truly unique strains.
