Since the emergence of feminized seeds, regular seed has been overlooked by many growers. However, these untampered seeds can offer unique opportunities for genetic exploration and cultivation.
Growing regular seed requires identifying and removing male plants to prevent unwanted pollination of female buds. This process can be tedious, but it is essential to a high-quality crop.
Stable Genetics
Stable genetics is the foundation of providing growers with consistent crop production. However, creating stable genetics requires rigorous breeding over multiple generations. The process is time consuming and requires substantial space to produce many generations of seeds.
To stabilise a strain, breeders start with a mother plant that possesses desirable characteristics they want to be prominent in their cultivar. This mother plant is then crossed with a father that also has desirable characteristics. Over several generations, breeders weed out the less desirable traits and only allow desired traits to express. This process is called selective breeding, and it can take up to 12 generations to create robust stability.
Genes that code for certain characteristics can present in two forms, known as alleles. For example, a gene that codes for earthy flavour can appear in either form (earthy or diesel) depending on the genetic makeup of its parents. When these alleles are combined, it creates the phenotype of a cannabis plant.
Breeding Potential
Regular seeds offer an exciting breeding opportunity for experienced growers. They have the potential to produce male and hermaphrodite plants, which can be beneficial for those seeking genetic variation in their cultivation. However, it is important to keep in mind that they have a higher chance of producing hermaphrodite plants than feminized seeds.
Hermaphroditic plants possess both male and female reproductive organs, so they can pollinate other cannabis plants. This unwanted pollination can reduce flower production and quality. Therefore, it is important to monitor your plants and remove hermaphroditic individuals when necessary.
As with all seed strains, regular cannabis plants require optimal growing conditions. The temperature, humidity, light cycles, and airflow all impact the health of your plants. The right growing environment will help your plants reach their full potential and maximize germination rates, yields, and flowering times. It will also help you avoid problems such as mold, mildew, and other pests. It is important to provide your plants with adequate water and nutrients to maintain a healthy growing environment.
Phenotype Variation
For cultivators who are interested in creating their own strains, regular seeds offer the possibility of phenotype variation. These seeds are the result of a natural, unaltered cultivation process and are more likely to contain male plants than feminized seeds. However, they can be sexed to remove the male plants and guarantee the production of only female plants.
Seed yield is a complex trait that is influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between seed yield and its related traits in 210 uniculm accessions and 159 branching accessions. We found that PSY was positively and significantly correlated with CNP, CSL, PH, TSW, and FFS. These results suggest that increasing PH, CSL, TSW, and IFS could improve PSY. Moreover, the correlation between PSY and cone trait values also supports the hypothesis that more cones are associated with higher seed yield. This information can help breeders develop new strains with desired characteristics.
Cost
In general, regular cannabis seeds are less expensive than feminized varieties. However, this price difference can depend on strain desirability and seed quality.
Growers choose regular seeds because they can produce a mixture of male and female plants, and they can create new phenotypes by crossing different strains. This breeding process is critical for the growth of new cultivars and maintaining consistency in existing ones.
While feminized seeds are genetically guaranteed to produce only female plants, there is always the chance that a hermaphrodite plant may be produced. Hermaphrodites contain both male and female reproductive organs, and if hermaphroditic plants are not removed, they can pollinate other female plants in the crop.
Feminized plants require special care to prevent hermaphrodites, such as limiting pruning techniques like topping, fimming, and lollypopping. This additional level of maintenance can increase the cost of feminized seeds.
