Regular seeds are a great option for growers who want to produce a high yield and a consistent crop. They also offer greater genetic diversity.
While feminized seed has slowly become the preferred choice for most growers, there are some who still prefer regular seed. This article will explore the advantages of these seeds.
Genetic purity
Seed genetic purity is a key to maintaining crop varieties over generations. A high level of seed genetic purity is also critical for the development of new hybrids. However, current methods of testing seed genetic purity are time consuming and labor intensive. New technology such as immunological and DNA sequence assays are developing that can offer high sample throughput with the promise of adequate differentiation between pure and weed seeds.
Physical quality is the cleanliness of the seed in terms of size, weight, and colour. It should be free from sand particles, stone fragments, twigs, stem pieces, shriveled or moulded seeds and empty glumes. It should also be free of other crop seeds and inert matter.
Traditionally, seed purity tests have been based on morphological characteristics. These tests are time consuming and prone to environmental influences, but microsatellite markers have emerged as a fast, efficient method for the verification of hybrid seed genetic purity (Kumar et al. 2014).
Stability
As a result of not going through hermaphroditism, regular seeds are much more stable than their feminized counterparts. This stability is a big reason that growers and breeders choose to work with them.
With proper growing conditions (stable environment, low stress levels), it is possible to achieve a 50/50 split of male and female plants from a batch of regular seeds. Often times though, this ratio can shift in favour of the males.
However, this can be overcome by culling any males as soon as they appear. This way, you can ensure your females are getting all the nutrients and water they need to reach their full potential and produce a good yield. It can also be helpful to label the pots with their sex so that you can keep track of what’s what when it comes time to harvest. This is especially useful if you’re breeding your own strains. Then, you can take cuttings before flowering and use them to start the next generation of seeds.
Reliability
The cannabis plant has evolved rapidly in recent years with a wide variety of different strains available to consumers. However, some people prefer a more natural and unmodified form of the plant that is found in nature. That’s why we offer regular marijuana seeds, which produce resilient and genetically stable male and female plants.
Regular seed also produces a wider range of male to female plants than feminized seeds do. This is a good feature for breeders who want to create their own strains. They can separate the male plants from the females to collect pollen and cross them with other strains.
Feminized seeds, on the other hand, are more expensive because they have been specially engineered to produce a certain ratio of female to male plants. Nonetheless, they are the preferred option for commercial growers who need to ensure that their entire crop is smokable. In addition, they are easy to clone. However, despite their many benefits, both feminized and regular seeds can have some stability issues from time to time.
Ease of breeding
For growers who want to breed their own strains, regular seeds are the perfect choice. They produce both male and female plants, allowing breeders to create their own hybrids. This process can improve the terpene profile, cannabinoid content, productivity, and size of the plant.
While feminized seeds may be easier for beginners to cultivate, many experienced growers prefer regular seeds. They are the most natural variety of cannabis, with no tampering or genetic manipulation. These seeds have been handed down from landrace ancestors all over the world.
When growing regular seeds, it is important to choose the best parent plants for breeding. This will ensure that your offspring will be the right combination of morphology and coloration. This process is much simpler than creating feminized seeds, which require a complicated process of stressing female plants to prevent them from pollinating each other. Choosing the right pair of parents will also help you to learn about the characteristics of different cannabis varieties and how they respond to various environmental conditions.