Month: July 2023

Seed is a miniature, undeveloped plant embryo and food reserve contained within a protective outer covering called a seed coat. It “wakes up” and sprouts into a new plant when it encounters the right conditions of moisture, temperature and oxygen.

The process is called germination. All seeds have a general set of needs but each type has its own unique requirements.

Origin

The seed is the reproductive structure of gymnosperms and angiosperm plants. It consists of an embryo, a supply of nutrients for the embryo and a seed coat. Seeds are a key innovation that distinguishes spermaphytes from pteridophytes and bryophytes.

Seeds are morphologically complex and can vary in size, shape and weight. They can also be either endospermic or non-endospermic. Endospermic seeds have a layer of nutritious tissue called endosperm between the ovary wall and the seed coat, while non-endospermic seeds do not have this layer.

Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain the origin of seed. The retention theory is the most widely accepted explanation, based on comparative morphology and fossil investigations. Genetic studies of the process of seed development (including embryogenesis, endosperm differentiation and sporophyte formation) have been conducted. A number of genes have been identified that are involved in this process, namely those affecting assimilate accumulation, desiccation and dormancy. These processes are known as the seed program.

Functions

Seeds are a key means of reproduction for both angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (conifers, cycads, and ginkgoes). They contain the embryo of a new plant enclosed in a protective coat and have a number of important functions. These include multiplication, dormancy, germination synchronization with optimal conditions, and dispersal.

The seeds of most plants are adapted to be dispersed by wind, animals, or water, allowing them to spread and colonize new areas. These functions are essential for plant evolution and survival.

A random number generator requires a starting value or a seed to generate a stream of random numbers. The seed() method allows you to specify a unique starting value for the random number generator in Python. This is important for reproducible results and making algorithms easy to test.

Varieties

Every seed contains the essentials of a new plant, including an embryo or miniature undeveloped plant and food reserves, wrapped in a protective coat. Seeds range in size, method of dispersal, germination requirements and other factors. From the minute seeds of orchids to the ginormous coconut palms, each one has its own special way of waking up and growing when conditions are right.

To help farmers and home gardeners make intelligent choices as they purchase seed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has established rules for naming and labeling agricultural and vegetable seed varieties. These are based on the Federal Seed Act, which is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers alike. It’s important to understand that a company name must not be used as part of the variety name, and a company name may only be added to a legal variety name once it is legally assigned by an official source. The use of a company name in this context can confuse or mislead the market, and is prohibited.

Uses

Seeds are an important source of food for humans and animals. The seeds of cereal grains such as wheat, rice and corn (maize), beans, peas, peanuts and coconut contain important nutrients. Seeds are also used to produce flour, starch and oil. Oil for cooking, margarine production and painting is produced from the seeds of flax, rape, cotton, soybean, sunflower, safflower, poppy and castor bean. Essential oils are extracted from the seeds of some plants such as juniper “berries” and coffee, kola, clover and yarrow.

In generative AI, a seed is a value or set of values provided to a model to start the process of generating an output. Using a seed ensures that the generated output will be consistent and reproducible. A seed is often used in conjunction with a random number generator to provide an initial random sequence. Then the algorithm can be “locked” to that sequence and run again. This is known as the locking seed.

Regular seeds are a great choice for growers who want to create their own unique strains. They also offer more genetic diversity than feminized seeds.

While feminized seeds produce hermaphrodite plants, regular seeds have a 50/50 chance of producing male plants. This can be a good thing, especially if you use techniques like topping or fimming to stress your plants.

They are cheaper

Regular seeds do not require any artificial chemicals to produce them, so they tend to be cheaper than feminized or autoflowering seed varieties. However, growing them can be tricky for novice growers as they are more likely to produce male plants. They can be weeded out by hand or with the use of an unpleasant-sounding chemical such as colloidal silver.

Despite the risk of producing male plants, many experienced growers prefer to breed their own regular cannabis strains. These seeds provide them with the genetic diversity and flexibility they need to create unique and high-quality cultivars.

The breeding process can be challenging, but it’s an exciting and rewarding experience for the right grower. It can take years to perfect a new strain, but it’s worth the wait. The result can be a strain that is perfectly suited to your growing environment and personal tastes. For example, Granddaddy Purple has luscious berry flavors and is suitable for intermediate growers.

They are more stable

Regular seeds are more stable than feminized or autoflowering ones. They usually produce a higher proportion of female plants than male plants, which means growers don’t have to waste time weeding out the males. This is especially useful for cultivators who want to keep mother plants for taking cuttings or clones (also known as asexual reproduction). They also tend to be more vigorous, which allows them to handle stress better.

Because growers don’t have to worry about eliminating male plants, they can focus all their attention and energy on growing the girls. This leads to a much better return on investment. This is a great benefit for small-scale indoor operations or those who are legally limited to a certain number of plants. In addition, regular seeds have a greater genetic diversity, which can be beneficial for breeders looking to create new strains.

They are more genetically diverse

Regular seeds are the most genetically diverse type of cannabis seed. They can grow into both male and female plants, but will not automatically become hermaphrodites unless subjected to extreme stress (which includes techniques like topping, fimming, and lollypopping). This makes them an excellent choice for breeders, as they allow them to collect clones that can be used to create new strains.

The genetic diversity of regular seeds also means that they can produce a wider variety of plant phenotypes, making them an excellent choice for those who enjoy creating their own strains. In addition, these seeds can be easily bred to produce the desired phenotype.

Germination rates for regular seeds are generally higher than feminized seeds. However, the germination rate depends on the quality of the seed and the environment. It is recommended that you follow the germination instructions that come with your seeds. If you don’t, you may be disappointed by a low germination rate.

They are easier to breed

Many growers who enjoy breeding their own cultivars opt for regular seeds over feminized ones. The reason for this is that feminized seeds do not allow you to choose the male and female plants that will grow, which makes it harder to breed. You may have to get rid of male plants, which can reduce the yield of your crop.

However, it is important to remember that growing a successful crop with regular seeds requires time, effort, and care. You need to know how to identify and remove male plants, and you need to be careful that your clones do not become hermaphrodites.

Despite the challenges of working with regular seeds, they still offer a wide range of benefits for growers and breeders alike. Their genetic stability and potential for phenotype variation provide the grower with endless opportunities for cultivation. They also have a high chance of producing female plants, which can increase the yield and quality of your harvest.

After feminized seeds came on the market most growers have forgotten about regular seed. But they are still popular with breeders and for those who want to take cuttings/clones.

They require more effort from the grower, but offer several advantages that feminized seeds do not. Depending on your growing experience and goals, regular seeds can be worth the extra work.

Breeding

Breeding regular seeds is easy enough for home growers, but more advanced cultivators might prefer to seek out a professional breeder for assistance. It requires identifying parents and following a tried-and-tested method that will produce seeds ready for cultivation.

The biggest drawback of breeding regular seed is that it’s not guaranteed to produce female plants. While feminized seeds have been genetically altered to ensure that they only contain female chromosomes, non-feminized regular seeds still run the risk of producing hermaphrodite plants if they encounter stressors like pruning techniques, topping, lollypopping, or defoliation.

Feminized seeds are better suited for commercial growers who need to guarantee that their crop is 99% female. However, crossing feminized and regular seeds can lead to new strains with desirable traits – such as increased yield or resistance to diseases and pests – that aren’t available with either type of seed on their own.

Cloning

Cloning regular seeds works just like feminized ones, with growers taking cuttings from the mother plant and then rooting them before placing them into soil. This speeds up the cultivation process a lot, as a rooted cutting is already several weeks ahead of a seed that has yet to sprout.

The main benefit of cloning is that it ensures growers get a female plant every time. This is a big deal, since only female plants produce smokable buds. Cloning also allows growers to revert back to the original genetics of their preferred strain, which is ideal for experienced growers who are seeking the perfect phenotype for their next harvest.

Critics of cloning say it commodifies human beings, turning them into things that can be bought and sold (Deech 1999; Savulescu 2005). They also argue that this view could lead to discriminatory attitudes towards those who have children that differ from others in non-morally significant ways.

Pollination

The process of transferring pollen from an anther to the stigma of another flower, eventually leading to fertilization and seed production. In nature, animals such as insects and birds often act as pollinating agents; however, growers may also use artificial methods to encourage cross-pollination in their breeding work.

Flowers are highly adapted for the business of collecting and dispersing pollen. Petals are often shaped and colored in ways that will attract bees and other pollinators, while the anther and stigma of a flower are often situated very close together.

Once pollen from the anther of a flower lands on the stigma, it germinates and gives rise to a pollen tube that grows down through the pistil toward one of its ovules. If a fertilized ovule is found, the two gametophytes — male and female — fuse to produce seeds and fruit. The pollen tube then falls off the stigma, where it can eventually pollinate other flowers or be carried by wind to distant locations.

Yield

The overall yield from regular marijuana seeds is a matter of luck. Some growers will get mostly female plants that produce buds that can be smoked, while others may find more male plants. It all depends on the germination rate and quality of the seed.

As opposed to feminized seeds, regular ones haven’t undergone any genetic tampering. That’s why they don’t produce a high ratio of female plants like their feminized counterparts do.

That makes them a good choice for growers who are willing to risk their crop in the wild or want to try out old-school strains that didn’t make the cut to be modified into feminized weed seeds. They also work well for growers who are experimenting with different strains and cloning methods. Some regular seeds are autoflowering, which means they don’t need a reduction in the number of light hours to switch from vegetative to flowering. This allows growers to maximize the amount of time they have to harvest their weed.