A lot of growers like regular seeds for their cloning capabilities. Cloning allows you to make an exact genetic copy of a specimen that produces a particular terpene profile, high or colour.
However, growing regular seed means that you will need to identify and remove male plants to prevent them from pollinating your females. This process can be time consuming and requires expert knowledge.
Genetic Stability
Seed stability is a process by which breeders ‘lock in’ desired characteristics that are present throughout the strain. It can take numerous generations of back crossing to stabilise cannabis but it’s essential for a grower looking to produce the same results every time they harvest.
A range of environmental factors during seed development and storage can lead to accumulating DNA damage. This can result in increased frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and reduced seed vigour, with programmed cell death (PCD) also being observed.
A favourable PCD response to genotoxic stress is often impaired in aged seeds and seedlings, leading to increased spontaneous recombination and mutation rates. Here, we report that accelerated seed ageing increases the frequency of frameshift mutations in a GUS microsatellite reporter line by 2.5-3-fold. Histochemical staining demonstrates that the accumulation of these mutations in seedlings is associated with decreased germination vigour and a reduction in viability. This reflects the increased sensitivity of seed to genotoxic stress, which can impact early plant growth.
Breeding
One of the biggest advantages of working with regular seeds is the ability to work on breeding programs. Because they do not contain the male chromosome, they have an equal chance of becoming either female or hermaphrodite plants when they flower. This means that they can produce pollen and fertilize other plants, a process known as cross-pollination.
With feminized seed, this cannot happen, as there is no chance that the plant will grow with a male chromosome. This is particularly helpful when a grower wants to develop a specific strain of cannabis with desirable traits, like high yields or resistance to diseases.
The key is to identify the sex of your plants at the preflowering stage. The methods of sexing vary from strain to strain and depend on environmental conditions, but the general rule is to look for the development of pollen sacs or the first signs of a thorny stem. The male plants can then be separated from the females and used for breeding.
Clones
Clones are exact genetic copies of their mother plants. As such they carry over all the traits that made their mother great: size, yield, flavor, morphology and potency.
Clones also take on any flaws that their parent plant may have, such as disease or vulnerability to pests. This can be a big problem for new growers who are relying on clones to get them started.
Another drawback is that clones need a lot of energy to develop their roots before they can start taking in nutrients and light. This can be a challenge for growers who don’t have the right setup to provide a healthy environment. And if the clones aren’t handled properly, they can die. This is why many experienced growers prefer seeds. Using seeds gives you the ability to create new strains through natural reproduction. To do this, though, you’ll need male and female specimens. These can only be produced from seed, not clones.
Yield
Unlike feminized seeds, regular plants don’t undergo any chemical tampering. This results in a 50/50 chance that the plant you grow will be male or female. If you want to cultivate clones or breed new strains, working with regular seed is the best option.
Creating phenotypes from regular cannabis seeds can be a challenge, especially for first-time growers. But if you’re willing to invest the time, you can create a cultivar that’s completely unique.
A great example of a phenotype is Tropic Thunder. This mellow indica produces thick buds with hints of fruit. The high from this 22% THC strain is soothing and calming. The best part? It takes just ten weeks to flower, and yields reach up to 35 oz. Learn more about this powerful cultivar here.