Month: August 2023

Regular seeds contain both male and female chromosomes, so there is an equal chance that each seed will grow into either a male or a female plant. This is the way that cannabis plants have been grown since before feminized seeds were invented.

Working with regular seeds allows you to grow large selections of either male or female specimens, ideal for pheno hunting. This can save on wasted hydro system space and nutrient.

Breeding

When humans select the seeds of plants with desirable characteristics, such as seedlessness or larger oil content, this process is called breeding. Over time, this has altered many crop varieties from their wild ancestors to the landraces and cultivars we grow today.

The amount of inbreeding that occurs during a seed production field’s history affects the quality of future hay yields. We used a program to estimate the inbreeding coefficient (FZ) at each of the 32 alfalfa fields using microsatellite genotyping data for both parents and progeny.

The FZ of a seed is determined by the probability that alleles at a given locus were identical by descent and inherited from the same parent—in other words, that the seed is geitonogamous. Using multiple regressions, we found that field selfing rate and the number of racemes per stem both affected seed yield metrics. Seed set, however, was most strongly impacted by the number of racemes per stem.

Cloning

In cloning, scientists create a genetically identical copy of an organism. This happens naturally with some prokaryotic organisms (organisms without a nucleus) and some eukaryotic organisms, including humans. However, it is much more challenging to do with plants because of the complexities of their cell division processes.

Some trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous perennials reproduce asexually by producing seeds with an exact genetic match to themselves (called apomixis). Lombardy poplars (P. nigra Italica), a fast-growing, unique-shaped tree that’s used for windbreaks and ornamentals in our region, are an example.

Researchers have modified Garcinia xanthochymus to produce seeds with the same genetic makeup as the parent plant using gene editing. The resulting plants produce diploid egg cells that bypass meiosis and pass on the full set of chromosomes from their mother. They then use this technique to trigger the expression of a gene known as Sdr4. This gene controls seed dormancy, which is an important quantitative trait that affects the yield of grain crops such as rice.

Pollination

The process by which pollen grains are carried to the stigma of a female flower (cross-fertilization) or to the ovary of the same flower (self-fertilization). It is the step that initiates seed production. Pollination can be facilitated by wind, insects, birds or other animals, and it can occur between different plants (cross-pollination) or within the same plant (self-pollination).

Many flowers are attractive to a wide range of insect visitors through scent and visual cues. They also attract ants, bees and flies by supplying pollen or nectar. Some plants rely entirely on animal pollination to produce their seeds, including major crops for food and industrial products.

Pairwise comparisons of seed or fruit set from plants treated with a variety of methods for restricting pollinator access—including leaving flowers open, bagging them to exclude certain pollinator groups or caged to prevent any pollinators from entering—can reveal the factors that influence a cultivar’s pollination requirements. For instance, a high-pollination environment might induce maternal effects on offspring fitness, such as through the selection for traits that trade off between early and later reproductive effort.

Genetics

Unlike feminized seeds, regular seed produce male plants by default. This means you’ll need to identify and remove the male plants from your grow, which lowers yield levels. Fortunately, this is not difficult, but it does require a lot of experience and knowledge.

The genetics of seed size and number are important plant traits that define crop quality and contribute to yield (Venable 1992). Although the trade-off hypothesis suggests that there are finite resources invested in reproduction, evidence for such trade-offs is often contentious.

Gunjaca et al. phenotyped 174 common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) accessions through a seed composition assay and genotyped them with 6,311 high-quality DArTseq markers. They identified 31 QTL that explain natural variation for nutrient content in the seeds, including 22 QTL for nitrogen on chromosomes Pv01, Pv02, and Pv04; five on chromosomes Pv07, Pv08, and Pv10 for phosphorus; and two on chromosome Pv05 for potassium and zinc.

They also found a QTL for seed weight on chromosome 1, which explains about 15% of variation. There was no overlap between this QTL and the QTL for seed number per fruit, suggesting that the two traits are determined by independent genetic factors.

Many growers keep seeds from strains that they really enjoy. The seeds are encased in a protective shell and can last years before they begin to break down.

When ready to plant, the seeds can be soaked in water for two days. After that, they can be planted in soil or a growing medium.

Health Benefits

A lot of growers, both experienced and inexperienced, hold onto cannabis seeds that they got from a strain they really enjoyed in the past. They may have a hard time germinating those old seeds, especially if they have been stored improperly.

A simple way to revive them is by soaking them in water. This process can help them to soften their shell, making it easier for the seed to sprout.

They also contain a variety of essential nutrients, including proteins and fats. These fats are very important in boosting the immune system and helping it function properly.

Hemp seeds are a great source of Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are essential fatty acids. They are also an excellent protein source, which makes them ideal for those who want to gain weight. They are also a good snack for athletes as they provide high amounts of energy and are easy to digest. They have a nice, nutty flavor and can be added to most meals.

Weight Management

Cannabis seeds are loaded with omegas – the good fats that give us energy and help us maintain our ideal weight. The seeds also contain soluble fiber, which helps improve digestion and prevents constipation by attracting water into the stool.

Hemp seeds (also known as hemp hearts) are becoming more popular as a health food, both in their shelled form and as an oil extracted from them for use in making CBD products that won’t get you high. Hemp seeds also have a light, nutty flavor and are high in protein.

Although feminized and autoflowering cannabis seeds have become quite popular, Sensi Seeds continues to carry regular photo-periodic cannabis seeds, too. In fact, it is one of the oldest cannabis seedbanks in Europe to still do so.

Premenstrual Syndrome

Cannabis seed contains fatty acids that can help alleviate PMS symptoms such as headaches. The terpenes b-pinene and linalool can also improve mood during the menstrual period. Additionally, cannabis seeds contain amino acids such as arginine that can enhance blood flow and maintain the optimal blood pressure in the body.

Cyclic changes in hormones are known to cause symptoms such as pain, fatigue, irritability, food cravings and sleep problems. Early research suggests that the ECS and phytocannabinoids might help mitigate these symptoms.

In one study, women who habitually used cannabis reported fewer symptoms of PMS. Another study found that cannabis-based products were effective in reducing abdominal pain associated with dysmenorrhea, the most common form of period cramps. The cannabinoid THC is an effective muscle relaxant and could ease the contractions that cause the pain. The endocannabinoids in cannabis may also reduce the levels of serotonin that can contribute to the symptoms of depression and fatigue.

Heart Disease

While the seeds come from the cannabis plant and can be used as a nut substitute, they don’t contain any tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Rather, these brown seeds are consumed for their rich nutritional benefits. These include a good amount of protein, fatty acids, and antioxidants.

Hemp seed consumption is not recommended for people with low blood pressure. This is because the seeds can lower your blood pressure to a dangerously low level which could spell trouble in an operating room where you need to be alert. It is also advisable to avoid the seeds while taking diuretics or medications that slow down blood clotting.

When purchasing a batch of hemp seeds, be sure to buy only the traditional variety. Feminized and autoflowering seeds are relatively recent developments that have been marketed as superior to traditional seeds. However, traditional seeds offer more possibilities for growers to experiment with and have a wider range of benefits. The germination of these seeds depends on a variety of factors including moisture and temperature and regular checking.

Before feminized seeds became the standard, regular marijuana seeds were the only option for growers. Regular seeds produce a mix of male and female plants at maturity.

This can be a positive or a negative depending on your cultivation goals. If you enjoy experimenting with different phenotypes, then regular seeds may be the best choice for you.

Increased Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity is an important factor in plant cultivation and breeding. It allows breeders to experiment with different genetic strains and explore new phenotypes, leading to unique and varied cannabis varieties. Unlike feminized seeds, regular seeds produce both male and female plants, which necessitates careful identification and removal of the male plants to prevent cross-pollination.

However, it is possible that the presence of a high number of alleles in parent clones may lead to a reduction in the number of alleles transferred to offspring generations. This was observed by Wojacki et al. (2019) in German seed stands, where the effective population size decreased slightly from the parent to offspring generation due to a lower number of parents participating in reproduction and higher selfing rates.

Using neutral genetic markers, we investigated how the representation of source populations in seed production and restoration planting fields and 10 ecological restoration sites shifts during production and restoration use of mixed-source seed lots. Observed and expected heterozygosity as well as heritability were estimated by using COLONY software (version 2.0.6.5; Jones and Wang 2010).

Less Expensive

In many cases, regular seeds are less expensive than their feminized counterparts. Growers who choose to use feminized seeds may spend a lot of time and resources eliminating male plants from their growing operation, but with regular seeds there is no need for this extra step.

This allows growers to focus all of their efforts on the production of female plants and the development of high-quality buds. This can result in a much higher yield for the same amount of space and nutrients.

Regular seeds also offer more genetic variety than their feminized cousins. This means that breeders can create unique strains and cultivate never-before-seen phenotypes that are not available with feminized seeds. This can be an exciting and rewarding experience for growers and breeders alike.

Less Predictable

Although it’s not ideal, most experienced growers will still choose to work with regular seeds. They provide more genetic variation when compared to feminized seeds. This allows for more discoveries to be made in terms of phenotypes, which is important when it comes to the cultivation of cannabis.

Regular seeds produce a mix of male and female plants in an almost 50/50 proportion. This makes it easy to create breeding programs in the comfort of your home. Male plants can be used to cross with other cultivars, which will result in a number of hermaphrodites that you can later use as cuttings.

Feminized seeds on the other hand, require the sexing process to be performed by hand, and it is difficult to know what type of plant you will end up with. This can lead to a lot of wasted time, water and nutrients in your grow room. This can also be costly for commercial producers who are looking to maximize profits.

More Expensive

The seeds in regular seed packs have a 50/50 chance of germinating into either male or female plants. This can create a lot of extra work for growers, as it will be necessary to identify and remove any male plants when the plant is in pre-flowering stage. This isn’t always easy and can be time-consuming for new growers.

Regular seeds are cheaper than feminized seeds, but the extra work required can add up to higher costs when growing a crop of cannabis. They can also pose a risk of hermaphroditism, which can lead to decreased yield and quality in the final product. Nevertheless, for those looking to maximize genetic stability, breeding potential, and phenotype exploration, this option is still worth considering.