Month: September 2023

Seed is an important food for animals and humans. It carries the embryo of the plant and its food reserve inside, often protected by a coat or hull.

In angiosperms, seeds form after fertilization by sperm and egg in the ovule. They have a wide range of shapes and sizes, including bean-shaped (reniform), discoid, ellipsoid and ovate.

The Embryonic Plant

The seed embryo contains the earliest forms of the plant’s roots, stem and leaves. It is contained within a container, called the seed coat. A seed also provides nutrients to the embryo. In this way a seed is like a Russian doll with nested generations.

The development of a seed is a complex process. Scientists are beginning to deconstruct it and understand some of the innovations that allow seeds to work.

Following fertilization, the zygote undergoes asymmetric cell division to form an embryo and a seed coat. The embryo grows to the globular stage, during which time it introduces the ground tissue (procambium) and primary meristem.

Unlike the spores produced by non-seed plants, seed embryos can sense the conditions of their containers and grow if they have enough food reserves. This ability to grow is known as germination and the resulting new plant is a seedling. This is why seeds are more than just a single-celled organism, like a sperm, with an unprotected exterior.

The Food Reserves

The accumulation of fat, carbohydrate and (rarely) protein in tissues and cells serves as a storage compound for energy that can be used when needed by the organism. In animals, this occurs in adipose tissue and the liver and muscle. In plants, it is stored in starch within the colourless leucoplasts called amyloplasts, located in roots and underground stems, or in seeds, where it is mobilized at germination.

Low food reserves have exacerbated past global food crises and are a major factor in the current crisis. Modeling shows that higher reserves could reduce price spikes by 38-52%.

Public stockholding programs have a millennia-long history as hedges against bad weather, pests and other calamities. During times of plenty, governments build up reserves that can be tapped during periods of drought or conflict. In the United States, these include the Farmer Owned Reserves and the Food Security Wheat Reserve. Governments should consider building or reviving these programs to provide a price floor for farmers and to protect domestic and foreign consumers from volatile prices.

The Dispersal Mechanisms

There are a number of different ways seeds can be dispersed from their parent plants. They may be blown away by wind, carried away by water, or deposited far from their parent plant by animals or birds.

Many weeds and ruderal species, such as tumbleweed, dandelion and physalis, have evolved to use wind dispersal for their seeds. The classic example of this is a dandelion blowing its seedpods in the wind. This is a type of long-distance dispersal (LDD).

Another method of LDD is for the seeds to cling to the fur, skin or feathers of animals, and be carried away from their parent plant. This is called allochory. Many plants, such as burdock and sea holly, have fruits with hooks on them that catch on the fur of animals or birds, or they pass intact through animal digestive tracts, to be dispersed far from their parent plant. The same is true for seeds clinging to the shells of turtles or birds.

When it comes to buying cannabis seeds, many people ask whether they should buy regular or feminized seeds. Both have their own benefits, but it depends on the grower’s goals.

Regular seeds operate exactly how nature intended. They have an equal chance of producing either male or female plants. Female plants produce smokeable bud, while male plants produce pollen sacks.

Optimal 50/50 Split of Male and Female Seeds

Before feminized seeds made at-home cultivation easier, cultivators grew cannabis from regular seed. These unaltered seeds produce an average of 50/50 male and female crops. While male plants produce pollen sacks that are useful for breeding purposes, only hermaphrodite crops bear buds rich in cannabinoids for consuming.

Cultivating regular seeds involves a bit of trial and error as each crop will develop its own traits. These may include yield, terpene profile, flowering time, insect resistance and more. With careful observation, growers can select the phenotypes that exhibit the qualities they desire and keep them in the vegetative phase as mother plants for future clones.

Fem seeds eliminate the need to cull a large number of plants in early flowering. They also carry a lower risk of accidental pollination, as the fem plants don’t have the Y chromosome required for male-producing flowers. These characteristics can make fem seeds ideal for home growers looking to save money.

Genetically Unaltered Seeds

Heirloom seeds have a long history of being passed down from generation to generation. Unlike hybrids which can only be used once, heirloom seeds can be saved and planted year after year. Heirloom varieties can also be grown organically.

One of the biggest arguments against genetically modified seeds is that they cause environmental harm. Melvin J. Oliver, a molecular biologist with the United States Department of Agriculture and the primary inventor of the terminator seed technology, stated that his main motive in creating these seeds was economic.

Currently, Monsanto holds the majority of the US market for genetically engineered seeds. Researchers worry that this consolidation has slowed the development of new varieties and could limit farmers’ ability to adapt to climate change. They suggest that removing unnecessary barriers for smaller seed companies while maintaining safety regulations would allow for greater diversity. Farmers have a lot of challenges to meet as temperatures rise, and they need a full toolbox of strategies.

Unaltered Strains

A grower who chooses to use regular seeds can breed plants that have been bred for specific traits, such as vigour or flavour. These can then be used to produce clones, which will have the same desired characteristics.

In order to create new strains, a male plant must pollinate a female. This will result in seeds with a 50/50 chance of expressing either male or female chromosomes. From these seeds both hermaphrodites and intersex flowers can be produced.

Hermaphrodite plants are useful in breeding because they can be used to create hybrids. However, they do not produce buds that are very potent and may not have as much flavour.

For these reasons, some growers prefer to use regular seeds when creating strains. They can also create unique phenotypes and cultivars that are not available in feminized seeds. For example, Heims, a plant breeder from Oregon, visited Papua New Guinea and found a hearty sativa that has evolved genetics that protect it against powdery mildew.

Suitable for Mother Plants

Keeping mother plants is a crucial part of the cannabis growers toolkit. The process is not for beginners, but it is very rewarding for experienced growers. A good quality mother plant will produce clones that retain her unique phenotype, growth pattern, aroma, taste, yield, resistance to pests, THC/CBD ratio, and more.

The key to a good mother is not to tamper with her by taking cuttings too often. She needs to be able to remain perpetually in the vegetative stage, and this requires optimal nutrition.

Using a base nutrient blend that is formulated for your specific growing medium (e.g. Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect in soil, or pH Perfect Sensi Coco in hydroponics) will ensure your plant is getting exactly what it needs to thrive. Adding effective supplements such as Vitamin B, B-52 and Voodoo Juice will also improve your results.

The price of marijuana seeds fluctuates depending on how popular a particular strain is and how much R&D goes into creating them. New seeds with exciting chemical potencies tend to cost more.

Grapefruit regular smells like its name and delivers a refreshing citrusy, biting flavor with uplifting effects that gently stimulate your mind and body.

They are grown in the same way as a wild plant

Regular seeds are natural and operate in the same way as a wild plant. They grow into either male or female plants, depending on environmental conditions. They are the preferred choice for growers who want to breed their own strains.

They can also be used for landscaping, horticulture and food production. When collecting wild seed, it is important to follow certain rules. Always ask permission from the landowner and never collect from protected areas. It is best to collect seeds from a healthy population rather than from one plant. If you have a lot of space, sow the seeds in 4-inch pots and cover them with coarse sand instead of potting soil.

With a little experimentation, you can create the perfect cultivar. You can try crossing a strain with a different one to combine their unique qualities. For example, you can experiment with terpene profiles and see how the new combination turns out. The results may surprise you!

They are more expensive than feminized seeds

Feminized seeds offer growers more consistency, efficiency, and control. A feminized crop will contain only female plants, eliminating the risk of male plants pollinating the rest of your harvest. They also make it easier to use your cultivation space by allowing you to germinate the amount of plants needed for a given time period. This means you can save money on substrate, pesticides, and other growing products.

Regular seeds can produce both male and female plants, making them ideal for growers who want to cultivate mother plants or experiment with breeding. However, they are more expensive than feminized seeds, which can be a disadvantage for some growers.

Feminized seeds are a great option for growers who want to focus on yield and do not have the space or resources to deal with male plants. However, they may not be as stable as regular seeds, which can lead to quality issues. Regular seeds also tend to have more phenotypes, which can make it harder to find the perfect strain.

They are more difficult to grow

Regular seeds produce both male and female plants, so they require more work than feminized seeds. However, experienced growers can enjoy the challenge of working with these seeds. They can create hybrids that will exhibit the best traits of each parent plant. This can be a great way to achieve specific effects and flavors.

Another reason regular seed is popular among breeders is its ability to be used for cloning. Cloning enables growers to duplicate the morphology and color of a specific specimen. This is especially useful for growers who prefer particular terpenes or aromas.

Regular landrace seeds are also often preferred by organic growers, as they have not been altered by human hands. The genetics of these seeds have remained unchanged for millennia, making them ideal for creating organically grown cannabis. They also produce a more consistent harvest than autoflowering or feminized seeds, as they are photoperiodic and need to be changed to the 18/6 light cycle before they start to flower.

They are more likely to produce male plants

Unlike feminized seeds, which produce only female plants, regular seed has a 50/50 chance of growing into either a male or a female plant. This can be frustrating for growers who want to be sure that the seeds they’re planting will grow into a female crop. With a predominately female crop, growers won’t have to worry about male plants ruining their harvest or risking cross pollination by wind or insects.

Regular seeds are preferred by breeders because they allow them to select the best traits in their plants and create new strains with unique characteristics. They also offer more genetic diversity, which can be beneficial for cannabis cultivation. Additionally, cloning plants from regular seeds is simple and allows growers to duplicate a specimen’s morphology and colour. This can be particularly useful for growing plants that require a specific flowering period or environmental conditions. Regular seeds produce photoperiod plants, which respond to changes in light to begin the flowering process.