Many of the cannabis cultivars that got left behind in the 90s before getting feminized are preserved as regular seed. These seeds offer growers the chance to work with both male and female plants, providing them with the opportunity to discover new phenotypes.
They produce a mix of male and female plants, just like in nature. Growers need to remove male plants around the pre-flowering stage.
Breeding
Regular seed is a popular choice for ‘experienced growers’, since they produce heavy yields and strong plants that can be used to cultivate more buds. They can also be ‘fused’ with other strains to create new hybrids. This allows ‘experienced growers’ to enjoy the potency of their favorite strains, but with a stronger yield.
During the breeding process, female plants are chosen to become’mothers’. These mothers will then produce more female ‘children’, which are then cloned. This process produces identical plants that have the same chromosomes as the original parent plant.
This is the method that was used before feminized seeds became more common. However, feminized seeds can produce a more even crop of female and male plants, which makes them a more desirable option for commercial growers. This is especially true because a predominately female crop can be easier to manage and ensures that only the best buds are produced. In addition, a feminized crop can be harvested at a much earlier time of the year.
Cloning
Cloning is a method of reproduction that produces near-identical genetic copies of existing animals. It involves transferring an animal’s DNA-containing nucleus into an empty egg cell, known as an embryo. The resulting embryo contains the same genes as the donor animal. It is then implanted into an adult female’s uterus to grow.
Some people object to cloning because it violates the rights of a child to choose her own life path. They also argue that cloning turns the created child into a tool for her parents or society’s purposes. However, these arguments overlook the fact that people have been producing plants and animals using “unnatural” methods since they began domesticating them.
It is also difficult to justify denying a couple that wishes to produce children the chance to do so simply because one or both of them may carry a severe genetic disorder that could be passed on to their offspring. Many couples who are aware of their genetic risks still produce naturally and have healthy children.
Genetics
Genetics is the study of genes, which contain information for a plant’s growth. The environment and experiences can also influence genetic processes, known as “nature versus nurture.” For example, two corn seeds with the same genetic makeup may grow to different heights depending on their environmental conditions. A taller corn planted in a temperate climate will likely have more leaves and a larger stalk, while a shorter corn will have less foliage and fewer branches.
Vegetable breeders have accelerated their efforts to develop drought, heat and salt-tolerant varieties with a range of desirable phenotypes for smallholder farmers. These are often used by farmers in arid and semi-arid regions, where erratic rainfall and high temperature extremes can reduce crop yields.
The increased knowledge of genetic mechanisms governing heterosis is leading to a rapid development of male-sterile and gynoecious inbred lines for hybrid seed production in several vegetable crops. This allows for a more efficient and cost-effective hybrid seed production system.
Price
One of the main reasons to choose regular seeds is that they are usually less expensive than feminized ones. Feminized seeds require more effort and time to produce, so they can cost twice as much. This also means that a pack of feminized seeds can produce twice the yield as a regular pack.
However, a drawback of regular seeds is the potential for male plants to pollinate your crop. This can reduce your yield by about half. Fortunately, this can be avoided by removing male plants during the pre-flowering phase.
Due to the lengthy seed production process, seed prices are likely to be path dependent. This means that a change in the prices of new varieties is influenced by the price of the previous variety, ceteris paribus. This natural lag eliminates the potential for reverse causality and omitted variable problems. This makes the model more powerful and intuitive. It is also easier to interpret and use for policy-making.
