 | Cannabis cultivation: Encyclopedia II - Cannabis cultivation - Genetics and breeding
Cannabis cultivation - Genetics and breeding
An important factor in extreme efficiency cannabis cultivation is selecting the best genetics for one's crop. This is frequently done by selecting one or more known strains, or strains with preferred genetics (in the case of marijuana, one might use seeds from a batch that was particularly enjoyed), and then growing a number of the seeds to find out which exhibit the characteristics most desirable to the cultivator.
Plant characteristics which are generally selected for include:
- Overall yield
- Time to fruition
- Resistance to pests
- Geometric traits (uniformity, compactness, flower density, etc)
- Color
- Flavor and/or aroma
- Appeal to end buyer (known as "bag appeal")
- Psychoactive Qualities
When a cultivator has decided which plant or plants exhibit the most desirable traits, a cutting is taken and grown to maturity but never allowed to flower. This plant is referred to as a mother, and can be kept for a number of years, producing thousands of clones genetically identical to the mother.
It is possible to use a combination of cloning and "shocking" plants to get them to produce feminized seeds. A clone will retain the same sex throughout its life, so if a female plant is cloned, its clone children will also be female, precluding reproduction.
It is possible to use very erratic lighting, or several days of no light at all, to shock a plant into turning into a hermaphrodite. Such plants have both male and female sex organs. After doing this, a hermaphrodite can reproduce with one of its clone children. This will yield sometimes in excess of 90% female plants, if the process is begun with a female. This makes the cultivation of sinsemilla from seed much easier. It is very difficult to produce reliable feminized seeds, however, as plants grown from feminized seeds demonstrate a greater tendency towards hermaphrodism.
When crossing two strains of cannabis (or two of any plant), the resultant hybrid may possess what is called hybrid vigor. In general, this produces a plant which is healthier, stronger, or quicker growing than its predecessors. Sometimes, in the case of a plant which has been brought back from fruiting (fruition, as mentioned above), it may be beneficial to cross it back with another (close) relative, in the hopes that it will become invigorated.
Caution should be exercised, as one does not always attain a beneficial cross with hybridizing.
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 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Genetics and breeding", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
