BY: William Sanchez
Cannabis has been reproducing on its own for many thousands of years. One of these significant ways of Cannabis breeding is through wind pollination in more of a natural selection setting. Even to this day, Cannabis and people are affected by wind pollination, not necessarily in positive ways. After this past 2018 outdoor crop in Sonoma County, a few farms close together was effected by a single rogue male plant that survived the Tubbs fire. Which, from a breeding standpoint, may not be a bad thing but from a Sinsemilla (seedless) crop standpoint very bad. A simple mistake can lose tons of money and precious genetics.
Strain Or No Strain?
Cultivars vs. Varieties
One should never use the term "strain"; it's terrible and doesn't fit. What needs incorporation into common jargon is using the word “cultivar." Cultivar specifies a variety of plant that originated and persisted under cultivation of a specific environment. The term strain is misleading and doesn't give enough context as to the specific origins of a plant. Similarly to how Cannabis should be used instead of marijuana, cultivar should be used instead of strain. Cultivar references Cannabis sown from seed, while variety represents Cannabis practiced in a cloning fashion.
Clone Room via HashHobi
Why Selectively Breed Cannabis?
To explore endless genetic recombinations expressed in different phenotypes.
Now, why even bother breeding Cannabis when there is already so much out there? For one, to explore something new. Not to stray away from the “breeding” subject, but what makes a product better? Opinion; If you can manage to create something new and get advice to back it, you are in for a great time. A recent example that makes this statement right is the variety “Cookies.” From east to the west coast and even across the pond, “Cookies” is a highly sought after type by Cannabis consumers alike. In exploring new genetics, it would be best to improve cultivar qualities. There isn't some magical weed-grown that produces stronger THC. Rather selective breeding for higher THC content and practiced in more optimal growing conditions. When searching to improve the qualities of Cannabis, one may look for potency, flavor, and color. There is no right or wrong answer here; the only solution is what the breeder is searching for in the plant.
OG Razor Kush male via OG Razor Grown
By selective breeding, you can also create varieties that are suitable for specific growing environments. A famous example of this is some cultivars of Cannabis do better indoors versus outdoors. Indoor growing is a side effect of Cannabis prohibition to hide. The Domestic Cannabis Eradication / Suppression program has been funding the eradication of Cannabis since 1979. Another example of selective breeding is that an equatorial species may not grow as expected in a setting such as the Pacific North West. Maybe you are searching for a type of Cannabis that produces fiber or preferably one that flowers quicker due to your growing season.
Some varieties of Cannabis do better in a screen of green (SCROG) setting instead of letting them grow. If you are breeding selectively for this, you may be narrowing your market. A harder feat to tackle in breeding to reproduce something that is lost, you need an eye and knowledge to know what you are seeking. If both original parents are lost and seeds aren't stored properly, this is close to nearly impossible to recreate. Selective breeding also allows you to speed up the process of finding the genetics you desire because you can harvest many times in a year with force flowering. Genetic expression of traits through nature can take some patience due to locking down dominant characteristics in one single growing season.
Platinum Cookies via HashHobi
Are Hemp and Cannabis Different?
Cannabis is Cannabis. They have the same genotype but different phenotypes.
If you haven't figured it out yet, Cannabis varieties are simply recombinations of each other's genetic material expressed in different ways. This is another reason why “Hemp” needs to be recognized as just the same as other Cannabis. What you know as “Hemp” was selectively bred to produce things such as fibers and oils from the stalk and seed of the plant as opposed to flower production. Cannabis and Hemp have the same genotype, and Hemp brings a misunderstanding of this new wave of “CBD Hemp Oil.” Why make CBD products from Hemp (which produces fewer cannabinoids) when you can make it from CBD flower varieties that produce upwards 20% or more CBD? You can make more quality material with less plant material or ingest more with less plant material by doing so this way.
OG Razor Grown Forbidden Fruit x OG Razor Kush genetics via Hash Hobi
Supercalifragilisticeexpialidocious Kush: What's in a name?
A name can tell you its background information and even more!
At one time in the extensive history of Cannabis, there existed a protocol for naming your Cannabis cultivars correctly. Nowadays, some people are pulling names out of the air, literally. Now even when you have a fun name such as GSC (Girl Scout Cookies), you need to list the parents. The parents of GSC is an OG Kush plant crossed with Durban Poison. The correct way to establish the hybrid's parents is by using the female first, followed by the male. So the proper way to list the parents of GSC would be OG Kush x Durban Poison. This standard also makes it easier to understand the makeup of a specific cultivar. Some Cannabis genetic makeup information is lost due to the legality of it and not keeping thorough records in place when producing new Cannabis cultivars.
Authors Note
This article was meant to be a brief overview of breeding this sacred medicine. When producing Cannabis, remember what makes something “better”? opinion! Use your best judgment when breeding. Ask yourself, what are YOU looking for in your hunt? What do you want to produce? Which traits are you trying to express? Just because you cross two plants doesn't mean you are finished. In those first generation F1 hybrid seeds, there will be many genetic variances. You need to keep logs and tags to seek what you are searching for in your pheno-hunt. If you want those traits to be dominant and expressed in future generations, you will have to do further crossings and perhaps even backcrossing. If you stop at the F1 seed and keep what you like alive through cuttings, there won't be a stable gene for future generations, and if that cut goes to the wayside, so does the cultivar you were seeking.
Full Spectrum (40-149u) Sour Diesel temple ball via Hash Hobi