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As legalisation progresses, cannabis is becoming a profitable commodity. The development of new varieties is therefore increasingly in the hands of scientists specialising in genetics rather than underground growers. What new varieties have advanced cannabis breeding methods produced, and what can we expect in the future?
Plant breeding is as old as agriculture itself. Its roots reach back to the domestication of the first plants, including cannabis. Humans began cultivating it as early as the beginning of the Stone Age, 12,000 years ago. Thousands of years ago, the first growers began selecting the best plants in their fields and sowing their seeds the following year.
Although their efforts were a long way from modern breeding, the goal was the same – to obtain the best possible plants. Today’s breeders have the advantage over our ancestors of being familiar with the laws of genetics and using the most advanced scientific methods in their work. As a result, several new types of varieties have appeared in seed banks in recent years.
F1 hybrids
Although F1 hybrid seeds are no longer the hit of the current season, their appearance several years ago was the first major sign that the cannabis industry was changing. Creating a genuine F1 variety requires a multi-generational breeding programme involving a large number of plants. It was only after the laws in the USA changed at the beginning of the millennium, when a number of breeders stepped out of the grey zone for the first time, that seed banks could afford anything similar.
Why is it so demanding to create F1 hybrid varieties? F1 hybrids are created by crossing two stabilised parental lines. Obtaining them usually requires growing several generations of plants. This costs time and money.
Stabilised lines are highly homozygous, and crossing them can produce populations of almost identical plants with predictable characteristics, unlike the classic phenotypic variability of cannabis, where sister plants originating from the same parents may display very different characteristics.
What is more, genuine F1 hybrids possess hybrid vigour. This results from crossing populations that are sufficiently genetically distant from each other and is characterised by offspring that are significantly more vigorous, resilient and productive than either parent. For growers, this means that new F1 hybrids produce higher yields more easily, so it is no surprise that they quickly gained a following.
Polyploid cannabis
Another area of breeding that will undoubtedly influence the future of cannabis is polyploidy. Most plant species, including cannabis, are diploid. This means that they have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Polyploid plants have more sets.
How does this happen? Polyploidy can occur naturally in nature and, for example, the well-known variety MAC1 is a natural triploid. Breeders can also induce polyploidy artificially, using substances that disrupt cell division. The first step is to create a tetraploid with four sets of chromosomes. Further modification produces plants with three (tri), six (hexa) or even more sets.
Try: OG Triploid Auto is a brand-new revolutionary variety from Humboldt Seed Company. It is characterised by a distinctive kush terpene profile full of fuel and pine with a hint of lime. The plants mature after 70–80 days from planting and, thanks to their triploid genes, are resistant to pollination.
Polyploidism can manifest itself in various interesting traits in plants. Triploid plants are generally unable to produce seeds. This is also used in the breeding of crops other than cannabis. Almost all seedless varieties of fruit and vegetables are triploids, and it is estimated that up to 60 % of cultivated crops are polyploids. The so-called “gigas phenotype” is common among polyploids, whereby the plants are larger overall as a result of enlarged cells.
Seeds of polyploid varieties are gradually beginning to appear in the range offered by seed banks, which promise higher yields, greater levels of active compounds or even faster growth. Polyploids are also interesting because they may contain previously undiscovered compounds that are not found in classic varieties.
What does the future hold?
As we can see, cannabis breeding is shifting from classic methods towards modern scientific procedures. DNA markers are already being used in the development of new varieties to identify plants with the desired characteristics. Newer methods also make it easier to test or even alter the function of individual genes.
We can expect the first varieties created using CRISPR technology, or genetic “scissors”, to appear before long. This could lead to tailor-bred super-varieties with the desired characteristics.
Are you interested in news from the world of cannabis and the history of this beautiful plant? You can find all this and much more on the HiSeeds blog.