Hy everybody,
Over to write again and again the same private messages with variations, I’ve finally decided to make a kind of bundle of references that i consider as very valuable to anyone interested by a rational approach in breeding. I don’t have said scientific (I’m absolutly not a scientist or a genetician), just rational.
All books will ask a fews efforts to decypher if you’re not used to deal with breeding’s concepts and slang. Don’t expect a “how to breed a champion in three easy steps” but more a kind of solid foundation that can lead on results in anyway you choose.
I will regroup references that don’t necessary cover the process of the selection, but i will do commentary on it to warn you when this factor is critical on the subject. It permit, imho to don’t send people to the crude reality only with hopes and to give them the primary tools to handle theyr own errors. I will stay the more neutral possible, even on subject that make me crazy ^^
So yes, I hate the fems from the abyssal depths of my soul and it’s near compassionate lol, but I will share references that permit to produce a few good ones, pro grade, with some tricks. To multiply promising private breeders is my top priority, not judging their way. And i will treat all the references this way.
Now a little word for the ultra fresh : It’s not so complicated if you keep your head in these reads and the hands in the dirt in the same time. The heart will show you the cap, just ear it. Never give up for a stupid single word. Take the time at the begin, you will reach fast a good cruiser speed. Be a dictionary freak, no shame ^^
You will quickly understand in viewing the title of the references that overcoming these first difficulties will give you a real power on what you’re doing. And it’s freaking addictive i swear.
By the way christmas is coming and it’s the type of gift you never regret to have in a paper version ^^
- Twos bibles
First, there are two books that I consider as vital and very pleasant in the same time. They are generalist and they gently present an overview of the inherent traits of cannabis that we have to deal with in breeding.
Very basic, very fast to read for anyone. Absolutely optional for those that are already breeding their stuff. It’s a good starting point to check where you are, when you’re very fresh in the game.
Take care to don’t judge the author by this basic book, and remember this name for later : RC Clarke.
His mileage in breeding, the fields of the experimentations than he lived and the number of advanced projects where he was involved … are just incredible.
Hemp Husbandry, Robert A. Nelson (1999)
Inspirational book that enter more in details, and that everyone can read with ease. If I could only count the number of times I’ve read it …
Typically my recurrent blunt’s read but not only. When i have to face a difficulty in breeding that annoy me, i generally chill with this book to get some inspiration. I swear on my oldest lines that you can’t read this book without popping an idea on the flow and within the end. Even at the (n+1)th time than you read it ^^
The author is controversial, you can find some fun reads in the root of the website : strange things, crazy things, useless things too of bizarre authors ^^ … and it’s mainly why. Don’t fall in this trap of judgement, you will miss the “jewel that shine in the ass of the goat”, like say a Texan friend lol
Don’t underestimate the chapter dedicated to the fiber for the breeding of psychoactive cannabis. When i mention electroculture sometimes, it come from here too.
- Things will become hard now for a fews ^^
My only degrees are from the street, so don’t be shy to whip you sometimes. It’s just a question of langage in fact, you learn a new slang, nothing else. So in a first time, you hate this motaf vocabulary, and i will say it’s a sane rejection. Be constant and try to never experiment something that you don’t fully understand.
The WHOLE document is critical to understand what is really a “feminized seeds” but how to make them also.
Nevertheless, you should keep in mind a grid : the big factor of the selection. On practices, the seeds units need to furnish the actual market, wich is freaking gigantic by the numbers in game.
By example, you will not find inside some advises on the selection of the specimens that you want to lock with STS. This is 100% procedural with short explanations and demonstration on the mecanics in game. It’s firmly advised to push more the research on the hormon’s side after, and to understand theyr intrinscal link with the temperatures.
You will not learn also that the majority of the “elite cuts” in the game present abnormal levels of ethylen rate and female hormons rate, and why somes are very difficult to work with … take it as a tool to use and to adapt to your own equations. The real game is wild and in full controlled environnements ^^
Impact of physical and chemical mutagens on sex expression in cannabis sativa, Suman Kaushal
The giberelic acids have the particularity to work well with cannabis seeds and to give enough stable results to can be translated in patterns. Now it become more experimental. Don’t miss a good feminized seed treated rightly with GA, for sure. It’s good to known also that a seed is living and “porous”, not only with the GA but also with the bisphenol or the chlorhydric acid of cheap plastics bags.
You can now easely extend the searchs to gas treatments used in the industry. Don’t be scared, to scale down the need is not that expensive. Refs to follow.
All the references listed at the end of the paper are higly recommended, even if old and outdated they stay the foundations on wich everything is builded.
Maybe one of the most important read that i’ve digested on the sexuality of “our” most wanted cannabis, and by extension on the herm triggers. More a personnal complementary’s share to push the trigger in quality with fems.
Care, be op on the role of enzyms on proteins before. Take the time.
A small polish paper than initially can be ignored for the plant concerned : pines. Trees have near nothing in common with the annual we all love but pines and a lot of “resinous trees” have serious tendencies to share somes factors with our plants in a fews domains : UV/resin, nutrition, chelates … etc… . If you ask me why, i answer : random readings by curiosity, luck and analogy lol.
So, mostly, you will read about K and specially about polarized K (K+). Not well known by stoners, some hardcore flo boosters countain it (ex: Top Shooter). The paper expose interraction with auxins, free gib’ and more generally the development of the pines that are too close with cannabis to be ignored. It’s also a complementary read of somes papers quoted previously, i’m sure than the more mad of you have allready maded the link ^^ If you read the experiment with the potential analogy in mind, i can insure you than yes it matter and than yes, i use K and K+ boosters also as a breeding tool for selections.
In anyway, taking the time to understand and extrapolate this paper will help you to better synchronize the K game then to level up a bit the quality (only that, yield is another subject than involve N).
Complementary and precious read on auxins and PH, around the subject of K again. If you’re tempted to grow PH free both in soil and hydro, it’s the paper to read. Care; it don’t speak about the PH of the soup than you give to your ganja ^^
Yes, you read well : GMO. I’m totally against culturally but the content is pretty interresting.
Somes will be insured than when they debate if cannabis GMO exist or not, some others produce them. In bonus you have pics ^^
Others will find a very valuable intro and a demonstration of the types of strategies used in regard of the goal (increasing the medical value of cannabis). The methodology is out of reach for the common, but the angle is a hint for selection itself than can be extrapolated in many ways.
Well, at least if someone say “no, cannabis GMO don’t exist”, you can show this paper ^^ The most curious will see than this method is used with poppy, needless to say than “GMO heroin” is allready a fact
Make your seeds, fast.
For those who want to digg more the subject. The Futura77 quoted in the experiment is a well known ruderalis strain in the whole industry (not our).
Marijuana and the Cannabinoids (Forensic Science and Medicine), Mahmoud A. ElSohly , 2007
I just finish it today, and it’s an exhaustive master piece about the potency. Cannabinoids, terpens, therapeutic aspect on psy, neuro, physio and even prevention , drug testing, experiments on absorption !.. just exhaustive lol With RC Clarke as guest star to begin well the book.
More than a source of inspiration, a true compass. Mostly easy to read but accurate and covering near everything fundamental. Just amazing.
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) accumulation in glands of cannabis (cannabaceae)
In debating with a friend about “dedicated lines for potency”, i was thinking about this post and its lack of any entry point for this specific subject. So here i am, this paper is not so hardcore to read and permit to enter in the matter with enough serious basis to think about it. Whatever is the strategy. It permit also to the newcomers to get a vital sight on trichome’s qualities, shapes and maturity timing of each specimens.
Decarboxylation of Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid THCA
to active THC
One more time, i was chatting about “potency lines” then the Decarb’ subject falled in the discussion. Then i’ve thinked about the OGers and this paper lol This tiny paper is very easy to read and present the principle on a practical view.
On breeding perspective, you will find usefull references at the end of the paper than can lead to many ways to handle one of the most ignored aspect of the potency : the chemotype quality of a specimen and its resilience in storage.
For newcomers, only the paper itself can learn the sensible profile of the potency of the weed in introducing to the evaporation but also in degradated states. And funky experiments on THCA levels of a weed, without wasting grammers in what i generally read on forums about that (the magic oven thing).
A nice lucky find of today, the focus is not so in the mechanisms of the potency this time but on the bricks than made it and its origins. The read is not easy but not the harder of the post.
The documented experiment (wich end in bankable pattents, look at the end of the document) is based on a comparison between a Masterkush and an industrial hemp, then the study of their offspring.
No, you will not see a single time the word “auto” in this document ^^ The goal is to decypher the traces of the origins of the THC and CBD and their enzymes.
In synthesis, they provide a solid strategy to “reverse engineering” the “footprint” than mutate hemp in a drug cultivar. A very interresting angle also on an ignored enzyme until now, the CBC (“cannabichroneme”).
I can’t really resume it in one sentence but the results is pretty simple : they have differentiated the enzymes responsible of the THC and the CBD (THCA/CBDA) content as genetically independant, even if both present in hemp and cannabis in chromosome 6.
Both are “encapsulated” in denatured DNA, which is the trace of a retrovirus. It’s not uncommon in the vegetal reign, but for us it affect twos critical parameters of the potency. Barely why we grow it…
Don’t read it wrong, the experiment is a time machine than bring you at the origins of this plant. And state than at the begin you have an unique plant than is segregating in hemp (CBD) and cannabis (THC). A difference than will be increased with human breeding, but later. Instead i was believing before, the recently discovered denatured DNA is the concrete proof than we are in debt with this virus, and not so with the stoners of all eras ^^
I don’t really known how i will integrate this in my selections, but for sure it will make my evaluations much more accurate in term of pattern. It answer also to some “enigmas” i’ve never decyphered about “radical hybrids” i’ve made. By radical i mean, twos totally opposites genotype blended with a maximal heterosis during a bunch of generations.
A must read for everyone than is wanting to play with hemp hybrids; you will not consider and select the potency the same way after that. It value the ride.
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WIP V6 : additionnals references
12/08/08 WIP V7 : adding pics + 1 new ref
22/08/08 WIP V8 : +1 new ref
30/08/08 WIP V9 : +1 new ref
30/11/08 WIP v10 : + 1 new ref
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PS2 : The links don’t redirect all to the whole document and some are pretty hard/expensive to find (physically or not), at least you have the exact reference for now. I will see later with the staff if i can throw a link or twos on a discreet megaupload-style … somes of you can do that too, discreet links are easy to made ^^
stay strongly green