Breeding references WIP

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.

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Marijuana Botany, An Advanced Study: The Propagation and Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis
by Robert Connell Clarke (1993)

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.

Induction of fertile male flowers in genetically female Cannabis sativa plants by silver nitrate and silver thiosulfate anionic complex, Mohan Ram & Sett Rina (1982)

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.

Biochemical differences in Cannabis sativa L.depending on sexual phenotype, Elena TRUÚ,Elvira GILLE, Ecaterina TÓTH, Marilena MANIU

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.

The effect of potassium nutrition on growth and on plant hormones content in Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) seedlings, Marjan Michniewicz, Jadwiga Stopiiq’ska, 1979

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).

On the Relation Between the Effects of Auxin on Growth, pH and Potassium Transport, I. ILAN S. SHAPIRA, 1976

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 ^^

Cannabis sativa L. genetically transformed root based culture via Agrobacterium rhizogenes, Farnoush Berahmand1#, Negin Beizaee, Maryam Dehghan Nayyeri, Ali Sharafi, Hamidreza Kheiri Manjili, Hossein Danafar, Haleh Hashemi Sohi, 2016

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.

Agrobacterium infection of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): establishment of hairy root cultures, Imane Wahby , Juan M. Caba & Francisco Ligero, 2013

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 physical and genetic map of Cannabis sativa identifies extensive rearrangement at the THC/CBD acid synthase locus

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.

<--------------------------------------------->
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
<--------------------------------------------->

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

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Just trying this new potential in private messages ^^

But if ever you see something not clear in the WIP version, or not treated (anything but about selection, i will do another post on it), don’t hesitate. I want it readable for the masses and stimulating them to create true seeds from true projects.

Invite any others that you think can be helpfull to proof read my english, asking ref about things that i’ve forgot … etc
I will edit the first post as a private “draft”.

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That is great info my man thanks so much for the invite!

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You’re welcome, i’ve remembered your interrest. Dont hesitate to ask if you want to see something not covered or specific ;o)

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Thanks bro, i will ask once i start amking seeds or crosses. For now, it’s very good reading!

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The best book on growing weed that I have is the first one that I bought many moons ago. It cost one dollar in 1969 and is called: The Complete Cannabis Cultivator by Mary Jane Superweed. Yes, it is slim, overly simplistic and basic, but it covers basic breeding, hermaphrodites, feminized seeds and how to produce them. I have been working on revising it to include modern information, and to keep it as simple. It is harder to do than it sounds.

I have a small library of weed books. I gave all my Ed Rosen. books to my brother. They are repetitive and it seems that every few years he just cranks out the same info in updated versions. I do not find them to be very useful. MJ Botony is good, I bought a copy when it came out that I still have, but it is outdated with a ton of new genetic information being discovered and released by labs like Phylos and PLOSone. My favorite book is Marijuana Potency by Starks. It was published in 1977, and where I got my idea to freeze Cannabis seeds for long term storage. It is a good reference book with many landrace strains tested and described. At this point the genetics are showing that we had little real understanding of what stains were what, or from where, so I believe that we are going to have to re-write a lot of this type of stuff ourselves here, as the paradigm changes on Cannabis from 1) legalization and 2) resulting research as the result of legalization. There just is not that much information known, or out there published now.

I do not consider myself a breeder per se, but a landrace archivist and IBL breeder to preserve the landraces. Though I have been doing more F1 breeding of late.

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BTW, I have no use for either fems or autos. My experience is that all fems will all tend more toward herming, regardless of the technique used to create them. Also the saturation of fem genetics has moved plant sex expression well above 60% female plants in the modern Cannabis marijuana seed stock. Clarke covers both of these traits with fem seeds in his early MJ Botany book, as do others. Autos are becoming another dominant factor in modern Cannabis seeds. I only grow photos, as I can manipulate light with far better results on controlling flowering. With autos you have little or no control. Autos are also a lot harder to clone.

As an aside, I see many many many seed companies out there with so many crosses, but I have not heard of or smoked anything that was impressive lately. The latest local craze this year is for GG #4. For whatever reason? I have 40 or 50 plastic pop lid cans here of strains that I have bought in the past year or so locally (weed is legal in Oregon, and there are many stores selling top shelf pot here for as cheap as $5 a gram). None really stand out, though I like Cherry Pie and Blue Magoo.

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Some of the latest and interesting Cannabis genetic and breeding research is being published or partially published online. Some of these include:

Phylos Bioscience (Phylos is here in Portland, OR, where RC Clarke is on the scientific advisory board)

Breeding page: http://www.phylosbioscience.com/plant-breeding/
Galaxy genetic strain page: http://www.phylosbioscience.com/the-phylos-galaxy/

PLOSone, The Public Library of Science, a storehouse of scientific and medical research

Genetic structure of Marijuana and Hemp: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133292

BioMed Central: The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa

A Special issue on Cannabis (free access) through Kane Lab:

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Very cool fuel! Thanks for including me on this. Ill send ya some interesting reads later on.

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Hi Fuel!
I think you can get most feedback by just publishing it and then using wiki feature to update first post continuously … :slight_smile:

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do either of the first 2 references include tips for selecting males? thanks!

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It’s high season for me, i’m a bit rushed ^^
Well at least Joe i want to finish this thread with all reference than i wanted to share initially + the shares on this thread. It’s freaking long to write in fact lol, and i can’t do that in working or doing something else in same time.

@legalcanada

The first one not really, this reference is mainly here for growers that have to judge theyr own level before entering in the game.

The second one will lead you to interresting considerations, but it don’t directly speak about male’s selections. In details i mean. You will learn some usual linked traits and get ideas, but not a methodology. On this subject, near nothing exist outside the hemp fiber industry.

The more usefull references are actually those that treat about chemical differences in the cannabis sexuality, like the third reference of the second part. Pretty hardcore to read in general.

Unfortunally i don’t have so much serious references about it. The most valuable informations than i have, are not “official” and generally based on main-class-strain’s experiences and on some tricks shared with others breeders. It sound like another thread to be created to be honest, a more polemic one i guess lol ^^

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I will never finish to add something if i continue … maybe not a bad idea to publish as it before i work to mount the new lab lol

btw, not sure how i can pass it from private to public in the right section ^^

best vibes

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I agree :slight_smile:

You can continue to edit it when published …

I can turn it into public topic for you…

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I think finally than it’s the best way yes ^^ Thanks

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Great topic, thanks guys.

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I have replaced those google links with direct (and hopefully more permanent) URLs (I’ve extracted them using URL decoder).

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I am not sure where I read an on going experiment reversing males, if it is denoted here excuse my ignorance and shit ability to use a phone properly.
It seemed the idea of it was to see what kind of buds and resin coverage and possible testing of flowers, I really like the idea.

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Oh, ok. No pics like that in these books, just procedures to obtain it and stats of the results.

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