THCV has a few interesting things going on…
I did use lab testing to select my breeding plants - i selected the highest THCV:THC ratio plants and bred with those.
LEAF TESTING: THCV ratios to THC change dramatically throughout the life cycle of the plant, and this is what I have seen…
If a young plant has a lab leaf test of 2 THCV : 1 THC ratio, the final flower will probably be the opposite 1 THCV : 2 THC
Unlike CBD which keeps the same CBD:THC ratio from young leaves all the way to final flower, the THCV ratio changes throughout the plant lifecycle usually decreasing in THCV ratio in the flower.
ALSO - if you are going to do lab testing, make sure you lab tests for THCVa - if they only test for THCV (decarb), this will tell you nothing because in raw plants, it is in the acid form THCVa. Not all labs test for THCVa, so make sure they do before wasting your time and money.
Some people have reached out to me about doing light manipulation to increase THCV contact - UV and far infrared lights… I don’t know anything about this, but some people report being able to double THCV percentages by using these techniques… I grow purely outdoors, so I am just focused on breeding for THCV genetics without light manipulation, but I’d be interested in learning about ways to increase THCV if it were easy (and natural).
Hope that helps - peace