I tried to research how light intensities will affect a seed’s maturity, but it crossed references w germination too much. While I think logically any receptive pistil once pollinated regardless of how low on the plant it is will fully mature and develop, my deducting side questions how much light plays in the role of the seeds development and maturation process. Has anyone done lower light testing on seed maturity ? Did it affect viability? What I’m trying to figure out is even though fewer clusters, from shading and lower positions of getting less and lower levels of light is how the seed matures inside. Would or does this differ from a top in open exposed strong light ? While I would prefer to use my smaller sides to do pollinations on, I’m uncertain about lower light intensity affect of full development, maturity and viability of seeds, if it does have any role. Thanks for any insight
When I make seeds I make them on shitty lower branches that don’t get much light. Works fine. Seeds fully mature. No problem.
Good question, I’ve been wondering the same thing.
Also, to piggyback… Do pop rates have anything to do with the vigor of the plant? And, if a seedling is struggling to break free from their helmet, is it an indication of vigor, or more to do with the shell of the seed?
Seed size doesn’t mean anything, does it?
Sorry @OriginalDankmaster96 not intending that highjack, your question opened the spigot for a lot of seed questions I’ve had but was afraid that ask 
@Foreigner Great to hear light doesn’t make a difference in development and maturing. I wasn’t too sure, but you’ve done it so confirmed it isn’t necessary to do tops and can be done on the crappy unders instead or shaded plants 
A convenient controlled solution too
I have never dedicated a whole plant to seed so I can’t give you a good upper vs lower comparison but it works just fine on the lowers.
Seeds formed lower and on shadier parts of the plant tend to take longer to mature.
Viability and vigor are the same though once matured.
And to @Reefer a lot of times the helmet head seedlings are more an issue of not being planted deep enough or having that top layer of medium wet enough to aid in removal, if that top layer is dry high high chance your gonna get plants with helmet head going on that will need some help.
And size of the seed means nothing other than the size of the seed, sometimes there is a correlation to calyx size though a plant that is heavily pollinated will produce on general smaller seeds than one that was lightly pollinated, no differnt than say pinching of flower or suckers on tomatoes or pumpkins to focus energy on the fruiting bodies you picked.
@Mr.Sparkle Awesome, thanks for saving me the digging and a lot of research!
I am not the most experienced with making seeds but I am thinking you could always harvest in sections the same way I have in bud runs where you take the tops and let the lowers keep maturing for a longer period. Just a thought 
That will be one of my strategies with my crazy strain and seed run… I’ll probably hack some of the better plants up into several clones as well, including autos.
As for seed size, it may not effect seed quality but I’ve found it does effect plant size.
R C Clarke said that the size of the seed roughly indicated the extent that the parent plant had been ‘worked’ by humans.
He had some photos showing small black feral seeds progressing through to the giant beans grown for food.
Cheers
G
He has a entire catalog of seed and leaf sections pictures dating back quite a while. There is a large group that has had interest in seed formation. As it can be indicative of the work the seed has had, as well as parental indications.
That’s why if someone tells you not to take a picture of a seed they know why, because it can be linked to a specific region if you have the database.
Now the later. I’ve been experimenting with this for a while now. Seeing if I can get the ratios of female to male higher. It’s the ethylene production that helps make the seed form, so if you increase ethylene it may make things go wacky.
Most people focus on it during germinating, but it is just as important in seed making.
This article deals with flowers, but if studies happen could be applied to cannabis.
This is true through any seed industry.
In farm world. Seed company’s take screens and sift the annual seed collection through many size plates. The largest seeds, are sold to the folks growing the plants for seed harvest for next season, the next size is sold to those who do mass food productions, next is for animal feed, next is small farmers, and last is those nice packets you get at every store for your home garden.
Clarke has a well documented seed grade chart so one can grade thier own seeds.
I might get back into making some seeds. When I could grow outdoors, I’d keep one random male and hit the lower branch of a random female. I’d have seeds for the next year, the weed was always good, and I never thought about much else. There was no internet 
I’ve been thinking of making more seeds indoors, and I’ve been wondering what’s best. Take the very best topmost flowers off the very best male, and hit the very best topmost flowers of the very best female, and forget the rest of the plant… or does that even matter?
Since folks usually pick the tops, maybe the plant has evolved for the less desirable lower stuff to make the best seeds for the next generation. While they may be the most vigorous, would those seeds have the best qualities that we like?
Or, when the seeds of a when the seeds of a whole plant are mixed together, are there more variables in what we’d get?
A lot for me to chew on, lol!
Thanks for posting this
Three different males going across, each row is a different mom, all the same parents. Seem to be no real difference in size between the males, they could have been the same in genetics, I picked what looked like healthier ones. The difference in seed size can be seen between moms. The seeds were also taken from different heights of the plant and the seed size is mostly the same. You can get some smaller seeds and some larger in the same pod, luck of the draw who is closer to the food? Have another five sets of seeds from the run and the others mimic these in size.
“I’ve been thinking of making more seeds indoors, and I’ve been wondering what’s best. Take the very best topmost flowers off the very best male, and hit the very best topmost flowers of the very best female, and forget the rest of the plant… or does that even matter?”
Whatever you do, don’t ask a cannabis breeder a real question like this. They only want to discuss who had what 20 years ago, and what it’s been renamed to 20 times. Or who called kush kush first and what color underwear the guys cousin wasn’t wearing at the time.
Special shout out to Future Cannabis Project, the biggest waste of time you can lend your ears to on the subject of future Cannabis.
I know the speed of cuts depends on where they’re taken. Seed size is said to correlate with speed/ease of growth. Small seeds contain enzymes and acids to break down minerals. Fast growing if you know what you’re doing. No one sells these as no one selling seeds knows how to grow. Large seeds contain the minerals. Easy to grow but slow. What everyone sells because everyone has the exact same skill set in cannabis.
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I’ll be a breeding expert soon, I just made my first seeds. Just need 20 years of made up stories involving music festivals, and a made up charity for vaccine injured kids and I’ll have a brand.
Already got one.
Not even sure what to say to that 
“I think he accused you of not wearing underwear” but it’s a bit confusing