The correct term is, as @Heavenlygoo puts it, Epigenetic modification. Because it is an annual plant in natural state it can show symptoms of stressors it has encountered beyond the point where they dissappear. This can be reset, the genetics don’t change but the phenotypic expression can
That’s not to say they do not exist or can be long lived, but, they can be reversed
Is epigentic modification the educated term for acclimation?
Sort of but not exactly, it is specifically used in relation to a stress response and phenotypical expression. It is not purely acclimatisation to a new environment (although that can be relevant if it is stressful)
Let’s say my plant was exposed to drought, Epigenetic modification would allow the plant to modify its growth response to deal with that stress and relay a portion of energy that would be used for good growth to adapt to the stress (whatever it is). Those Epigenetic changes result in new phenotypic expression which will likely transfer to the clones as naturally it is an annual plant. The plant carries these various stress responses in a systemic way but it can be reset in various ways.
Potato tomato. Point being genetics don’t drift anywhere (in a clone only)
Genetic drift is real, every new branch got variations in it’s dna and the theory behind it is that it accumulate to bigger differences over time. A good example is pink grapefruit.
BUT! Theory is not reality and because a grapefruit branch did change once, it doesn’t mean that every SD clone have “genetic drift”. The fact that people use this excuse to make money, also doesn’t mean that genetic drift doesn’t exist. Both truths can co-mingle.
The cannabis genome is around 36 billion data points. If one switch, well… it might change a lot. But the real probability for that to happend is less likely to happend then winning the powerball.
Now think about the astronomical number of data points. Let’s say that for each branch 500 data points switch(this is a much higher then what data shows, but I wouldn’t find an approximation so I took a much larger number to display my point), the mother grows around 100 snips 6 times a year. Let’s do the calculation, shall we.
500 x 100 = 50000
50000 x 6 = 300000
So 300000 data points change over 1 year, it might seem a lot. Just wait for it…
Let’s say you keep doing this practice over 15 years.
300000 x 15 = 4500000
That’s 4500000 data points over 15 years, surely this might affect the plant?
I’m not so sure of that… What actually happend is that roughly 0.000125% of the dna changed over 15 years.
Here is another kicker, we know that there is specific genes that are more prone to genetic drift then others. This effect causes the same data point to shift multiple different times, thus being able to change back to previous state. So I would assume from this data that the change is actually smaller in practice then what I displayed above.
Pz 
I agree and I’m not arguing it doesn’t exist, it clearly does. But it happens over a much longer time frame, much. Mostly folks use the term to mean lack of vigour in clone only plants over generations, which isn’t genetic drift at all it is more accurately a drift in phenotypic expression due to various points of residual stress. Proof is in reverting that vigour with for example micropropagation or as talked about above putting the mothers outside and see it reverse. If it were real genetic drift that wouldn’t happen. The timeframe for genetic drift isn’t measured in 10s of years it is much wider than that.
Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread. We could maybe pick up that convo in a genetics thread.
Aren’t you guys describing somatic mutations?
Genetic drift and somatic mutations are distinct concepts. Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population, often impacting small populations more significantly. Somatic mutations, on the other hand, are genetic alterations that occur in non-reproductive cells and are not passed to offspring. In clonal organisms, somatic mutations can lead to somatic genetic drift, creating genetically unique modules within the same organism due to mitotic errors during growth.
Pz
Adding, somatic genetic drift can be cleared with tissue culture, while genetic drift can’t be cleaned.
Pz
So. I came here trying to figure out where this NASC freebie white label Sour Diesel fit into the mix. I have 3 SD x Pineapple express going now. and they’re some nice plants. (back left, left of the net, and far right of net) then this Purple Caper “assorted chocolates” freebie(back right). I think it’s a Purple caper (the strain) it smelled like sour diesel in veg. none of the other assorted chocolates did. supposed to be the chocolate kush male. Front 2 are Lemon cherry gelato x skunk.
I’m just trying to figure out what i’m growing at this point. it’s been a fun experience.
That is why a landrace is not always the best choice. Anything that has been grown in a specific environment for a long time will not express the same elsewhere. There better used as breeding stock to make a new cultivar.
A few more Destiny x Sowahh
yeah i find it reaeally hard to continually keep a plant alive, 6 months to a year in same container. some people are really really good at it, ive been told micronutrients really help. idk tho it was tougher for me a lot.
Just to add to the discussions about clones viabilitiees, ive been taking rusty scissors and cutting clones outside off of plants i consider keepers bc the way they grow and root, and bugs have infested them the entire time, i got no diseases and no issues they keep growing the same lol . ive lost quite a few but the plants that keep growing are the ones that keep their stay. and ive had a few over a few years now. had to even re veg a few and they grew back great too. i think it comes down to the plants capability, and its own survivability. some certain pheno r weaker, some certian plant r weaker.
but thats whats crazy about the real clone onlys (if they still exist). they grow like perffect keeper cuts , thats what they are . i definitely always knew sour to be 11 weeks, MINIMUM. it would have white hairs still at 10 and not taste as good.
and i totally agree the Sour is hard to say where it actually came from. its just a legendary strain of no origin. like sensi star and others. chem, CP, OG. its rumors.
When you notice the mother plant start to struggle, remove it from its container shave the rootball sides and bottom clearing an inch of material. The plant’s growth becomes stunted and in the worst case, it will eventually choke itself.
Ajs Sour D, my first run in coco with her. I up potted from a half gal pot on Monday into a 2 gal pot.
Have you sampled last run with a good cure yet?
Did it check the boxes for ya?
Yea she good we like her a lot.
Great post bro! 
I doubt this guy is trying to hustle. He’s older with teens. He goes by a different name on IG. Very low key dude. Same age as me, which puts him in his mid 20’s when Sour Diesel was flowing. This is the winning cut from the NYC Sour Diesel Showcase. I’ve heard real stories. AJ the salesman……pushed it in NYC, but it wasn’t grown there. Im not gonna go into details, because it’s not public knowledge. I chat with a handful of small, nyc breeders who love sour roadkill and Haze flavors. Nothing but positive praise for him. But I understand how some would be skeptical, not being part of that loop. Everything is doubted these days.
I had a Santa Cruz Blue Dream change over the tim. I had it for 7 years. It was previously grown hydro, and it switched to organic soil and amendments. What I know is It happened to this plant and maybe it’s environmental factors. Maybe “genetic drifting” is a pothead’s loose way of not understanding the technical term and meaning a plant expresses different traits based on its environment.
Yeah, I think genetic drift is a poor term to describe what happens with clones. Unless by genetic they mean epigenetic.
I guarantee the first cutting and a cutting made 20 years down the line have the exact same DNA, except for possibly certain cells and their cellular offspring. Random genetic mutations are most likely not going to change the plant expression because they’re rare and randomly scattered.
The epigenome is probably constantly changing. If you smoke cigarettes or starve almost to death a couple of times, humans pass epigenetic changes to their offspring (3-4 generations just like the Bible says). In the case of starving, your “methylated” offspring has a much higher chance of developing diabetes, for example.
I’m not a scientist though, so maybe I’m completely clueless.
Hehe, these two doesn’t really go together…
In other plants, it’s constantly observed that genetic drift occurs for each new branch. I wouldn’t call this a random event, but what shifts is random. Random genetic mutations are more likely to be somatic genetic drift.
Pz 
