Sexual propagation – Controlled vs Random Pollinations of Cannabis.
The seeds with which most cultivators begin represent sundry genotypes even if they spring from the same floral cluster of marijuana, and only a few of these genotypes will prove favorable. Seeds picked up from imported cargos are the results of completely random pollinations among many genotypes. If elimination of pollination was at enticed and only a few seeds appear, the possibility is extremely high that these pollinations were due to a late ripening staminate plant or a hermaphrodite, negatively having an impact on the genotype of the offspring. Once the offspring of imported strains are in the hands of a competent breeder, selection and copying of favorable phenotypes by controlled breeding may begin.
Only 1 or 2 people out of many may prove satisfactory as mummies and daddies. If the cultivator permits random pollination to happen again, the population not only fails to become better it may even degenerate thru natural and random choice of adverse features. We must thus turn to methods of controlled pollination by which the breeder attempts to grab control and deter mine the genotype of future offspring.
Information Collection.
Keeping correct notes and records is a key to successful plant-breeding. Crosses among 10 pure strains ( 10 staminate and 10 pistillate elders ) result in 10 pure and 90 half-breed crosses. It’s an unending and wasteful task to try and remember the importance of each tiny number and coloured tag linked with each cross. The well arranged breeder will free himself from this psychological burden and possible bafflement by entering critical info about crosses, phenotypes, and expansion conditions in a system with one number corresponding to each member of the people. The most important task in the correct collection of information is to create certain credibility. Memory fails, and recollecting the steps that might probably have led on to the production of an auspicious strain doesn’t comprise the info wanted to reproduce that strain. Info is always written down ; memory is not a trustworthy record. A record book contains a numbered page for each plant, and each separate cross is tagged on the pistillate parent and recorded like the following : “seed of pistillate parent X pollen or staminate parent. ” Also the date of pollination is included and room is left for the date of seed crop. Examples of the parental plants are saved as voucher examples for later characterization and research.