Selection of varieties for our crop

The selection is a little used resource today among cannabis growers. As we have ever read, the concept of elite clone comes from the best genetics achieved with different cannabis plants.

We can define these elite clones as carefully selected plants from many varieties, with notable characteristics as their aroma, vigor, productivity and resistance to any type of stress.

In the world of cannabis we will find a large number of so-called elite clones. Some examples are UK Cheese (1988), NL # 5 Haze or Northern Lights (1983/84).

Over the years, growers learn to identify these species that stand out for their quality. As we experiment and learn, we acquire a criteria to decide which genetics to grow in our garden, depending on the pathologies that we want to alleviate, or simply because we are attracted by its aroma, its potency or its flavor.

In this way, many growers choose to cross the cannabis genetics and thus obtain their own domestic crosses without having to invest so much money. Hence, the selection and reproduction of different types of plants becomes fundamental if we want to experiment and learn from crosses between different types of cannabis.

The most relevant selection criteria

To begin with, we must take into account the culture objective. This will then allow you to discard the plants that do not present the characteristics you are looking for.

The characteristics most desired by the growers are: the levels of terpenes and cannabinoids, the growth and vigor that the plant develops, the amount of resin it generates, the time of flowering, the density of the buds or the potency.

If you are looking for high production in your crop, look for genetics that have these traits or with great potential in this regard. For this, we must pay close attention to the development of this plant. We must take into account its structure, the vigor with which it grows its form of ramification and its intermodal space. Likewise, we will take into account the size of the plant, the consistency and the thickness of the stems or the tolerance to the occupied nutrients.

If you are looking for plants for breeding, you should know that many times a quality plant will not necessarily translate into a quality parent. In fact, it may not transmit its own and desirable traits to its offspring, so the use of progeny tests and, of course, the pre-selection of males is advised.

If your priority is a quality plant for your regular consumption, you should take into account the chemotypes, since it will depend on that that your plants have the desired characteristics. The chemotype, or phenotype, refers to the individual differences that a plant has in its chemical composition with respect to others.

We can find cannabis plants with predominant chemotypes in CBD, TCH and other cannabinoids. These differences are what will allow us to discover the psychoactive and organoleptic character.

The ultimate goal

This goal will be the one that dictates the selection criteria. We have to be meticulous when selecting or discarding plants that begin to present problems or characteristics that we do not want. We must immediately dispose of all plants that show growth problems, undesirable structure and excessive sensitivity to pests and diseases that may occur in the crop such as spider mites, aphids, thrips, fungi or viruses.

If we take into account all the factors mentioned above, we will obtain specimens with an adequate yield during our cultivation.

Genotype / Phenotype

When we select a plant, we are selecting genotypes, not phenotypes.

The phenotype of plants is the joint expression of their genotype depending on the environment in which they have grown. Although a plant can show a certain phenotype with our growing conditions, it could show a different phenotype in another environment.

By this we mean that a plant can develop its greatest potential with certain crop characteristics and it doesn´t have to have the same traits if we grow it in different conditions.

Therefore, select the genetics, dare to experiment and seek to find with your crosses this genetic stability so desired. An elite genetics plant can be hidden inside any seed, keep that in mind!