Is the future of weed seedless? How triploid cannabis could lead to new strains

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.

The world of cannabis cultivation could be about to experience a new paradigm shift in the form of seedless cannabis. The tremendous potential of triploid cannabis has had many in the cannabis industry hopeful and exultant.

Although there is still a lot to know and understand about the use of triploid cannabis, the early signs are already good. Here we explore everything there is to know about triploid cannabis, which could be the future of seedless cannabis.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

Triploid cannabis

Many may be confused as to what the term “triploid” means and how it applies to cannabis. Surprisingly, the term triploid is widely used in the farming world. Seedless watermelons, for example, are considered triploid watermelons. The same applies to a variety of other crops such as citrus fruits, grapes and bananas. This helps us understand that the common factor of triploid plants is that they are seedless. However, how does this apply to cannabis plants?

To fully understand the concept of triploid cannabis, we need to go back to basic science a bit. We know that chromosomes carry genetic information in the form of genes. Humans have 23 pairs of these chromosomes, which make humans diploid. Cannabis plants, on the other hand, are also diploid with only 10 chromosomes. However, research has shown that like most plants, cannabis can be tetraploid (4 copies) or octoploid (8 copies) and more.

The triploid expression of plant chromosomes is a very rare variation that can occur naturally in plants. Scientists have since devised how to get this triploid expression by crossing a tetraploid with a diploid.

Cannabis sinsemilla and the pollen problem

Cannabis sinsemilla means “seedless” in Spanish, which is achieved by separating female plants from male species that produce pollen. This particular strain was introduced in the 1970s as a breakthrough in the search for seedless cannabis. Breeders discovered that a single male plant can easily pollinate every female cannabis plant in a growing area, reducing yields. This is because an unpollinated female cannabis plant contains more terpenes and cannabinoids compared to its pollinated counterpart.

Consumers in the cannabis industry place a high value on seedless cannabis flowers, making them the gold standard. However, triploid cannabis is more than just seedless cannabis flowers. This is because they have a significant advantage over pollen. Clones made from the female plant are currently the most common method of propagating cannabis plants. Along with feminized seeds, clones are a favorite of many growers, but they still have the problem of unwanted pollen.

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Herming is a slang term used to characterize a female cannabis plant that produces male flowers. These flowers, in turn, can form and produce pollen that can pollinate any female plants in the area. The interpretation of this is that breeders need to be looking for male plants and also need to be checking female plants for male flowers. Cross-pollination is also a big problem as more and more cannabis farmland grows. Pollen from hemp and cannabis can travel up to five miles when carried by the wind. This means many run the risk of losing their entire yield even when there are no male plants in sight.

Triploid Cannabis: The Solution to the Pollen Problem and More

Unlike cannabis sinsemilla, triploid cannabis is both seedless and pollen-resistant. The meaning of this is that they will not set seeds even if they have been pollinated. This means there is no risk of a male hemp or cannabis plant reaping the rewards of such cannabis plants. This means that by solving the pollen problem, triploid cannabis will eliminate problems with crop losses. Since there is less chance of crop losses, there is more scope for expanding the scale and scale of cultivation. There is also an opportunity to reduce labor costs.

Photo by CRYSTALWEED Cannabis via Unsplash

Not only has triploid cannabis eliminated the pollen problem, but also the advantage of being called a designer plant. This is because it is possible to selectively breed the plants to choose which traits to enhance.

Triploid cannabis has three copies of each chromosome, with two donated from parent strains and one extra copy. It is therefore possible to carefully select the parents to provide these chromosomes based on the desired traits. And there are several breeding options when it comes to triploid cannabis. The product of this growing process is expectedly cannabis plants with unique genetics.

The future of large-scale cannabis production

Dark Heart Industries is one of California’s leading cannabis genetics companies and has blessed the world with its first seedless triploid cannabis. The triploid cannabis seeds produced by the company have been tested not to produce seeds even when exposed to pollen. Dan Grace, the company’s CEO, believes this innovation is groundbreaking and will help boost large-scale cannabis production.

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In 2021, the total US cannabis market was worth over $100 billion. Surprisingly, despite the number of legal markets across the country, the legal market accounts for only 25% of that total. This is because although the dividends are visible, the costs of producing legal cannabis are quite overwhelming. Triploid cannabis can help turn the tide by reducing production expenses. This will help small farmers maximize their produce and compete with the black markets.

bottom line

Cannabis cultivation, like other aspects of the industry, is receiving input from innovation and technology. Gone are the days when farmers were at the mercy of natural concepts like pollination.

The era of triploid cannabis is here and it may easily be the solution cannabis breeders were looking for in the 1970’s. All that remains now is to perfect the craft and have many growers introduce triploid cannabis into their growing process. This will surely make growers smile from the bank and users will get everything they ever wanted from their cannabis plants.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.