5 Quick Breeding and Phenotyping Takeaways for Cannabis Growers

When it comes to successfully breeding cannabis and hemp, there are no shortcuts. However, there are some good rules of thumb to follow along the journey.

Here is a handful of useful tips and takeaways for growers.

1. First, find a genetics supplier you trust. Ask the breeder for Certificates of Analysis (COA) – i.e., strain testing data — for each variety you intend to purchase. For hemp, ensure the variety is consistently testing below the 0.3% THC level. One good rule of thumb is to look for varieties that test significantly lower than 0.3% — think 0.1% and below — to give yourself some wiggle room on hitting that under 0.3% USDA mandate at harvest.
2. In year one, implement a robust, repeatable breeding and phenotyping program to locate the best genetics for your commercial grow.
3. Be patient! Do not rush the breeding process or try to cut corners with rooted clones procured from other operations. Try to find at least one or two phenos across the board that are close outcome-wise and take your mother clones from those.
4. Once you are satisfied with your breeding program and the genetics it produces, take tissue cultures of the very best performers to forever freeze those varieties in time. Once issues arise in production, you can return to these stored tissue cultures and restart the breeding cycle with genetics you know for a fact to be stable.
5. Specifically, for hemp, starting the young plants indoors (greenhouse, hoop house, controlled environment) before transplanting to the field “ensures more reliable plant population during the production season,” according to Colorado State University’s Rick Novak.