Where Do Seeds Come From?

[Tony Aroma]

Sound like a dumb question? Maybe it is, but I really don't understand how commercial breeders produce the seeds they sell.

If you buy seeds of strain X from breeder Y, are all those seeds produced from the same two parents, or clones of the same parents? That would mean every seed you buy of that strain from now till the end of time would have the exact same parental genetics. Or are they produced from multiple parents, or clones of those multiple parents, all of the same generation? That would mean some slight variability of the genetics that went into producing each batch of seeds. Or are seeds produced from seeds from the previous generation? That would mean each new batch would be a new generation, and the genetics could be improved over time. Or is some completely different method used?

Could somebody please educate me on how commercial seeds are produced?

 

[Sam the Caveman]

The seed fairy?

j/k

I would think if done properly, seeds of strain X always come from the same mother and father. The mother and father are never actually bloomed but their clones are on a massive scale to produce seeds.

I'm no breeder though, but did take genetics in college.

 

[amoril]

in most cases, its the same parents, or clones of the same parents....they probably pollinate hundreds of clones at a time.

but, its probably done every way, by somebody.

some breeders will use multiple males, or multiple females, to maintain diversity within an IBL, for example. Youll see a lot of this with deep chunk males, etc...

some breeders will inbreed, and each new batch may have a different set of parents from the previous, maybe like Rez does with some of the SDiesel and CDogs.


the type of strain is likely a huge factor in determining which options could be available, though. A true F1 hybrid will probably have a huge variant in the offspring by simply switching out one of the parental plants. On the flip side, a true IBL may show little to no major variance by rotating parentals....

 

[DocLeaf]

Some breeders/seedmakers work from clones. Other Breeders/seedmakers work from seeds.

Hope this helps

 

[DocLeaf]

Sound like a dumb question?

There's no such thing as a 'stupid question' .. but sometimes we get stupid answers.

The amount of seeds depends on insemination times, method used, variety, and so on...

The best breeders freely admit that lineage slightly changes over the years as they go back and re-work the line (Tony at Sagarmatha is open about this),, so yesteryear's stock might not be the same as this years,, although each breeder aims for typical representation in the seed line. Other breeders have been known to screw-up, re-select parents without the same inhibited characteristics and change the seed line completely.

So the folks working from clones need to constantly maintain their base of parent stock as mothers to produce the same (ideally F1 Hybrid) results again, and again, and again constantly. This involves keeping several mother rooms full of back-up clone mothers incase one of them pegs it. Once dialled they can make as many seeds as the male pollen stretches to,, if you can find, and then clone reliable male parents then you're in business of consistant seed making from clones.

Otherwise seed breeders work with seeds only, selecting progengy in each line as they breed, like cats and dogs and horses and geese.

Good seeds are always the ones that grow well for you!

To answer the thread title : seeds come from nature, only sometimes people get involved also

Hope this helps

 

[swampdank]

One large male plant can produce thousands of seed. I think they take a few males and shake them in front of a fan. I have seen pics in hightimes of (Luc?) from paradise seeds doing this. Seems like he could get a nice batch from a method like that.

I guess it boild down to how many females you have. More females = mores seeds. Because a lone male can pollinate hundreds of girls. Wish my life was like that! LOL!

 

[bigghead]

what do they do with the bud after the seed is removed?

 

[hoosierdaddy]

what do they do with the bud after the seed is removed?

55 gal drum bubble bags of course.

 

[Littleleaf]

I would just love to run a combine through a field of cannabis. I wounder how many bushels per acre. I bet it would be way over a 100.

 

[Guest]

Good seeds are always the ones that grow well for you!

To answer the thread title : seeds come from nature, only sometimes people get involved also

Hope this helps

Hehehe! "Sometimes people get involved" doc that is just too funny!

The rest of your post was a great read too, great point of view. True representation is all I ask! The seed that grows well, quite the poet Doc.

 

[spliphy]

where do babies come from?

where do babies come from?

every conventional seed is the result of 2 plants usually...but a pack of seeds may have seeds from different parents....must ask the breeder their method

 

[FreshlyShaven]

You see, when a male cannabis plant loves a female cannabis plant very much...

 

[dopeshow]

The rule of the ranch is to find yourself a really awesome poly-hybrid clone only and pollinate it with about 3 to 5 males of a dutch poly-hybrid.

Tah dah... 20 bucks a seed all day every day!

 

[DocLeaf]

You see, when a male cannabis plant loves a female cannabis plant very much...

.. then the rest is just down to the birds and the bees... !

 

[exploziv]

I was thinking that seeds come from plants.. and.. plants come from seed..

I guess it depends on the breeder. It's impossible to belive that all the breeders (or most of them) do the same.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

I was thinking that seeds come from plants.. and.. plants come from seed..

I guess it depends on the breeder. It's impossible to belive that all the breeders (or most of them) do the same.

You are correct... different breeders use different methods, and
one breeder will use different methods depending on the goals of the seedline...

Personally...
I keep parents that produce exceptional crosses, to duplicate those seed lots...
I line breed (generation after generation) some seed lines...
I sometimes use a combination of crossing, line breeding, and back breeding to come up with a seed lot that I am satisfied with...

 

[Mister Postman]

Good answers doc.

And no it's not so much a silly question.. Each breeder has their own methods.. I think many newer breeders today who want to offer the same quality variety or hybrid for a long period of time try their hardest to work with parent clones as much as possible. It's pretty much the only way to provide the same quality seed stock year after year to the consumer.

Others, what seems to me to be the old school larger companies who produce/sell their seeds for years upon decades will eventually wether by practice or neccesisty need to pull from seed stock to continue those lines. Trying to replace old parents with as like as possible every few years.. Kinda how you get a pre 98 kali this, or pre 95 that hehe (funny how us humans all love n want for what we can no longer have hehe).. With these varieties the parents have changed over time, and thus they may of tried to select like parents, but they can never produce exact replicas of the old line.

Then you have others who openly work their lines, and sell the seeds as they go in smaller batches until they reach their goals as rez, and some others do.. an example would be the sour diesel, and chemdog lines. bx1, bx2, ix, ixII double sour diesel this, that etc.. Each year working with the same genetics, but steadly selecting-working the lines openly towards their ultimate goal or goals.

Edit: grateful you beat me to the punch though I agree that a breeder who wants any longevity in the bussiness and for his seed lines, has to be open to practicing all of the above methods as needed.

 

[Tony Aroma]

You see, when a male cannabis plant loves a female cannabis plant very much...

I was waiting for somebody to compare my question to "where do babies come from." So, continue. What happens next?

 

[Bass Akwards]

The only difference is a Major difference ...

The only difference is a Major difference ...

The vast majority of Commercial seeds are grown Indoors, and are intended to be grown Indoors. That skews the entire equation from the get-go.

How many wonderful traits have been lost when selections were determined solely by toleration of HID lights & hydro ferts? ( the spew of Satan's pecker )

As for the size of the breeders operations, we strongly suspect that they're much smaller than most would expect.

No one knows for sure the volume of seeds that are sold, and the seed-banks and breeders certainly aren't about to make that information public.

( I certainly wouldn't. )

Fairly small plants can produce large volumes of seeds. 15 inch females in 1 gallon pots can yield 400+ each. That's at least 3,600 from under just one HID light, or a bank of floros for that matter. ( just takes longer. )

 

[bigjay]

I got a better one.....
WHICH CAME FIRST< THE SEED OR THE PLANT?