Cannabis Seed & Genetics Glossary Terms
Weed Seed Lingo For the Know
When exploring the world of cannabis seeds and genetics you are likely to run into some terms that may be a little unclear when you are first starting out. For others, a refresher is always good to help keep you sharp and give you the growing edge. Here’s some stuff every cannabis grower should know.
F-1 Hybrid
The first generation in a Hybrid cross between a female and male cannabis plant. This is often the seed generation that inherits the best traits of both parental lineages, AKA “hybrid vigor”. When skilled breeders produce F-1 hybrids, they typically cross plants with very desirable traits while both of the parents are distinctly different. Crossing plants with very similar traits typically produces less desirable results to grow out crops from seed.
Genotype
The grouping of particular cannabis plants as relates to shared genetic traits (also see Phenotype)
Hybrid
A combination of cannabis genetics involving more than one type of distinct cannabis genetics, for example crossing an Indica female with a Sativa male may produce offspring that are are around 60% sativa and 40% Indica in the individual offspring.
IBL (InBred Line)
There are getting to be rarer and rarer, as it takes a lot of breeding skill and many generations of selection and crossing to create an original IBL. This is when a male and female from the same pack of seeds can be crossed together and produce near identical offspring. This is true cannabis seed breeding and is slowly becoming a lost art.
Landrace Strains
Strains that are distinct and reproducible based on their original geographic region of origin, for example Vietnamese Silver Flower or Jamaican Lambsbread.
Phenotype
AKA “Pheno” as relates to pheno hunting. This is the physical expression of traits of a crop of cannabis plants, based on the genetics (genotype). In practical terms, the phenotype may vary when the same seeds are grown in different environments or under different circumstances although the seeds are same genetics (genotype).
S1
First generation “self” pollinated seeds. This term is typically used when discussing feminized seeds. These seeds can be good for growing out crops with identical traits from seed. However, they do not typically serve well as mother plants or as part of a cannabis breeding program.
