Pheno hunting is probably one of the most important and least understood process in bringing a new cultivar to market. In today’s blog we will explore what goes into a pheno hunt and how it happens.
The cannabis plant has been around for millions of years, however due largely to human intervention it has developed a vast array of different aromas, colours, growth patterns, flowering times, yields, cannabinoid and terpene profiles, and effects when consumed. Cannabis seeds will contain some of these variations , which will make each individual cannabis plant slightly different from others of the same parentage. These variations within a strain are called Phenotypes. By growing many seeds, a grower can look for a specific phenotype and keep their favourite version of a cultivar.
A phenotype is a collection of genetic traits that causes a cannabis plant to appear and smell different from others. If you were to grow a hybrid of both an Indica and Sativa parents you may find a greater variation among the plants grown, these would be the phenotypes.
This is the same variation that makes brothers and sisters of the same parents more closely resemble their mother or father.
When growing cannabis from seeds you will notice differences between the seedlings after a few weeks. A strain with little to no variation is often described as “stable”.
With first generation hybrids some plants will take on a more Sativa like appearance, being taller with long slender leave. Or more Indica with the plant being shorter, squat with broad leaves. There will be a noticeable difference in the aromas of the individual plants.
Once the seeds have been cracked and we have a group of seedlings started, the pheno hunt begins.
The desired characteristics often don’t appear until the plant is into flower, consequently clones will need to be taken from the individual plants. The clones will also have to be tagged for future reference.
Once the plants have completed their flowering cycle it will be easier to select the plants that have the particular characteristics that are being hunted for. Characteristics such as aroma, growth rate, flower size and density and flowering times are considered, only the clones from the plants with the desired traits are kept and the rest are discarded.
Often professional seed banks and breeders will go through up to a thousand seeds to end up with only a couple of phenotypes they are happy with. This process is is time consuming, but is absolutely necessary to ensure that only the finest genetics make it to the grower.
If the breeder does not take the time to find the strongest genetics from a batch of seeds, the strain may not be as potent, aromatic, productive or even healthy. If growing a hybrid from regular seeds you can expect much more diversity among the seedlings. Besides having male and female plants they will also display a wider variation in characteristics from their original parents. Feminized seeds are often bred from one hermaphrodite parent.
When growing seeds from an established strain the variations among the seedlings may not be as diverse.
Pheno hunting is always based on a criteria that the breeder or grower desires. These criteria often include aroma, growth rate , potency and yield. Different phenotypes can also have different effects, like the more sedate, relaxing stone of an Indica versus the uplifting, stimulating high you would expect from your typical Sativa. Other characteristics such as flowering time can play a significant in the pheno hunt. This can be very important for a grower as it allows for the faster turn over of the growing space.
When a grower is pheno hunting from a specific Indica cultivar, they are often looking for improved aroma, flavour and potency. Where as with a Sativa, aroma, flavour and potency are important features, a shorter flowering time is often the most desirable as many true Sativa have flowering times in excess of 13 weeks.
We hope this blog has helped to shed some light on the painstaking process that dominated the time of so many breeders and growers.
