Transitioning from Clones to Seeds in Commercial Cannabis

In recent years, a good deal of energy has been dedicated to revising the propagation phase to meet the rigors of commercial cannabis production.

While many commercial growers rely on clone propagation, there are certain traits of seed-grown plants that can’t be replicated with cuttings. Since seed-grown plants have a taproot, they more easily absorb nutrients from the soil and grow stronger than clones.

Even more, because mother plants are often exposed to nutritional deficiencies, environmental irregularities, and dangerous pathogens, they tend to produce weaker clones over time.

Within the history of cannabis cultivation, both clones and seed propagation have brought unique benefits to the table. Whether it be the predictability of working with clones or the robust nature of plants grown from seed, it has made sense for growers to use either method of propagation. Yet, in choosing between seeds and clones, cultivators have always had to sacrifice the best attributes of the other.

With widespread legalization, plant scientists are finally able to study cannabis genetics with the same rigorous eye for detail as seen with more traditional food crops. In turn, new optimized seed varieties allow commercial growers to capitalize on the best attributes of both clones and seeds – while also cutting costs in several key places.

Traditional Motivations Behind Clone Propagation

Clone propagation has long been a popular choice among growers for reasons related to risk mitigation.

While cultivators have long-valued seeds due to the hardiness of seed-grown plants, many have shied away from seeds due to unacceptable risk levels that come with this propagation method. Not only have potential male plants been a major deterrent to starting from seed, but growers also have also had less control over phenotypes from seeds than with clones. (Read also: What it the best way to tell the male cannabis plants from the females?)

The practice of keeping mother plants and taking cuttings is an immensely popular way to propagate cannabis. The main impetus behind cloning is the ability to save quality genetics when you are lucky enough to come across them. In turn, having a nursery allows you to keep a self-sustained genetic library of your favorite strains. As such, when you take cuttings, you are able to work with proven genetics, as well as 100% female plants.

While the predictability of cloning is attractive to many people, the industry has long waited for the ability to mitigate risk in the plant propagation phase, while also getting the best attributes from seed-grown plants.

Modern Seeds & Robust Genetics

In recent years, plant scientists have figured out ways to keep the most favorable traits of seed growing, while also providing the genetic consistency of cloning.

The term F1 means “first filial generation,” which is the result of breeding two genetically dissimilar inbred plants. In turn, the acronym F2 describes cannabis plants that arose from breeding multiple F1 plants. Importantly, F1 seeds offer the genetic consistency of cloning, along with vigorous seedlings with hearty tap roots. Even more, when grown from seed, F1 strains show outstanding vigor in comparison to clones, which can suffer from environmental and nutritional issues that lead to weak clones from mother plants.

Traditionally, cannabis seeds have a 50% chance of being male or female. With feminized seeds, growers can entirely eliminate the risk of growing male plants. To create feminized seeds, plant scientists trick female plants into producing pollen themselves, which is then used to pollinate another female. In turn, this process creates seeds with 100% female chromosomes. (Read also: 5 Key Components of Female Cannabis Plants)

Production-ready cannabis seeds like those from Phylos offer the power of both F1 genetics and feminized seeds. Also known as “optimized seeds,” they were engineered by modern plant scientists specifically for the goal of robust, predictable, and uniform cannabis crops. Not only do optimized seeds eliminate the risks traditionally associated with seed growing, but using them helps cut operational costs in several key places.

Propagation & Cultivation Facilities

As commercial growers shift from clone propagation to seed-grown plants, they are able to rethink cultivation facility design. A nursery for mother plants and clones requires more total square footage of canopy in your cultivation facility. In order to stay alive, your mother plants require consistent garden inputs such as electricity, water, labor, and nutrients.

Seed-based production eliminates the need to keep extra mother plants as overstock. Even more, seeds can sit in a storage area for a few years—all the while being ready to plant at a moment’s notice. Finally, you can plant seeds whenever you need them, while it often takes mother plants 2 months to regenerate to the point of being able to give clones again.

Depending on the size and scope of your cultivation operation, growers tend to dedicate anywhere from 5% to 25% of their facilities to nurseries and propagation. While this much space might not seem like a big deal, it is when your cultivation license limits the total square footage of your garden canopy.

By eliminating mother plants and clones in favor of optimized seeds, you can dedicate more canopy space to growing flowers. Needless to say, adding 25% more production space will greatly bolster your overall yield, as well as your bottom line. If you really want to boost output, Phylos’s Automatic Series seeds are fully feminized, day-neutral F1 hybrids that mature in an average of 65-75 days, allowing for a steady harvest rhythm and workflow.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy

Shifting from clones to seed-grown plants also greatly lightens the load for different integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Simply put, the more cannabis plants you care for at your facility, the more energy and resources you must pour into IPM.

Pathogens and bugs are always major concerns with nurseries and mother plants. For example, if a mother plant is infected with Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd), it will pass the virus onto your clones—even if you can’t visibly see the pathogen. In such instances, concerns with IPM shift from cutting operational costs to the potential loss of an entire crop if HLVd makes it to your flowering room.

When growing from seed, you eliminate many of the vulnerabilities that come with mother plants and nurseries. Not only will you be keeping fewer plants alive at a time, but not having to take cuttings eliminates the need to handle so many fresh plants – a process that is always a great vector for spreading disease. Perhaps most importantly, there is no chance of seeds spreading disease from one crop to the next.

Labor & Workflow in Propagation

When you transition from clone propagation to seed-grown plants, you will also cut down on your labor expenditures.

The labor with clone propagation extends far beyond the regular care of mother plants. You also must account for the amount of work it takes to start a new crop with clones. Taking thousands of clones at a time is extremely labor-intensive. Not only is there the tedious work of moving plants and taking cuttings, but you also have to keep different strains organized, while ensuring that the work area remains sterile the whole time. (Read also: High Yield & Low Production Costs: The Future of Commodified Cannabis)

When growing with optimized seeds, all you have to do is plant your seeds and give them a gentle watering. As such, you can circumvent much of the repetitive work that comes with clones, while also eliminating the risk of spreading pathogens by handling fresh plant material. Especially when you use quality, production-ready cannabis seeds like those from Phylos, you can count on every optimized seed sprouting as it should.

Summary
Within the history of cannabis cultivation, both clones and seed propagation have brought unique benefits to the table. Whether it be the predictability of clones or the robust nature of seeds, it has made sense for growers to use either method of propagation at times. Yet, when choosing between seeds and clones, cultivators have always had to sacrifice the best attributes of one for the other.

However, as breeders now have better-controlled genetics with optimized seeds, commercial producers can capitalize on the very best traits of both clone and seed propagation.

Not only are optimized seeds beneficial when it comes to reliable genetics, but seed growing also helps cut operational costs with facilities design, IPM strategy, and employee labor. In an interesting turn of events, since growers can now put all their trust in F1 hybrids and feminized seeds, it is creating a ripple effect in modern cannabis production. Namely, cultivators are able to redesign cultivation facilities and employee workflows around these new scientific developments.

Phylos revolutionizes hemp and cannabis production with molecular genetic science for a growing industry. Our world-class team is dedicated to unlocking the potential of hemp and cannabis through data-driven science and modern plant breeding. Rooted at the base of the supply chain, Phylos delivers Phylos Production-Ready Seed™, uniform and vigorous seed lines; and offers elite cultivar licensing for rare cannabinoid new product development. Visit Phylos.bio or contact [email protected].