Plant Genetics

Well-packaged, clean seed with a label that conforms to federal law. Get to know the company. Outlandish claims like 100% feminization, 100% germination, and extremely high or low cannabinoid content should be validated by respectable 3rd party data. Proof of stability: Stability means the variety has performed consistently for several generations. Asking for current and parent seed data can help determine if the genetics are stable. Stability is essential for compliance. Well-bred seed should be compliant across at least 2-3 generations. AOSCA certified seed: This is 3rd third-party validation that the seed has been grown according to AOSCA Standards to maintain genetic purity. Seed lots that complete the seed certification process qualify for the official “Blue” Certified seed tag. Seed that has been bred for your production methods and equipment. Seed that has demonstrated performance in your region or has been bred using data-based breeding. Understand the market the variety serves. Identify customers for your crop before you plant.

Yes, it’s true! Source seed that has been bred in your region or your specific climate. Alternatively, look for seed bred at your latitude, as the latitudinal gradient is especially important in this species. Though major traits should remain stable, variety performance will vary slightly within a region, especially yield. Importantly, cannabinoid content will not have significant variances, as it is primarily controlled by genetics, not by environment. See FAQ below - What do we know about Cannabinoids? NWG demonstrates this consistently by producing ABOUND seed across regions and can provide third party testing from Departments of Ag.

In botanical terms, all three are generally defined as a group of offspring descended from a common ancestor with common morphological and physiological characteristics. In cannabis, there is an unofficial distinction.   A strain can be defined as a group of plants created asexually through clonal propagation. This is the most common form of plant production in the flower industry. Clones, by definition, are nearly identical genetically except for random mutations during plant cell division in the development of the “mother plant” (the plant from which a population of clones is generated). Mutations are almost always deleterious. A mother plant creates a finite number of progeny, so the maintenance of a strain requires cloning from the progeny of the original mother. Mutations accumulate with each successive generation so that, eventually, clone quality (e.g., cannabinoid profile.) deteriorates to the point that the strain is abandoned. Some may refer to this mutational load as genetic drift, but this is a misnomer.   A variety (or cultivar) can be defined as a group of plants created sexually through seed propagation. The seeds of selected plants (those expressing the characteristic of interest) are used for planting the following generation. Mutations undoubtedly occur during sexual reproduction, but they only impact a single individual, which the breeder can remove from the population. As soon as an individual carrying a mutation is used as a mother plant, all derived progeny will inherit the mutation.