Making Seeds from Clones to preserve genetics

  • Making Seeds from Clones to preserve genetics

    Posted by Robert McLaughlin on June 12, 2024 at 7:46 am

    I wanted to see if anyone thought this was a viable option to maintain a strain that I don’t want to bother with keeping a mother of. I want an option to have the genetics if the breeder stops making a certain strain, decides not to market a tester run or run out of stock faster than I can get in to order. I want to take clones of that plant, then get female pollen and and pollinate other clones for the same plant to preserve the seeds until I want to run that strain again. Will those seeds be close to being exactly like the mother / father pheno or will I get variety like an F1 run? I have already been bit by not being able to order seeds that I wanted for my next run and looking for a way to safegaurd againt this. I don’t plan on getting into the breeding of seeds until 2025 and only for my own seed stash but want to start looking at my options now…

    Robert McLaughlin replied 3 weeks ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • jmystro

    Moderator
    June 12, 2024 at 8:37 am

    If you find a winning pheno, keep it. If you S1 (self) a clone, there is no guarantee any of the seeds it produces will be like the clone and you’ll probably never find a similar pheno again if you only make a few seeds.

  • PacNW-Dan

    Member
    June 12, 2024 at 8:48 am

    You’re referring to “selfing”? That’s where you apply a chemical (often silver thiosulfate) to one plant’s flowers, they “reverse” into male flowers producing (feminized) pollen and then you apply that pollen to another female (either a clone of itself or another female cultivar).

    The results will be Feminized S1 seeds, which are basically F1’s (first filial generation, “sisters”), similar to breeding two sibling plants together. You will get a similar genetic expression from that plant as if you had bred it with a similar sibling. So in theory, about 50-75% of those seeds will be very similar to the parent(s) (not clones). In those, you’re likely to find a plant that will be close enough. 25% of those seeds will be outliers, expressing genetics from past generations rather than the parent plant.

    If you want to create seeds that are near-100% identical to the parent, you’ll need to go multiple generations into probably F3’s (take the progeny from the first reversal, grow them out, find the one that’s most similar or exact to your goal plant, then reverse and breed that one to the original). Grow them out, hunt, repeat. By the time you get 3 generations in, you should have a bag of seeds that will produce progeny that are overwhelmingly similar to your goal plant, and you’ll have your genetics for storage.

  • Colorado-CannaTopia

    Member
    June 12, 2024 at 9:34 am

    Not sure how true it is but a buddy was telling em clones don’t go against your count now they can be considered hemp with sending them in the mail. 🤷 I would ask a lawyer. As far as making seeds you can get somthing similar. But it will be hard to get the exact one depending on what genetic you want to save. Some genetics that are not as far along like a f2 would be less likely. If you have some beans that are f7s or around their you would have a better chance. You could always keep some spair seeds in a bank of your own. Then just clone the one you have. However that could even not be the same. It’s all a gamble but such is life.

  • Robert McLaughlin

    Member
    June 12, 2024 at 2:04 pm

    Appreciate the responses. It answered the question I was chasing the answer to. (Even if the question was not worded the best…) I do keeps mothers of the pheno that hit good for me, but sometimes I like the strain generally and the popular ones can be hard to get from the breeder. For example, Orange Gasm is a very good strain for me generally, regardless of a particular pheno. Those seeds are popular and hard to come by at times. I believe “selfing” these will be the solution I was looking for. Thanks again!

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