Polyploid cannabis - what is it and what are its features?

Polyploid cannabis is a chromosomal variation of regular cannabis. This makes it possible to get heavier harvests and stronger effects. To understand polyploid cannabis, one must start by looking at chromosomes.

A chromosome is made up of DNA. It contains some or all of the genetic material for that organism.

Let's look at an example:

A human has 23 pairs of chromosomes, one from each parent. Each set has two paired chromosomes - what is known as diploidy.

Cannabis is also a diploid species. But if you have three or more sets of chromosomes (instead of two), the organism is said to exhibit polyploid characteristics. A polyploid cannabis will have 3 or more paired chromosomes instead of the usual two.

Features of polyploid marijuana

There are several advantages and disadvantages of polyploidy in plants. The main reason there is a huge interest in creating polyploid cannabis is to increase the strength of the plant (heterosis). This ability of marijuana can increase the yield and efficiency of the crop.

An extra set of cannabis chromosomes ensures better growth time and higher cannabinoid content. Cannabis is now a multi-billion dollar crop with a huge selection of varieties. Any method to further increase efficiency and yield is of great interest to the entire cannabis world.

The largest commercial cannabis growers who have made small improvements in efficiency and yield could add up to millions of dollars in revenue. If polyploid cannabis seeds are produced at affordable prices and put up for mass sale, they can quickly conquer the market due to the interest of many cannabis growers.

Why do we need polyploid cannabis seeds

Most home growers buy only a few cannabis seeds each year and tend to focus on getting maximum yield and maximum efficiency from a minimum number of plants. Thus, polyploid cannabis seeds will be as attractive to home growers as they are to licensed growers.

For some time, scientists have been working to create a stable polyploid cannabis genetics. If the work is successful, it is likely that it will be possible to obtain polyploid cannabis seeds in the coming years.

It was originally thought that professional cannabis growers in places like North America would be most interested in polyploid cannabis.

Just a few percentage points added to annual yield or average yield can make the difference between becoming a market leader or losing market share.

Researchers hope that polyploid cannabis seeds will produce plants with higher cannabinoid content and higher yields.

Characteristics of polyploid marijuana

Effects of plant genome duplication may include larger organs and better stress tolerance.

For this reason, a Canadian study published in 2019 analyzed the main characteristics observed when polyploidy was introduced into marijuana. The results were as follows:

• Big leaves;
• Larger and less dense stomata;
• Dense trichomes;
• Distinct terpene profile with increased terpenes;
• Increased CBD levels;
• Previous THC levels;
• Yields are similar to diploid plants.

While research is ongoing, we can only wait and guess the final results of the characteristics of polyploid marijuana, but it is already safe to say that many growers and growers around the world are interested in it!