the need for seeds Paul Josephs
Breeding as an artform According to the online MerriamWebster Dictionary, an art form is “An undertaking or activity enhanced by a high level of skill or refinement.” Given that this issue of Sativa Magazine is all about art, I’m left asking how do successful breeders elevate their craft to the level of an art form? Vision One very important attribute that accomplished breeders have is a clear idea of what it is they are working to achieve. This clarity may extend as far as a distinct picture in their mind’s eye of the finished plant, or it may be something not easily visualized, such as a particular psychoactive or medicinal quality, or an improved level of resistance to damaging pathogens like powdery mildew and grey mold. The artful breeder will be constantly asking whether any action is facilitating the project to proceed toward the ultimate goal. Patience Refinement comes with time and practice, and it requires patience to stick with a breeding program
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over many generations of crosses and failed attempts. Shortcuts meant to save time often backfire in subsequent generations. There are many examples of ill-advised shortcuts, but I’ll illustrate the theme with one about a breeder who has been working toward developing a plant that has a distinctive creeper high; that is, one that doesn’t take effect immediately and then gets stronger over a period of time. The sativadominant Thai strain having this characteristic being worked with has a poor bag appeal, because the flowers are loose and leafy. The breeder decides to outcross with a spectacularly trichome-rich Kush strain to improve the appearance, and succeeds in that aspect, but loses all of the creeper effect. He could work this new line to get the desired combination, but that will take several generations to pursue and there is no guarantee that it will work. It would be preferable to patiently continue work with the original line and select for appearance and creeper high. Knowledge and observation One need not be a geneticist
to be a great breeder. Education will slowly manifest itself through experience. It certainly helps however, to read up on basic plant genetics in order to lessen the learning curve. Some goals may not be possible due to scientific reality, or would involve such a monumental and laborious route that the breeder may well wish for an imaginary Acme Gene Splicer to get the job done. Meticulous record keeping of every step along the way is one hallmark of a skillful breeder. This begins with a detailed record of the parent plants’ characteristics. Anything about the plants that can be quantified should be noted and recorded. Good examples are growth rate, branching structure, trichome density and associated high effect, maturation time, aroma, taste, and any other distinguishing characteristics. Some breeders will press leaves between paper sheets as a record. This may seem silly to some but variations in the sharpness of the leaflet serrations, color, sheen and overall shape are often associated with certain phenotypes and strain characteristics. If these relationships can be determined,
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