early flower - a trend?

[CannabisMingus]

I am observing that newer cultivars (as opposed to autos available 2-3 years ago) tend to start flowering earlier sometimes starting as early as day 21. This is anecdotal, but it seems that the overlap period between veg and flower is getting much longer where the plant starts throwing pistils early but continues vegetative growth as normal. I have always seen this overlap but it just seems like it is getting longer with newer cultivars as compared with older ones from the same breeder.

It may be just the specific cultivars I grow, but anyone else noticing this effect?

 

[Rick Dirte']

4 out of six of mine started flowering at day 21 this grow. 2 are in 7 gal bags. Maybe the advance in lighting technology is making a diff. As usual, hell I don’t know.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

I am observing that newer cultivars (as opposed to autos available 2-3 years ago) tend to start flowering earlier sometimes starting as early as day 21. This is anecdotal, but it seems that the overlap period between veg and flower is getting much longer where the plant starts throwing pistils early but continues vegetative growth as normal. I have always seen this overlap but it just seems like it is getting longer with newer cultivars as compared with older ones from the same breeder.

It may be just the specific cultivars I grow, but anyone else noticing this effect?

I believe this got to do with all the interbreeding with photo's. More and more of the negative characteristics of an autoflower are being bred out until nothing more then the auto gene is left over, if that makes sense.?
If you look at the work from certain breeders, one can notice that they tent to cross a autoflower with a photo, then back cross it to the photo and only then do they start to look for the auto's in the resulting Bx's. The result is very few auto's to be found, like 1/25 I believe... But those that do show the auto gene tend to have more of the photo traits then traits that came from the auto parent.
If you compare auto's from ten years ago...those were ready in 56-60 days from sprout, but the quality wasn't something to write home about. Now, these days we're not surprised when an auto goes to day 80 or even 90. And those extra days aren't only for flowering...Vegetative growth is extended as well.