New research paper about autoflower breeding

[parsing_trees]

A new paper from Frontiers in Plant Science, Identification and mapping of major-effect flowering time loci Autoflower1 and Early1 in Cannabis sativa L. by Toth et. al (Sept. 2022) discusses experiments and genetic markers related to how the autoflowering trait behaves in breeding. I don't really follow the methodology details and don't think I could summarize it well, but it sounds like several of their conclusions support observations from auto breeders, and are likely to be of general interest to people here.

- "Autoflower1 photoperiod insensitivity is a recessive Mendelian trait"
- Mapping of the Autoflower1 locus -- statistical data that supports where the trait is probably located on the chromosome.
- Genetic testing methods for the trait they call Autoflower1.
- "Effect of Autoflower1 genotype on agronomic performance": Not only info about flower timing for autos, but also noting that plants heterozygous at that locus (so-called "Fast Version" plants) did indeed tend to flower significantly sooner.
- They also found signs of another independent genetic basis for photoperiod insensitivity in some Canadian cultivars, which reminds me of things I've heard about Mighty Mite.

 

[JaxsoNL5]

The biggest conclusion I gathered is more so the - scientific - confirmation that the autoflower alleles segregated in a recessive Mendellian fashion, allowing for the identification of Autoflower1 (and Early1) as a candidate genes on Chr 1. It will be interesting as they uncover all the genes responsible and which ones are dominant, critical vs. redundant for photo-insensitivity, and the epigenetics involved. Great post, thanks for sharing!

 

[Olderfart]

An interesting observation in the study is that some photoperiods will not flower under continuous light but that tested autos never failed to flower under it. Perhaps this effect bears on the ongoing arguments about whether plants "need a rest". Also, the study results confirm that full autoflower cultivars are always or nearly so homozygous for the trait, which means when us pollen chuckers mix different autoflower strains, all offspring will be autoflower. A mix between an autoflower and a photoperiod OTOH, will either produce all photoperiod plants or a mix of photo and auto, depending on whether the photo carries the recessive auto gene or not.

I will continue to confine my pollen chucking to autos.

Excellent paper @parsing_trees, thanks for posting.

 

[Aussie Autos]

Id love to see the study done with better breeders, from what I can tell they only used CBD and CBG seed suppliers, and none that I've ever heard of. Realyl awesome read though nonetheless! Good to see people doing this kind of work, although i hate theyre already discussing finding these markers to then be held as intellectual property..