Traits associated with potency

[heinz]

I am a noob breeder with my first autoflower grow. I have been reading the forum, searching for specific questions, and have read Robt Connell Clarke's botany writings and have the basics.
I purchased 10 regular auto assassin seeds, and have an 80% germination w 3 males and 5 females. They are now all 5 weeks old and doing great. The males are dropping pollen, and the females are all showing 6-10 flowers. I have them separated, and did my first hand pollination on the lower 4 flowers of all 5 girls. I plan on repeating this twice weekly for the next two weeks.
My breeding goal is to develope an auto with the strongest sativa trait(high thc, lower cbn ). I know this is subjective without having access to a gas chromatograph, but will do a controlled smoke.(science is hell)

Questions

1)Are any of you guys familiar with outward visible traits that predict potency? Would it be heavy trichome production?

2)Since the autos were mostly hybrids of ruderalis, and carry the recessive trait for autoflowering , and ruderalis are notoriously low in potency, do the earliest autoflower hybrids, the most sexually advanced, more ruderalis-like and therefore less potent?

Thanks for you opinion

 

[Torched]

I was just going to ask this same questions and found you already had. :howdy:

I would love to know what breeders look for in a good male when potency is the primary concern. With most males being chopped young I imagine you can not tell which ones are going to be covered in crystals.

 

[namvet]

I can't remember were I read it but its not always the amount of trichomes its the potency of the thc contained in the trychomes.

 

[Torched]

@ Namvet, I guess that's what I'm asking how do you determine potency for male when they are usually chopped young, I have no way to know how much THC is in the trichs

 

[greenthumper]

Turn your males into hash to test potency. My buddy and I tried his haze male a few weeks back we were straight tripping balls!