Polyploidism in Cannabis

What makes you think you have a tetraploid? Just because a plant exhibits tri-foliate or tetra-foliate leaf patterns, also known as whorled phylotoxy, I beleive, does not mean it is a polyploid. Polyploidism can only be confirmed through genetic mapping.


Here is a nice little read on polyploidism in cannabis, notice some key points I have highlighted for you.

Marijuana Botany, Robert Connel Clark, pub. 1981
Polyploidy

Polyploidy is the condition of multiple sets of chromosomes within one cell. Cannabis has 20 chromosomes in the vegetative diploid (2n) condition. Triploid (3n) and tetraploid (4n) individuals have three or four sets of chromosomes and are termed polyploids. It is believed that the haploid condition of 10 chromosomes was likely derived by reduction from a higher (polyploid) ancestral number (Lewis, W. H. 1980). Polyploidy has not been shown to occur naturally in Cannabis; however, it may be induced artificially with colchicine treatments. Colchicine is a poisonous compound extracted from the roots of certain Colchicum species; it inhibits chromosome segregation to daughter cells and cell wall formation, resulting in larger than average daughter cells with multiple chromosome sets. The studies of H. E. Warmke et al. (1942-1944) seem to indicate that colchicine raised drug levels in Cannabis. It is unfortunate that Warmke was unaware of the actual psychoactive ingredients of Cannabis and was therefore unable to extract THC. His crude acetone extract and archaic techniques of bioassay using killifish and small freshwater crustaceans are far from conclusive. He was, however, able to produce both triploid and tetraploid strains of Cannabis with up to twice the potency of dip bid strains (in their ability to kill small aquatic organisms). The aim of his research was to "produce a strain of hemp with materially reduced marijuana content" and his results indicated that polyploidy raised the potency of Cannabis without any apparent increase in fiber quality or yield.

Warmke's work with polyploids shed light on the nature of sexual determination in Cannabis. He also illustrated that potency is genetically determined by creating a lower potency strain of hemp through selective breeding with low potency parents.

More recent research by A. I. Zhatov (1979) with fiber Cannabis showed that some economically valuable traits such as fiber quantity may be improved through polyploidy. Polyploids require more water and are usually more sensitive to changes in environment. Vegetative growth cycles are extended by up to 30-40% in polyploids. An extended vegetative period could delay the flowering of polyploid drug strains and interfere with the formation of floral clusters. It would be difficult to determine if cannabinoid levels had been raised by polyploidy if polyploid plants were not able to mature fully in the favorable part of the season when cannabinoid production is promoted by plentiful light and warm temperatures. Greenhouses and artificial lighting can be used to extend the season and test polyploid strains.

The height of tetraploid (4n) Cannabis in these experiments often exceeded the height of the original diploid plants by 25-30%. Tetraploids were intensely colored, with dark green leaves and stems and a well developed gross phenotype. Increased height and vigorous growth, as a rule, vanish in subsequent generations. Tetraploid plants often revert back to the diploid condition, making it difficult to support tetraploid populations. Frequent tests are performed to determine if ploidy is changing.

Triploid (3n) strains were formed with great difficulty by crossing artificially created tetraploids (4n) with dip bids (2n). Triploids proved to be inferior to both diploids and tetraploids in many cases.

De Pasquale et al. (1979) conducted experiments with Cannabis which was treated with 0.25% and 0.50% solutions of colchicine at the primary meristem seven days after generation. Treated plants were slightly taller and possessed slightly larger leaves than the controls, Anomalies in leaf growth occurred in 20% and 39%, respectively, of the surviving treated plants. In the first group (0.25%) cannabinoid levels were highest in the plants without anomalies, and in the second group (0.50%) cannabinoid levels were highest in plants with anomalies, Overall, treated plants showed a 166-250% increase in THC with respect to controls and a decrease of CBD (30-33%) and CBN (39-65%). CBD (cannabidiol) and CBN (cannabinol) are cannabinoids involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of THC. THC levels in the control plants were very low (less than 1%). Possibly colchicine or the resulting polyploidy interferes with cannabinoid biogenesis to favor THC. In treated plants with deformed leaf lamina, 90% of the cells are tetraploid (4n 40) and 10% diploid (2n 20). In treated plants without deformed lamina a few cells are tetraploid and the remainder are triploid or diploid.

The transformation of diploid plants to the tetraploid level inevitably results in the formation of a few plants with an unbalanced set of chromosomes (2n + 1, 2n - 1, etc.). These plants are called aneuploids. Aneuploids are inferior to polyploids in every economic respect. Aneuploid Cannabis is characterized by extremely small seeds. The weight of 1,000 seeds ranges from 7 to 9 grams (1/4 to 1/3 ounce). Under natural conditions diploid plants do not have such small seeds and average 14-19 grams (1/2-2/3 ounce) per 1,000 (Zhatov 1979).

Once again, little emphasis has been placed on the relationship between flower or resin production and polyploidy. Further research to determine the effect of polyploidy on these and other economically valuable traits of Cannabis is needed.

Colchicine is sold by laboratory supply houses, and breeders have used it to induce polyploidy in Cannabis. However, colchicine is poisonous, so special care is exercised by the breeder in any use of it. Many clandestine cultivators have started polyploid strains with colchicine. Except for changes in leaf shape and phyllotaxy, no out standing characteristics have developed in these strains and potency seems unaffected. However, none of the strains have been examined to determine if they are actually polyploid or if they were merely treated with colchicine to no effect. Seed treatment is the most effective and safest way to apply colchicine. * In this way, the entire plant growing from a colchicine-treated seed could be polyploid and if any colchicine exists at the end of the growing season the amount would be infinitesimal. Colchicine is nearly always lethal to Cannabis seeds, and in the treatment there is a very fine line between polyploidy and death. In other words, if 100 viable seeds are treated with colchicine and 40 of them germinate it is unlikely that the treatment induced polyploidy in any of the survivors. On the other hand, if 1,000 viable treated seeds give rise to 3 seedlings, the chances are better that they are polyploid since the treatment killed all of the seeds but those three. It is still necessary to determine if the offspring are actually polyploid by microscopic examination.

The work of Menzel (1964) presents us with a crude map of the chromosomes of Cannabis, Chromosomes 2-6 and 9 are distinguished by the length of each arm. Chromosome 1 is distinguished by a large knob on one end and a dark chromomere 1 micron from the knob. Chromosome 7 is extremely short and dense, and chromosome 8 is assumed to be the sex chromosome. In the future, chromosome *The word "safest" is used here as a relative term. Coichicine has received recent media attention as a dangerous poison and while these accounts are probably a bit too lurid, the real dangers of exposure to coichicine have not been fully researched. The possibility of bodily harm exists and this is multiplied when breeders inexperienced in handling toxins use colchicine. Seed treatment might be safer than spraying a grown plant but the safest method of all is to not use colchicine. mapping will enable us to picture the location of the genes influencing the phenotype of Cannabis. This will enable geneticists to determine and manipulate the important characteristics contained in the gene pool. For each trait the number of genes in control will be known, which chromosomes carry them, and where they are located along those chromosomes.

And here is a link to the original thread on ICMag where this clipping was taken from.
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=53476&highlight=polyploid

It's a shame OG isn't around anymore. There were numerous discussions on this, and I had read most of them.

 

Ummm who are you rep to Useless?

 

This is a discussion UBB and I have been having. T.A. and myself didn't want to clutter UBB's grow thread.


However, the phrasing I used was directed at everyone, not just UBB. I think this is a very interesting topic, and deserves further discussion.


Hence the thread dedicated to it. I would like everyone that has any knowledge about the subject to join in the discussion.

 

Oh yeah ... Great subject.


I assumed if it has three branches it's a polyploidy....


I do have that book and I had a plant with three branches once..


When it matured and went alternating nodes, then the three branches stopped.

 

Any one have a photo? That would be cool.

 

Center soil block.

 

lemme get this straight...


...ya' really don't expect some of us here old-schoolers to really understand all that botany jargon...do ya'...hope not...


...I like to keep it simple...seedling, vegetative state, flowering, harvest...I leave the sciences to the scientists...thanks though!


DC:new_scatter:

 

@ DC.


Just saw your reply, too funny as always DC! lol

 

FOOD for thaught!!!Pics you ask? Useless may NOT agree, im NOT sure, WILL ya bro???? hehe Anyway you want a PICTURE of a so called polyploid or tetraploid? Well.here ya's go, this one is a olyploid plant, the other with 3 leaf coatelydone is NOT a TRUE POLYPLOID plant or seedling at all, but a GREAT way on how to determain the factors it WILL produce iff one sprouts in Your favour and LUCK!!! (Polyploidism) Useless, don't go WILD on ma ass bro....lmao:laughing5: Numb #1 is a TRUE PLOYPLOID and NUMB #2 is a PIC of a Lookalike POLYPLOID (An EXAMPLE of how one might just look, iff ones lucky enough to come across one), that is actually called a Triploid(meaning THREE LEAVED PLOYPLOIDISM) NOT a REAL TRUE polyploid, though in #2 pic, Just an example of what it would look like iff it was one at first glance/Look/Appearance!!!I mean it Useless my man...."DONT"....lmfao:laughing5: :eusa_shifty: :laughing5: :icon_confused: PICTURES 1 ans 2: (These pictures are what they "could well look like" as POLYPLOIDS (Which could be a Trip-loid (Meaning Three Leafed) or Tetra-Ploid (Meaning Four Leafed) and you also get higher counts on the Coatelydones on POLYPLOIDS too!





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Not gonna go saxon on ya UBB. LOL


But those are prime examples of whorlled phylotoxy, not polyploids. Not triploid or tetraploid, just whorlled phylotoxy.





Cheers mate....

 

Does one effect the yeild more than another?

 

Could this just Very well be???lolI know brotha, but are ya wanting to see the extra TRUE first leaves and Branching that set out after the 1st POLYPLOID EXAMPLE of what 1 may look like if one came across one???? Here's a prime "example" of one then.....Maturity on a plolyploid then: lol MINE: (hehe) TRue POLY this 1,What ya think Useless??? P.S, Notice the Extra Branching like yav never seen on one, this SWAZZIREDBEARD!!! :sign13: True IMO! hehe POLY i More MATURE detailed picture:(Lemme know what ya think Useless me friend!!!











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Nice pics of whorlled phylotoxy UBB! Quintessential example.


Can't say that it is a polyploid without genetic mapping.


Blunt- Tri-foliate or tetra-foliate whorlled phylotoxy has more branches per leave set, so an increase in yield should be expected. Marijuana is a biploid plant, but studies have shown that a true triploid is inferior to a diploid of the same strain. A tetraploid has shown to be superior to the biploid.

 

EXACTLY my friend, hence this post!!!

Thats is for sure, though the POLY example or the RI-FOLIATE example (good ones though) were mapped in the sence of using an extremely powerfull miscroscope, that ONLY one friewnd i know knows how to MAP and all that is a GUY i went to school with and has a MASTERS and BSE n shit in BIOLOGY and CHEMISTRY,lmao,HONESTLY Useless, but thats not the point, im meaning that when i saw this i was TOLD by him, that the number of cell chromosones in the genome were doubling , i had no clue to what he meant to this untill of recent years(last 2), but he was refering to One LIL TINY look through HIS micro, just to tell me ive got a seed that will work, well had the perfect chromosone count iff needed that info, JUST so i knew,for a FACT, that one of these SWAZZI seeds was going to pop or be GOOD enough, and he did check it, considering we were all there...


It would grow as it was BRAUGHT back from swazziland itself by two of mt other schooling friends, that gave me my SWAZZI seeds... Thats wy i wanted it checked to, since we were there, as he knew and has all this stuff to this very day I think, as its been about 7 months since seeing him, though, for him just to let me know it ws going to GROW, was good enough for me at the time,but when he said HAS DOUBLED in genome, BAssically telling me, that i had a PLYPLOID in itself, which turned male, as he ALSO did say it would be a high rate of MALE to FEMALE , almost 90 precent MALE....


Just for the record, since you did ask me wayy back and earlier too, in this post or mine elsewhere, i cant reallt remember, but this is the 1st time ive had contact with this particual forum in a lil while, as my seeds were all fuckin me about!!!


But hoipe you may understand where im comin from now, and where i getting that i thaght id had a POLOYPLOID plant/SEEDling, when he killed the other off to do this i was like...:icon_confused: :evil4: "ya BASTARD",lmao, but he knew what he was doing,lol, (I didnt know that though!..:laughing5: ) considering the amount my man had in quantity of seeds strait from SWAZZILAND- South Africa


Peace Out n Lemme know what ya think now,


I really dont have any other good examples , even of the latest one up on the screen, as i said, it was a MALE so i was MAD as hell, and threw it out, as one does, when the generally se a MALE mofoka!!!:evil4: :icon_confused: lol


Peace Out,


N MUCH RESPECT to you Useless my friend,


UBB....... :sign13:

 

this by far is the most interesting thread ive ever read..........i cant wait to see how your plant finishes ubb.

 

POLY'S again........

EXACTLY.....lol, YOU CANT say anything toward the stern "FACT" that my friend in the chemistry Buisness part of the TOY SOLDIER'S,lol, is a flippin chemisty Genious, and TA even knows who im meaning, he preobably NOT thaught of HIM yet though, but YOU DO know him TA too! (Well you at least know who he is....:sign13: )


It was mappd , thats what ive been tellin ya, but ya alway's wanted proof, now, to be honest, i cant give you Biologically proven Treatment pictures or print out results to this matter, but what i CAN offer you , and all other's, is ANY pics that i do get from now on In the FUTURE, and il go with my seeds and seedlings to fing a GENETYICALLY enhanced or TRUE POLYPLOID, and show you the MAping on Print out, thats the BEST i CAN do for you AB my good friend!!!


Apart from that peep's, u'l just have to TAKE my WORD for it for now, or DONT!:sign13:


So, when i get ahold of him , i'l ask him iff he has any on record from when he mapped out this specific GENETICALLY proven POLYPLOD,(ONLY the one, that he MApped outta approxx ONLY 30-40 SWAZZI RED BEARD seeds (The ones from SA) :sign13:


Il Do my BEST on this one AB and maybe, just maybe, we CAN have our own lil Proven POLY up on the Board's to show all who are interested in this possibly becoming a thread that will be chosen to be looked at in the STICKY region of the GK forums!!!


"Who Know's ...eh"???


Here's hoping he still has it.......


Peace Out all,


UrBigBuddie....... :thumbsup:

 

A DNA strand is mapped by using an electron microscope.


UBB, in all of our discussions this is the first you mentioned that you had the DNA mapped . If that is the case, congratulations!


I would love to see the print out / data sheet of the mapping if there is anyway you can get a copy. That would be a great visual to help others understand what we are talking about.