Breeding, Cultivating and Production for Chemovars & Phenotypes

Ethan Russo on goals for breeders. Chemovar and phenotypes for the future.

Breeding Targets

Minor Cannabinoid and Terpene education and why it is important to breed for them
Ethan Russo on education of minor cannabinoids

Breeding for rare cannabinoid and terpene medicine

Science of Plant Genetics
Dale Hunt on valuable science genetic information for the small farmer and breeder.
Dale Hunt on his program The Barefoot Breeder.
Ethan Russo on Food, Fiber, Fuel and Farmacy. Range of flower, seed and root biochemistry and highlighting breeding targets for highly desirable cannabis components that large corporate cannabis is failing to pursue.

Cannabis Breeding: Scope of the Problem
• As a by-product of prohibition, cannabis breeding has been hampered by genetic bottlenecks.
• The result has been a promulgation almost exclusively of high-THC, high-myrcene chemovars.
• This has now extended to high-CBD, high myrcene chemovars.
• Cannabis can be much more biochemically diverse and therapeutic!


Cannabis Genetics Goals
• Further establish biosynthetic pathways of terpenoid synthesis (mono- and sesquiterpenoid) in cannabis
• Research regulatory genes for phytocannabinoid and cannabis terpenoid production
• Ascertain how to turn off certain pathways (e.g., THCA synthase et al.) naturally with no genetic modification or CRISPR technology


Cannabis Breeding Targets & Goals
• CBD-predominant chemovars with little or no THC
• CBD chemovars with little to no myrcene
• CBD with high limonene
• CBD with high linalool
• CBD with high caryophyllene
• Type II plants with balanced THC, CBD and high terpenoids, esp. pinene
CBG-only plant!
• Zero cannabinoid, but high terpenoid plant
• THCV plant with little to no THC
• High CBD, CBDV, linalool and caryophyllene chemovar for epilepsy