Fasciation in Cannabis Plants and Polyploidy
FASCIATION IN CANNABIS PLANTS AND POLYPLOIDY
One common misconception we hear from growers is when they refer to fasciated plants as polyploids or triploids. This general belief has swept over forums and chats online but it has no basis in truth.
Fasciation is a plant mutation that is visible on stems and flowers of cannabis plants. The stem grows very wide, flattened and elongated. It can appear multiple stems put together, and same for the flower. You can see examples in the video above from one of our R&D fields in 2020.
It generally only effects a few branches and is relatively rare - but we found a huge population in one of our CBDV variety trials.
Fasciation is not proof that a plant is triploid or polyploid. It is a visible mutation, not a reliable indicator of chromosome count.
In nature, most organisms inherit one complete set of chromosome pairs from each parent, referred to as 2x. Polyploidy refers to organisms that have more than two complete sets of chromosome pairs.
While polyploidy is common in commercial agriculture and does happen naturally, there are no completely obvious visual signs of polyploidy. Aside from traits like often larger fruits and sterility, polyploid crops usually require testing or controlled breeding knowledge to confirm.
Often hexaploid, meaning it can carry six sets of chromosomes.
Can be decaploid, meaning some types can carry ten sets of chromosomes.
Primarily tetraploid, meaning many cultivated potatoes carry four sets of chromosomes.
Usually triploid, which helps create the seedless fruit people know from grocery stores.
Fasciation is not an indication that a plant is a triploid or a polyploid, though it can happen on polyploid plants. The mutation may look cool, but the flowers are often just big fluff balls.
It can be fun to look at, but it is not great for production. Fasciated flowers often mold long before others due to poor airflow and dense, irregular flower structure.
The only way to know whether a cannabis plant is a triploid is by using flow cytometry to analyze plant tissue.
The big fancy machine requires trained experts to run and it ain't cheap. Ask your triploid breeder if they've got a flow machine before you push play on an order. The more you know.
If you are looking for triploid genetics, we've got you covered. They are incredible producers, offer bigger and denser flowers, and are a lot less likely to produce seeds if male pollen is present.