CANNABIS SATIVA: AUTO FLOWERING AND HYBRID STRAINS

This review paper highlights and discussed about Cannabis autoflowering and hybrid strains. Many Cannabis cultivars are obtained by crossing plants from commonly considered subspecies Cannabis sativa, and Cannabis indica, native of Indian origin are used to produce new varieties suitable for different uses, such as fiber, oil, medical drug, and recreational applications. There are more than 750 strains of recreational Cannabis, the most with colourful names. Some are strains of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis ruderalis subspecies are crossbred hybrids. The hybrid strains can be named in a variety of ways. Smell or lineage are common ways of naming. Afghan Kush, Hindu Kush, Green Kush, and Purple Kush are all pure Cannabis indica strains. Cannabis ruderalis contains very low levels of Δ9- tetrahyocannabinol. Cannabis ruderalis flowers as a result of age, not light conditions, which is called autoflowering. It is principally used in hybrids, to enable the hybrid to have the autoflowering property. The locus responsible for the “autoflower” trait (Autoflower1), as well as a major effect flowering time locus, Early1, were mapped using bulked Segregant Analysis. Autoflowering plants offer the benefit of quicker harvest but they yield half as much flower per unit area as photoperiod-sensitive plants. It may be possible to complete two crop cycles per growing season using autoflowering plants. However, the second crop will be affected by the same problems that affect late-harvest photoperiod-sensitive plants. Another limitation of autoflowering plants is precocious flowering in response to transplant stress, which can significantly reduced yield potential.