I have heard this debate on both sides- still confused and would enjoy comments from those with knowledge on this issue. What is the real deal?
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Feminized seeds would serve two benefits IC up front… You would not be cross-pollinating other fields and cannabis growers and you would produce more oils… So I’ve heard… If the energy does not go into seed production. Needless to say you would have no seeds unless your neighbor’s field was not feminized and that pollen cross-pollinated your females.
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As a grower, I prefer non-feminized, photo-dependent cultivars. I find these to be the most resilient and least prone to genetic mutation. Not hating on autos or fems, just a personal preference 
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I edit this post because we did see some really good results in 2019 with feminized hemp seed.
I can’t speak for all fem seed. Out of 50 fem breeders only 1 for us proved it.
The feminization process is a ugly and I do not like it, but when you have really good genetics, you can hit a grand slam in 1 season and have 99.8% with really good fem seed.
We saw 2-3lbs per plant and not even going to say CBD.
For some reason we think the feminization process alters THC production just right to keep it down.
The bonus is with good genetics, CBD goes up along with CBG and CBC= compliant.
Holy smokes fem seed is here and going to be even bigger and more expensive going forward with hemp.
For cannabis THC, in small grows or if you have the ability to grow seedlings, sex, and then flower reg seed phenotype, everything is better. Yield, terps, immunity, quality, better overall. Grow Reg seed for canna THC and Fem seed for hemp CBD.
Kyle M
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Totally disagree with FarmerK
First, this method of feminizing is not exclusive to Cannabis. It even happens in nature. We know exactly what happens when a Y chromosome is removed from the equation. If you’ve grown any modern hybrid cucumbers in recent years, they’re probably mostly feminized with a few regular types mixed in to provide make pollen. They’re far more productive than regular cucumbers because they don’t waste energy making male flowers. In nature, some plant species’ entire reproductive system is based on populations of females and hermaphrodites. This strategy, known as Gynodioecy is found in numerous wild plants, including Virginia strawberry, plantains, and the beet with evolutionary histories spanning hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years! Gynoecious plants can undoubtedly reach, if not exceed, their genetic potential.
The problem is that a lot of feminized seed is produced incorrectly, usually by back-crossing it with itself! This yields an inbred F2 or worse, which is always going to be inferior to the original. Another problem is that a lot of growers figure out how to produce feminized seeds, but they skip the part of learning how to run a breeding program! They release untested strains into the marketplace, lured by the value of this kind of seed. Don’t throw the baby out with bathwater!
While sexed plants can be produced in 30-40 days without lab testing, the resulting plants often need to be coaxed back into vegetative growth and, even if not, will be too large to be planted mechanically. The first factor can delay establishment in the field by weeks. The second factor effects both logistics and economics. How big of an army would you need to plant 50 acres by hand in a reasonable amount of time in a super rural area lacking a reliable labor pool?
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I’d really like to see what your plants look like at planting… I have a system that keeps them from getting root bound through day 35, but by that point they are 18-24" tall, the plugs are too big for mechanical transplanting, and their roots start growing into one another around that point. Other systems grow more slowly, but still get root bound by day 21-35 (depending on plug size), resulting in 10-15% mortality after transplanting.
Also how much labor does it take to ID and cull 2000 males per acre?
Our plugs air prune. We want slight rootbound and use an organic fabric around the plug.
The Transplanter right now can only plant 12" and Itally is going to redesign for 2020 to plant taller seedlings. No one has tried this machine yet in USA. 1st of it’s kind lays drip tape to.
All depends what type of Hemp your are growing and the type of light used,
24" in 35 days? IDK tall skinny plant for fiber or stretching from red light or lack of light?
The guys did a fantastic job with this old chicken coop.
This is for a 20 acre farm and in their 1st year they did 3000lbs per acre. All reg seed.
We have a pretty good sexing process that the guy watering can toss out males so they are gone by planting.
20cents per seed is pretty darn good per 1 pound of seed for 25%CBD genetics.
Fem starts at $1 per seed per pound?
Bottom photo is a standard plug that has already gone anearobic.
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Thanks @FarmerK!
Interesting machine…do they have a multi-row version?
Well 15"-21" is probably more realistic at day 35, that tall because they’re in trays at 15 plants per square ft (32/1020). We don’t normally let them go that long but it’s possible. We normally transplant by day 21-28, right around 10-12" tall. They bush out nicely with a topping at transplanting.
Feminized seeds are expensive… for now. Their price, like everything hemp, is going to fall. I still say that feminized seeds are not inherently worse than regular seeds if produced properly.
Furthermore, feminized seeds are very cheap to produce. Only around 5-10% more than regular seed.
No matter how you frame it, culling males has a cost. Even at just 5 seconds per male, culling 2000 takes almost 3 hours. That amounts to over 50 labor hours for 20 acres. Then there’s added labor moving and loading twice as many flats (or consolidating them prior to planting). I’d guess that a few inevitably get missed and need to be scouted and rogued in August as well?
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Yes 4 row. I can send you all in info.
I understand the fem thing cause farmers are not in position or have greenhouse space in 2019.
However our expirience with fem seed is they suck. Bottom line. Polished turd is what it is.
Why go through all the trouble?
Most of our farms are 5, 10, and 20 acres.
There is no point in having a superior watering syststem with a huge tea brewer for piece of junk fem. My opinion after growing fem and seeing the difference from clone and a reg seed is enough for me not to waste resources on fem again.
It’s possible in 2019 someone will do very well with fem seed and have almost no males and hit gold.
Fem seed should to be started indoors in a controlled environment anyway.
That’s how we roll regardless.
Misting system with built in foliar feeding. Gota have fun doing this right?
There is enough automation on post harvest to pay the help where it counts.
Kyle M
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