[INTERVIEW] What are the real benefits of Royal Queen Seeds' F1 cannabis hybrids?

The first communication on F1 hybrids from Royal Queen Seeds has caused quite a stir on Newsweed. So we contacted RQS to find out more.

Can you explain once again why this is an innovation?

F1 cannabis hybrids are an innovation, because for the first time they enable the grower to obtain a totally uniform crop from seed, instead of using cuttings. F1 hybrid seeds are the result of crossing two different pure line parents (IBL) and developed within the framework of a professional breeding program.

These lines are the fruit of plant selection and the process of creating a pure line over several generations. With an IBL, all plants are uniform and stable. When two genetically different IBLs are crossed, the result is an F1 hybrid, i.e. a batch of uniform plants with stable characteristics. What's more, F1 hybrids exhibit heterosis (or hybrid vigor), giving rise to taller, stronger and more resistant plants.

What's different about the old seeds?

Older seeds are well-known and widely available varieties in the cannabis industry. Cannabis strains are the result of a short breeding program. Sometimes this process is longer and more complex; however, in most cases, the result is a batch of plants with segregated characteristics.

Unlike F1 hybrids, there is no development of pure lines. Consequently, when parents are crossed, there are always variations in the resulting strain. Cannabis strains are always valuable and generally give good results. However, their uniformity and stability are low, making it difficult for growers to obtain a standardized product.

Other seed banks already offer F1s. What's the difference?

It's true! There are a few other seed banks that claim to sell F1s. The main difference between ours and theirs is that ours come from pure lines. When other companies claim to create F1s, they do so by crossing two different varieties at the same time: so there's no IBL.

With our F1 hybrids, we spend many generations self-pollinating to achieve a high level of homozygosity. We then carry out general tests of combining ability, and select the best F1 hybrid. This selection process takes around 4-5 years to produce a uniform variety.

We understand that other companies market F1 hybrids, but these are not true F1 hybrids, since they do not use IBL during the crossing process.

Is it difficult to sell F1 seeds? Are they really stable?

The cannabis industry has welcomed F1 hybrids with open arms. Breeding F1 hybrids is a difficult task, requiring 4-5 years of professional selection in the hands of biologists, geneticists and agronomists. What's more, compared with the creation of a traditional variety, it requires more knowledge, space and infrastructure.

Even so, the most difficult task is to make growers understand how we create our F1 hybrids and the advantages they offer over traditional seeds. Thanks to this lengthy and professional process, our F1 hybrids have unrivalled uniformity and stability.

Can you give us some tips on how to make the most of it?

Exactly! The new F1 autoflowering hybrids require specific growing conditions to guarantee optimum performance. These conditions include maintaining a constant temperature of 30°C during the day and 22°C at night, as well as humidity of 50-70 % during the vegetative phase and 40-60 % during the flowering phase.

In addition, F1 hybrids require a light cycle of 16-20 h per day with a PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) of 600-800 µmol/m²/s and a pot size of 8-11 l with a maximum size of 20 l. By providing these specific growing conditions, you can guarantee that your F1 autoflowering hybrids will flourish and produce high yields.

How long have you been conducting research?

The development of Royal Queen Seeds' F1 hybrids began in 2016, when the bank launched its breeding program to produce pure line parents (IBLs). Later, in 2019, RQS obtained homogeneous IBLs with exceptional growth characteristics to create the first true F1 cannabis hybrids: seeds that promise to revolutionize the cannabis industry. Since then, we have continued to select and improve the quality of our F1 hybrids.

What are the advantages of F1 hybrids?

One of the main advantages is that F1 hybrid seeds give rise to uniform plants with stable characteristics. What's more, because of heterosis, F1 hybrids grow faster. Some varieties are ready in just 60 days from germination to harvest. F1 hybrids are also more resistant to adverse conditions.

On the other hand, we carried out tests comparing F1 hybrids with traditional varieties and the former produce more cannabinoids and a doubled yield of buds in comparison. Now, the grower can predict and repeat the results he likes without keeping mother plants.

Finally, F1 hybrids are a proven method for selecting specific traits, including resistance, cannabinoids, terpenes and other agronomic characteristics.