Higher yields, better resistance to diseases, and improved stress tolerance in agricultural crops can be achieved effectively with DNA sequencing or mapping.
Cannabis breeding with the application of DNA sequencing could be the key to revolutionizing the cannabis industry worldwide. Israeli researchers are focused on conducting in-depth research on the application of genome mapping to cannabis strains. The main objective of this research is to develop improved stations of cannabis plants.
DNA sequencing establishes access to the genetic blueprint of a plant's variety. When this experiment has been perfected, developed countries will have little or no use for information about leaf shapes or stem heights, nor will they have any reason to dwell on the word of seed banks—having the genetic fingerprint if a play reduces misconceptions and limits the risk of having cannabis strains with unfavorable characteristics. Keep reading to find out what DNA Sequencing has in store for the cannabis industry.
Cannabis DNA Sequencing in Israel
Researchers in Israel are particularly drawn to research cannabis and its compounds. They were the first to identify the THC molecules successfully and other important features of the endocannabinoid system, as well as how they all combine to produce reactions when ingested.
The attention of these scientists has been drawn to game-changing concepts that can potentially increase the yield and quality of cannabis strains. These concepts include research on how terpenes could treat lung inflammations and discovering the benefits of combining cannabinoids with medicinal mushrooms to manage specific diseases.
The concept relevant to this article is the creation of biometric markers for wide varieties of cannabis to ensure medical and recreational users are adequately satisfied. Cannabis Sequencing is a groundbreaking tech that is being worked on by Tikun Olam Cannbit and the Plant Metabolism Laboratory, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute. These bodies are pioneering cannabis companies in Israel that are the most equipped to explore this technology.
The MIGAL institute recently developed an in-house system for this research. On the other hand, Tikun Olam Cannbit is working on expanding its operations to give labs and institutes around the world a chance to work with this technology. Once this research is scaled up, growers, breeders, and researchers can easily access or acquire the sequencing technology of local strains or varieties.
According to Asaf Salmon, a geneticist, a plant's identity can be determined by its unique DNA. There is no better reliable, independent, or statistically accurate identifier that can be used to classify a plant than its DNA blueprint biologically. The researchers are still accepting samples of cannabis strains from parties willing to volunteer. Once a sample is received, the institute performs its CGF analysis and documents the results.
What This Means for Breeders
Breeders have relied on qualitative data for many years and have created great strains of cannabis in the process. Before the widespread prohibition of cannabis in the early 1900s, breeders developed high-quality breeds despite the minimal innovations in the field. Once the prohibition was in full effect, the majority of cultivators across the world packed up, while the remaining few went underground. These breeders used visual and sensory tools to judge strains based on their shape, yield, taste, and psychotropic effects. What they did was that they created dozens of strains and kept only the varieties with the best traits for crossbreeding purposes. This technique, though effective, is not the most efficient.
To have a cannabis industry worth billions of dollars, key players worldwide have to invest time, money, and skills into the venture. The best approach to this is a quantitative one. In a few years, cannabis products may not be identified in stores as Sativa or Indica strains; there would be a more accurate and efficient labeling method. Cannabis science is about to bring the industry into a utopia of detailed photochemical profiles and the mapping of genomes in the breeding niche.
Breeders have discovered the specific genes that can potentially influence a strain's phytochemical properties. They categorically state which genes provide the psychotropic effect in THC. With genetic sequencing, more improvements can be made to establish the photochemical profiles of very young plants, at least at the seedling phase. Genome mapping of local weed varieties will allow breeders to produce plants that are highly rich in other cannabinoid compounds, not necessarily CBD or THC.
Challenges of Genetic Sequencing in Cannabis Strains
Identification of cannabis strains can be extremely difficult!
The current naming and grouping system classified strain names and their effects separately from the taxonomic system. The name of a strain does not give a detailed profile of the phytochemicals within the cultivar. All these tend to cause a false sense of uniqueness in the market, whereas most products are similar in nature.
It would be best if strains are classified as either chemovars or chemotypes. They can also be classified based on the dominant cannabinoids or terpenes within them. This way, researchers will be well guided while carrying out genomics research. Consumers will also be able to identify the strains that elicit the specific effects they need.
Big Changes for Medical Cannabis Research
Thanks to the sweeping legalization of cannabis across countries globally, scientists can now be sure of a more profound understanding of the drug and its effects on man medically. With CDF data, scientists can get background information on the materials they are working with. They will also be able to suggest quality and diverse ways to improve the samples provided, not to mention that a bunch of relevant data will be compiled on the various ways the different strain samples can impact a population, either negatively or positively.
Bottom Line
DNA Sequencing has given breeders and growers a means to select and breed only premium cultivars that guarantee quality yields and high resistance to pests and diseases.Genomics is the next big thing for cannabis plants and every other agricultural crop in the world. Rather than depend on marketing hype or word of mouth, the cannabis industry would show proof of its premium products thanks to the genetic sequencing of a strain.
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