By Luke Sumpter Reviewed by: Andreu Francés

What are F1 Hybrid Cannabis Seeds? How do they compare to other strains? And what makes them revolutionary within the world of weed? Below, you'll find out exactly how they're made, what benefits they offer, and why most growers likely won't go back to conventional strains after trying F1 hybrid cultivars.


What Are F1 Hybrid Cannabis Seeds?

F1 hybrid cannabis seeds are created by crossing two different inbred parent lines obtained through generations of inbreeding. As a result, these varieties are more uniform than traditional cannabis strains, more resistant to unfavorable conditions, and produce larger yields. The term “F1” stands for “Filial 1”, which describes the first generation of progeny between two distinct inbred lines (IBLs). Unlike traditional cannabis strains, which tend to generate multiple phenotypes, F1 hybrids provide a consistent, reliable, and stable crop. The terms below will help you further understand the concept of F1 cannabis hybrids.

Homozygosity and Heterozygosity

Heterozygosity and homozygosity

Homozygosity and heterozygosity are important concepts for understanding the genetic composition of IBLs and F1 hybrid seeds. Homozygosity refers to the condition in which an organism has two identical copies of a particular gene, one inherited from each parent. In contrast, heterozygosity refers to the condition in which an organism has two different copies of a particular gene, one from each parent. IBLs are created by self-pollinating plants to produce offspring that are highly homozygous for many traits. On the other hand, F1 hybrid seeds are produced by crossing two genetically distinct IBLs, resulting in offspring that are heterozygous for many traits.

Heterozygosity results in increased genetic diversity and thus greater vigour, which is why F1 hybrid seeds are used in agriculture.

For example, when crossing an IBL with green color and another IBL with purple color, the F1 hybrid will inherit two different copies of a gene, one for green (higher chlorophyll expression) and the other for purple (higher anthocyanin expression). Therefore, these plants will be heterozygous for this gene, which means they contain two different copies, one green and another purple.

Since the purple color is recessive, all F1 hybrid plants will show green color. When a heterozygous plant is self-pollinated, the resulting plants will be unstable because some will inherit two copies of green color (green plants), others will inherit one copy of each color (green plants), and others will inherit two copies of purple color (purple plants).

Inbreeding Depression and Hybrid Vigor (Heterosis)

Heterosis

Although the process of inbreeding produces highly consistent and stable inbred lines, it eventually results in inbreeding depression. This phenomenon occurs because of the accumulation of deleterious genes, which can reduce crop vitality, performance, and resistance.

However, crossing plants from two different IBLs can reverse inbreeding depression and the progeny will show hybrid vigour (or heterosis). This phenomenon arises due to the combination of different gene copies from the parental lines, resulting in the masking of deleterious genes and enhancing desirable traits. Hybrid vigour makes the plants bigger, stronger, and more resistant.

How F1 Hybrid Seeds Are Created

The beginning of F1 hybrid breeding process starts with defining the ideotype, which means defining the characteristics that are intended to be obtained in the new variety. The breeding program comprises three main phases: parent selection, IBL development, and F1 hybrid testing.

Parent selection focuses on finding the starting genetics where the desired characteristics must be present; you can only optimize traits in the progeny that already exist in the parents. From here, breeders will spend most of the breeding process selecting and fixing the desired traits in the parent IBLs and subsequently in the F1 hybrids.

Ultimately, not all IBLs combine well with each other, so it is necessary to make numerous crosses between them to find the best combination and, therefore, the best F1 hybrid.

For example, a breeder might initiate a breeding program with the goal of obtaining a variety with high THC content and flower yield. For this purpose, they will collect commercial strains showing good potential for THC content and flower yield. When the program starts, the breeder will observe variations among the plants; some of them will produce higher THC content, and others lower THC content.

The breeder will selectively choose those plants with higher THC to obtain seeds for the next generation. This process is done for many generations until a uniform and stable IBL with high THC is obtained. At the same time, breeders do the same process with other starting materials to produce an IBL with a high flower yield.

Of course, many more characteristics will be considered, such as terpene, plant structure, or resistance to certain pests and diseases. However, this is an oversimplified example. Finally, when the breeder has developed some IBLs with the fixed traits of interest, the IBLs are crossed with each other to find a good F1 hybrid showing high THC and flower yield.

How are F1 Seeds Created?

Where Are The Limits of F1 Hybrid Breeding?

F1 hybrid cannabis varieties are the most advanced genetics available to growers; nothing else rivals their potency, productivity, and uniformity. F1 Hybrid is the proven method for improving specific traits, including resistances, cannabinoids, terpenes, flowering periods, trichome densities, and other agronomic traits. However, there are limitations when creating these varieties.

Breeders won't be able to create a new F1 hybrid with characteristics that are biologically not possible, such as wacky colors that aren't currently found in cannabis, or outrageously high THC and terpene quantities that plants simply aren't capable of biosynthesizing.

Furthermore, while breeders can enhance the adaptability of cannabis plants to various environmental conditions, it should be noted that plants cannot thrive in conditions that fall outside of their natural range, such as extreme temperature or humidity.

F1 Hybrid Seeds vs Traditional Strains

If you are a cannabis grower who frequently visits online seed banks to procure seeds, you've probably come across the term "hybrid" before. You've likely also come across breeders who tag their strains as F1, F2, F3, and so on. While these strains are called "hybrids" or "F1", they are genetically much different than true F1 hybrids from Royal Queen Seeds. The main difference is based on the fact that none of them derive from the crossing of two inbred lines, but from unstable parents, which makes them cannabis strains.

F1 hybrid cannabis seeds guarantee superior performance and unparalleled uniformity with stable traits, ensuring that every seed you sow will develop into almost identical phenotypes that share the same size, structure, growth, and phytochemical profile. This is entirely expected since breeding F1 hybrids requires 4 to 5 years of professional breeding done by skilled and experienced scientists. Furthermore, F1 hybrid seeds benefit from hybrid vigour, giving rise to stronger plants since they are produced from inbred lines with a high degree of homozygosity.

In contrast, traditional strains tend to display a wider range of variation, sometimes being unpredictable. While it is true that plants grown from the same parents share a common genetic background, each individual phenotype is unique and may exhibit distinct characteristics. This is because the process of breeding traditional strains typically takes around 1 year, which is considerably short. Additionally, it is worth noting that traditional strains do not exhibit the same level of hybrid vigour as F1 hybrids, which can result in plants that are less robust and may be more susceptible to stress factors.

Check out the key differences between F1 hybrid cannabis seeds and traditional strains below:




Cross of 2 unstabilised strains/lines
Non-uniform varieties with trait segregation
Multiple phenotypes
< 1 year (depending)
Passionate Cannabis Growers
Not significant
Present from time ago
Parents
Parents
Uniformity
Uniformity
Phenotypes
Phenotypes
Time to Breed
Time to Breed
Breeders
Breeders
Heterosis Effect
Heterosis Effect
Availability
Availability
Cross of 2 IBLs (or pure lines)
Uniform varieties with stable traits
Only 1 phenotype
4-5 years
Biologists, geneticists, agronomists
Highly present
Recently available
F1 Hybrid
Strains

Benefits of F1 Hybrids for Home Growers

Professional horticulturalists, farmers, and hobby vegetable growers have had access to F1 hybrid crops for decades. Next time you step into a supermarket, take a second to notice how uniform all of the tomatoes, carrots, watermelons, and squashes look. They’re all F1 hybrids! Why? Because it makes sense for growers to cultivate the most uniform, resistant, and productive plants possible.

Before the advent of F1 crops, growers had to settle for unstable and unproductive cultivars or genetically stable heirloom varieties that didn’t present valuable traits for growers.

✅ The Benefits of F1 Hybrids

Now, cannabis home growers can also benefit from the use of F1 hybrid seeds. For most growers, opting for F1 hybrid genetics is a no-brainer for many reasons.

One of the main benefits is that F1 hybrid seeds will give rise to uniform plants with stable traits. As a consequence of heterosis, F1 Hybrids show faster growth. Some varieties can be ready from the germination stage to the harvest point in only 60 days.

Moreover, F1 Hybrids show greater resistance to adverse environmental conditions and are better equipped to tolerate stress, making cultivation easier for growers. As proof of professional breeding work, F1 hybrids seeds will produce on average plants with a higher level of cannabinoids and greater flower yield compared to the traditional strains.

❎ The Downsides of F1 Hybrids

White F1 hybrid seeds are the preferred choice in the market; however, they do have several downsides. Many home growers prefer to sow and grow traditional strains as they offer greater variation, enabling them to pheno hunt and conserve the best phenotypes from their crop.

Moreover, growers can't save seeds from F1 hybrid plants as they simply don't grow true to type and will start to express high genetic variability in the F0.1 ozeneration.


F1 Hybrid Cannabis Seeds: The Final Frontier

Farmers and gardeners have used F1 hybrid genetics to obtain better harvests for years. The introduction of these genetics into the world of weed means growers now have a whole new set of varieties to choose from.

Add these seeds to your arsenal, grow them out, and see for yourself just how F1 hybrids compare to traditional strains.

Buy F1 Hybrids

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: