TRIPLOID Strains Cannabis Seeds

How triploid cannabis gets made

Triploid seeds start life when breeders treat normal diploid plants with natural chemicals like colchicine, which comes from the autumn crocus flower, or oryzalin.

These chemicals mess with cell division so the cells hang onto an extra set of chromosomes without splitting properly, creating tetraploid parent plants. 

Crossing one of those with a standard diploid gives strains that carry three chromosome sets, two from the tetraploid mum or dad and one from the diploid.

Scientists at Oregon CBD fine-tuned this by using flow cytometry to check which treated tissue had doubled its genome size, and Trilogene Seeds became the first to sell triploid THCa seeds commercially.

Humboldt Seed Company followed up with strains like OG Triploid and Donutz Triploid, proving the method works on a bigger scale.

It's not genetic modification, there's no foreign DNA or gene editing involved, just nudging natural cell processes. The same trick's been used since the early 1900s in grapes, hops, and citrus, and cannabis is only catching up now.

Triploids can also pop up naturally, though it's rare, about one in every two hundred, when chromosomes get a bit muddled during cell division on their own.

Seedless flowers and sterility

Triploid plants are sterile or close to it, so they make few to no seeds even if pollen lands on them. That odd number of chromosome sets throws a spanner in the works during reproduction, stopping viable seeds from forming and giving 99% seedless harvests. 

Unlike feminised seeds, which can still make seeds if they get pollinated, triploid genetics shut down accidental pollination completely, protecting crops from rogue males, hermaphrodites, or wild hemp drifting in. 

Triploid plants can't make fertile pollen or seeds, meaning collectors end up relying on seed companies to source them. On the flip side, sterility locks in strain purity and genetic stability, so plants are uniform with consistent traits across every cycle.

Cannabinoids and terpenes

Early research hints that triploid varieties might pump out 30% to 50% more terpenes than conventional diploid cannabis, and tetraploid already show stronger aromas and louder scent profiles.

Triploid often look frostier, packed with more resin that's loaded with cannabinoids and terpenes, and the trichomes tend to have taller stalks and denser clusters, though no one's quite sure why yet.

Some strains really stand out. OG Triploid from Humboldt Seed Company hits THC levels between 30% and 34%, while Sour Bremix 3n and Sour Magic 3n from Trilogene Seeds are THC-heavy hybrids bred from Sour Punch crossed with Bremix 4n parents.

Ultra Pink 3N triploid CBD seeds, made from Ultra Violet crossed with Cats Meow, clock in at around 8.1% CBD and just 0.18% THC, giving a potential CBD-to-THC ratio of 36:1. 

Studies comparing polyploid and diploid cannabis have found higher cannabinoid concentrations in triploid varieties, and some research suggests cannabinoid levels in triploid plants hold steady even at saturation, unlike traditional diploid genetics.

Triploid plants also show higher levels of minor cannabinoids and terpenes, opening doors for new breeding projects and flavour profiles.

OG Triploid brings gas, earth, and citrus terpene notes with the boosted aromatic punch that's typical of triploid expression, and the overall chemical richness adds up to more interesting sensory experiences for collectors who love diverse genetic expressions.

Growth traits and market shake-up

Triploid plants grow much bigger than diploid ones, with larger leaves, longer stems, and more overall biomass. They shoot up faster in the vegetative phase, squeezing the whole seed-to-harvest timeline compared to standard diploid varieties. 

Triploid varieties also show stronger disease resistance, more vigour, and better tolerance to pests and mould, with some studies pointing to natural pest resistance and improved drought tolerance, possibly down to deeper and more extensive root systems.