Terminator Gene

Discussion in 'Advanced Growing Techniques' started by jamesnb, Nov 26, 2013.

  1. I've heard some breeders are using a "terminator gene" to protect their strains. (The gene causes offspring to be sterile.)
    Are there any breeders or strains that are known to use the terminator gene?
     
  2. What the fuck???? Seriously??? I thought that was only with GM Agriculture Crops produced by Monsanto........ If that shit starts going on with herb, I'm done with this world.....
     
  3. I think most breeders just make sure their bud doesn't have any seeds. You can't make a new plant out of sinsemilla (seedless buds).

    Even if they somehow produced and sold you seeds that did make terminal offspring, you could still clone the original plants for basically forever unless they're auto-flowering.
     
  4. I'm not talking about growers. I'm talking about commercial breeders who are developing starins.
    Yes, I know all about cloning but that's not what I'm asking.
    I saw an interview with a breeder and he mentioned the strain didn't have the terminator gene, implying some strains do. I'm curious if breeders have started doing this.
     
  5. I've never heard an actual grower or breeder talk about terminator genes before, but maybe someone is working on it it somewhere.

    What do you believe would be the purpose of such a gene?
     
  6. http://www3.nd.edu/~chem191/f2.html
    Monsanto owns the technology.
    Mj

    from someplace on something

     
  7. According to that link, "this terminator technology has no agricultural or economic benefits for farmers or consumers. The only motivation is to protect intellectual property rights, according to owners of the technology. They claim that it allows them to be able to recover investments on research, and produce profits from their technology, as planters must re-purchase seeds every year."

    It does nothing except prevent you from making your own seeds. Why would anyone care to go through all the trouble of inserting this gene into cannabis when a grower can easily makes thousands of clones off of one plant for virtually forever?
     
  8. Man if Monsanto is involved fuck that shit.
     
  9. Exactly. If they wanted to protect their strains, why not just cross with ruderalis and feminize...? Only females with a limited amount of time for cloning opportunities.

    I don't know though, on the other hand nothing really surprises me in this world. Just take countermeasures against even the possibility.... Be the resistance... Be one of the ones who makes an effort to preserve natural genetics, while there still are some... Same as people are doing with GM Ag crops.
     
  10. I think it's obvious; to prevent other seed companies (and growers) from ripping off proprietary gentics. Seeds are a lot easier to sell than clones.
    I'm not saying it's a good idea, I'm just asking if it's currently being done. Like I said, in the interview, the breeder just threw it out there like it was common knowledge.
    And yes, Monsanto has had the capability at least since 2007.
     
  11. I think the point is you couldn't clone them. I've heard about many "terminator gene's" dying off after a certain amount of time. Say its 1 year. The plant would start to die at the 1 year mark. Even if at 10 months you took clones those clones would only have the 2 months left. I believe that's how it works with the Monsanto seeds and such. I really hope that's not true though. I'm already quickly losing faith in humanity, if all that stuff with seeds holds up, we're all fucked. 
     
  12. Like I said... No worries, either way... Begin efforts to preserve genetics. Get some shit that you know isn't tainted with that and personally do your part to make sure that true genetics are not destroyed.... I know for a fact that not all strains contain the gene, if any do.

    Again, not unlike purchasing heirloom/Open-Pollinated Soybean/Sweet Corn/Cottonseed etc. from organic companies, producing more seeds from those, and keeping those seeds safe and secure, growing out some every year (or whenever) and maybe tackling a breeding/repro project or two every six months to a year.
     
  13. From the evidence presented, the terminator genes only prevents offspring/seeds from being viable. I don't believe anyone has claimed to produce a gene that causes the plant to die after a certain time or be non-clonable (though that ability is naturally found in auto-flowering strains and no one seems to have a problem with that).
     
  14. Hey, just wanted to drop another message.  Did some reading myself on the topic and I concluded that it's false.  At least it was as of around this time last year.  Will link to sources later on, kind of busy at the moment, but long story short, Media sources (The Huff Post, Some Hawaii News site that I cant recall but will link to later on, etc.)  Released articles wherein the term "GM Cannabis" or other likewise terms were used.  It was used to describe the results of NATURAL methods of selective breeding, resulting in incredibly potent, modern cannabis strains.  The actual term "Genetically Modified" or Genetic Modification, is defined by the introduction and fusion of DNA or a gene from one plant to the DNA of another, creating never-before-seen DNA.  
     
    This is not the case with Cannabis, and since, said media outlets have corrected their usage of the term.
     
    Sources soon  :)
     
  15. Even masantos terminator gene does not last very long..eventually the gene dies out..I personally have bred using ghs genetics..and if anyone can afford to implement a terminator gene Into our gene pool..it would be them. As of now it is not possible for the terminator gene to last more the a few cycles..so no need to worry there. The problem now is the polluting of the gene pools themselves. . Over hybridization is one of the biggest mistake in cannabis cultivation... preserve the gene pools,use landrace !
     
  16. #16 ludachris420, Dec 8, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 8, 2014
    And if the debate is you can not clone them?..one that is false and if by chance they could,housing the mother or father for an alloted amount of time before flowering would cause the gene to die out....facts of terminator genes my friends.
     
  17. This is false as well. Monsanto does not and will not make such a gene.
     
  18. Monsanto does not make a terminator gene. Where did you get that info from? Funny when a lie is spread amongst those who want to believe the lie.
     
  19. Or do you believe the Monsanto page and there claim?..yeah your right. Very funny what people believe!
     

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