2020/01/11 by Jacob A. Toth, George M. Stack, Ali R. Cala +8 · 126 citations
Medicine · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research #Cassava research and cyanide #Plant Parasitism and Resistance #Cannabidiol #Biology #Cannabinoid #Cannabis sativa #Germplasm #Chemotype #Cannabis #Plant reproductive morphology #Crop #Biotechnology #Botany #Horticulture #Agronomy #Genetics #Essential oil #Medicine
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/gcbb.12667
published in GCB Bioenergy 12(3), 213-222 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2020/01/11 · openalex created_date 2020/01/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/10
Abstract Hemp ( Cannabis sativa L.) is an emerging dioecious crop grown primarily for grain, fiber, and cannabinoids. There is good evidence for medicinal benefits of the most abundant cannabinoid in hemp, cannabidiol (CBD). For CBD production, female plants producing CBD but not tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are desired. We developed and validated high‐throughput PACE (PCR Allele Competitive Extension) assays for C. sativa plant sex and cannabinoid chemotype. The sex assay was validated across a wide range of germplasm and resolved male plants from female and monoecious plants. The cannabinoid chemotype assay revealed segregation in hemp populations, and resolved plants producing predominantly THC, predominantly CBD, and roughly equal amounts of THC and CBD. Cultivar populations that were thought to be stabilized for CBD production were found to be segregating phenotypically and genotypically. Many plants predominantly producing CBD accumulated more than the current US legal limit of 0.3% THC by dry weight. These assays and data provide potentially useful tools for breeding and early selection of hemp.