best smelling strains
The Evolution of the Cannabis Market: From Pheno Hunting to Chemo Hunting
The cannabis market is constantly evolving, with new varieties emerging all the time. This is thanks to the art of pheno hunting, where breeders selectively breed parent strains to create unique offspring with desirable traits. But with advancements in cannabis science, pheno hunting is taking on a new form: chemo hunting. This involves exploring and quantifying the diverse aromatic compounds in cannabis, ushering in a new era of breeding for unique scents.
The Art of Pheno Hunting: Traditional Breeding Techniques
In the world of cannabis breeding, pheno hunting is the tried and true method for creating new cultivars. Breeders cross two desirable varieties and evaluate the resulting plants based on observable traits such as bud color, plant size, leaf shape, and aroma. This process of identifying distinctive varieties, or phenotypes, based on their physical and olfactory characteristics is known as pheno hunting.
But as the cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, pheno hunting is no longer just an art form. It is becoming a scientific journey of aroma exploration and quantification, thanks to companies like Abstrax Tech.
Beyond Terpenes: The Complex World of Cannabis Aroma
When it comes to cannabis aroma, most people think of terpenes. These are the compounds responsible for the unique scents of different strains, with testing labs reporting anywhere from three to twenty terpenes present in a plant. However, terpenes are just one piece of the puzzle.
According to Abstrax Tech, a leading cannabis science company, a plant’s aroma is actually a diverse blend of compounds including terpenes and other small organic molecules. These compounds, known as flavorants, are responsible for the more complex scents found in exotic varieties, such as gassy, skunky, poopy, or tropical notes. Flavorants are a unique class of aromatic molecules that contribute significantly to cannabis’s overall aroma, making it more than just a simple terpene profile.
Think of terpenes as the base of a scent, while flavorants add the unique notes that make a strain stand out and entice you to take a second sniff.
Research: Exploring Aroma Inheritance
Abstrax Tech’s research has shed new light on flavorants and how they are inherited from parent plants to offspring. In a recent study, researchers cultivated a strain called Starburst 36, known for its complex sweet aroma, to determine how the smell is distributed in the next generation.
The resulting plants were grown from seed, and the final product, ice hash rosin, was analyzed for its chemistry. A panel of individuals was also presented with the hash to describe and rate the smells. This is an important step, as the human nose is able to pick up on flavorant molecules that routine testing labs cannot detect. As they say in the cannabis world, “the nose knows.”
With this new understanding of flavorants and their inheritance, breeders can now use chemo hunting to create new and unique cultivars with complex and enticing aromas. So next time you’re on the hunt for the best smelling strain, trust your nose and remember the power of chemo hunting.
