Franco's tricks on strain hunting for landraces

This is the nineth article in a series where I present selected tricks and advanced growing techniques. My name is Franco, and I work at Green House Seed Company, in Amsterdam, since the year 2000. Over the last 10 years I have learned from Arjan countless tricks and advanced techniques, and I developed a few of my own as well. And now it’s time to share some of this knowledge with growers worldwide. If we share the knowledge, everybody wins.

Last month I explained some of the best tricks for flowering indoors. This month, I give you...

Franco's tricks on: strain hunting for landraces

Strain hunters are people that cannot stop searching for the best cannabis, everywhe they go. After having spent several years traveling with this exact intention, I think it's time to reveal a few secrets and a few tricks that can make a difference between succeeding and failing.

I started strain hunting as a hobby, without even realizing it, when I started traveling on my own, at the age of 17. Back then I was just a tourist looking for good bud, like many others. But I realise now that my interest for the social, religious, recreational and biological aspects relating to cannabis in different settings was a clear sign of my passion for strain hunting. I started collecting seeds from my travels, and my curiosity kept growing.

Then I begun working with Arjan, and he was already busy strain hunting for a long time. His collection of landrace genetics was most impressive, and since that moment our common passion led to many travels, and much strain hunting. Now strain hunting is a worldwide phenomena, thanks to the internet and to tv.

When arriving in a country with the intention of discovering cannabis strains and landraces, it is always a good idea to have good local contacts in the scene. This is not always possible, of course, but the more preparation is dedicated to creating links, the higher the chances of getting on the right path straight away. It is mportant to read local news, to understand the level of prosecution that law enforcement is applying in the area, being able to target the right areas and to avoid unpleasant surprises. Once the contact with local farmers is made, it is best to go to their fields with trusted and well rewarded local guides. It is always interesting to speak to farmers from different areas, to understand the way they work and why. Ideally, it is best to plan 2 trips to the same country, the first one during the planting season to make good links and the second one just before harvesting begins, to be able to collect seeds and make great pics and footage.

Usually strain hunters look for original landraces of cannabis, those varieties that have been inbreeding in the same location for a long time with little outside intervention. Most of the times these types of plantation are located in the most rural and less tourist areas of third world countries, and it takes a good dose of energy and will to reach them. But the real landraces are becoming increasingly rare, because travelers often exchange cannabis genetics, and local growers try to acquire high-grade famous strains that make them more money on the black market. So even in countries that have been landrace-based for centuries now are starting to produce small-scale high-grade European or American popular strains. In South Africa, Jamaica, Mexico and Thailand local growers are trying to get their hands on cannabis-cup awarded strains, whose names are cited by tourists coming from the four corners of the globe.

In order to identify the history of cannabis in a certain area, it is always best to ask to elderly people, as usually they have more information and more experience. Young growers tend to be more prone to cross their crops or to be growing imported genetics. Old school growers also tend to implement old school agricultural techniques, and they tend to keep old seeds as backup.

Depending on the level of illegality, corruption and prosecution of each individual country it is advisable to keep some cash at hand at all times, and to know the numbers of local embassies and consulates. It can come handy at the least expected moment.

Strain hunting is fun, and it does a lot for the cannabis cause. The more people go strain hunting, the higher is the chance that original landraces are preserved for future generations.

Franco – Green House Seed Co.

This content is copyright of Green House Seed Co. © Green House Seed Co. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.