XXL Autos: achieved target

Exitable
31 Mar 2017
The primary purpose of an average grower is self-supply, i.e. to fill a bag and have large quantities of good marijuana to smoke. Historically the two complaints for autos are low quality and low quantity. After several years of intense work, Dinafem has significantly improved both factors. Autoflowering strains offer many advantages for growers. In September it rains, and both thieves and the police are aware it is harvest time. If you harvest in August you will avoid rain, botrytis and theft. Growing autos is the safest option in the climates of Northern Europe or Canada. What is more, it is a simple option for home growers who grow their plants indoors, because they only need to fit out a photoperiod area. In recent years, Dinafem has placed special emphasis on high yields. The purpose of the test described below was to demonstrate that its XXL autos, if well grown, produce really uncommon yields, meaning they are ideal for self-supply. Amnesia xxl

Technical conditions

The test was made on regular Dinafem seeds by germinating packets of 10 casually selected seeds, of which the four best specimens were kept for each strain. A total of three grow rooms were used. These rooms were simple, i.e. similar to those that any scrupulous home grower can use. Each room was equipped with 4,400 V lamps, arranged in rows of two. Under each lamp, a tray measuring 240 x 120 m was placed. Ventilation was ensured by a 1,200-m3 air-suction unit fitted with carbon filters, and another air-blowing unit with the same capacity. At the end of each row, horizontal fans were installed right beneath lamps to create a horizontal airflow keeping heat in the upper part of the room. Pots were filled with Canna’s Bio Terra Plus compost. Bio Canna fertilisers were also used, with flood irrigation and controlled pH and EC. A tank was placed under each tray, to minimise the risk of spoiling the whole crop for a pump failure. Every three days, the water-nutrient mixture was renewed. Every week the tank content was changed and EC increased during the blooming period up to a peak value of 1.8. Throughout the blooming period, plants were fed with Bio Flores. The only exception was a watering cycle at day 40 of blooming, in which Canna PK 13/14 was only used for an extra supply of nutrients at the time when it was needed. In line with this bio philosophy, disease prevention was made with predatory insects, specifically Amblyseius Swirskii and Orius Laevigatus. Bubba Kush XXL

Selective pressure and relevant parameters

The project was entrusted to a very cohesive team based on a joint decision-making process – the four project managers had a long experience in cannabis growing. Through their combined knowledge, the abundance of means, the control of all parameters and a lab, results could only be excellent, as was indeed the case in this test crop. Dr Kush observed: “We like to talk about this because we are very happy with the results, after 20 generations of breeding in an 8-year period, with all the downsides of working in an underground market and no legalisation. Seed banks that have embarked on the breeding of autos are so few that they can barely be counted on the fingers of one hand. We carried out this work and wish to claim credit for that. Nobody else has worked so much to improve autos. We germinated tens of thousands of seeds, with large meticulous massal selections. We also run our own laboratory”. Dinafem was often asked what the secret for such good-quality autos was, but Dr Kush replied: “There is no secret. It is simply many years of relentless work and a well-proven team who know exactly what they are looking for in each selection. We were very demanding and concurrently apply very high selective pressure, with controlled parameters – always with the goal of achieving more productive plants that retain the characteristics of each strain and look similar to each other”. Plant breeding is a combination of various factors. In particular, in each generation, breeders focus on traits that need to be fixed, e.g. high yield, homogeneity in the offspring, retaining the taste of each variety, vigour, a solid structure and a rapid germination period without a cold environment. In addition to plant size, general excellence is worth considering, i.e. the presence of abundant resin and clearly defined smells for each specimen. Such tastes as Haze, Cheese, Critical or Bubba Kush have remained well fixed in the auto version. More proof of the high quality of this type of products are the recent awards won in the past few months, such as the Canada Lift Expo and the Highlife Cup. Moby Dick XXL

Conclusions

The test crop was designed to achieve one gram per watt with a 400 W lamp per square metre (4 plants grown in space measuring 1 square metre with each plant yielding 100 g). Results amply validated the initial assumptions, as the target was by far exceeded. A few Moby Dick XXL specimens even weighed 200 g individually. In actual fact, the process of ‘domestication’ of autos has just started. These plants are now beginning to show us all their potential, but improvements are indeed possible. For this reason, they will be the choice of many growers in the future. I saw Dinafem autos being grown for the first time eight years ago and, since then, I have repeated my visits. During this time I saw how they put much time and dedication into this project and created the best possible conditions by fitting out large and well equipped grow rooms, their own labs and a large team of people led by four experienced growers, which altogether account for more than one hundred years of growing experience. It is easy to talk and indulge in self-congratulation, but the facts behind many seed banks do not back up what they say. After this visit, I clearly understood that XXL autos are no marketing concept – they are really very big. For 8 years I have observed Dinafem working seriously, intensely and meticulously. Any grower can see the result of this work: XXL autos are here to stay. By: J. Searcher
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