Hey Brother Cronic!!! hows it be?! hope all is going ok for ya!
The GG I picked up in clone form from a local dispensary, and overall the yield absolutely sucked, but the flavor and smell is magnificent! From what I have been learning about seeds, and the more that science comes into our industry, it seems that there are no seeds on the commercial market today that breed true or otherwise known as isogenetic. Most seeds are F1's which have a ton of variation and its actually very small percentage that the actual seed will be like the original. I've even found seed companies that take a strain, lets say blue dream, and then they hit it with a completely different parent (lets say og kush) and then they name the offspring Blue dream... which obviously isn't the case...
In the future we will have true breeding strains from seeds as the industry emerges, but right now, I could say probably 99% of the seeds on the market are always going to give a different genotype and phenotype expressions than the parents. Until labs, with PhD molecular biologists with hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment come into the industry, seeds will continue to be a crapshoot. From what I understand once you get around a F7 seed, then you have a good chance that the seed will breed true, or close to true if its been selectively imbred for certain traits, however still unless actual genetic markers are used, there is still a lot of gamble. The more I learn, the more I'm kind of bummed making fem seeds in hopes to preserve my genetics, as each one will roll the dice with the genes to the likelyhood of any of my selfed, fem seeds being the same is very unlikely... so now it makes me think once I finish my round of F1's and S1's, I should select just 2 strains and start working them to help select the traits I desire
Clone and tissue culture right now are the only ways I'm aware of preserving exact genotype, except for the fact that epigenetics can also play a role in this, and through just my lighting experiments I've seen this happen with different spectrums and how a plant expresses itself.
Interestings stuff though!
Thats what I thought too but I am starting to learn otherwise..... watch the video I posted a few days ago as well as the other video I posted in the pollen thread, and you will see what I mean. Its a lot of science jargon, but basically a trait like purple leaves may depend on 1 gene, or it may be dependent on 8 genes. So if its just a trait on 1 gene, each seed has a chance to carry that combination of gene expression, or not... now if there are 8 genes that determine purpling, (think of a combination lock with 8 numbers), each time you guess the combination (breed a seed) its all sort of chance, and unless you get all 8 combination numbers correct the lock will not open (the plant wont purple), so with each seed its sort of like a lottery drawing. Now there are ways to lock these combinations in over time through selective breeding but again you may only have to plant 4 seeds or you may have to plant 64 seeds or more to get that 1 single unique expression. There is much more than I understand involved, but I will say its not as easy as just selfing a plant and planting the offspring.
Look at these tangies from my pheno hunt... these are all selfed (feminized seeds). Notice how they are all different size, shapes, leafs, they had 3 distinct flavor/smell traits, some were full of trichomes, some medium and some had little to no trichomes.... etc.. there is a lot of variation.....
even one of them turned purple (must be a recessive trait)
I agree, S1 is as close to a clone as you can get in seed form, but not exactly the same as a clone. Traits can be narrowed down with selective cloning and back crossing. But, IME, I haven't had a lot of deviance when breeding F/F. Usually they stick to one of two dominant traits. One being recessive. Even my clone only cuts do this so there's some things you just can't get around. It's not nearly as bad as sorting M/F genetics though lol. That can get sickly comical at times. 
This is really a great thread Icemud. Cola city!
Here's another mycological trivia tidbit for you too
Genetically speaking, fungi are more closely related to humans than plants are. However, plants and fungi share almost the same sort of lock and key trait system. Sub-strains. It helps to prevent senescence through in breeding. Pretty fascinating stuff.
All I can say is WOW!
I'll just consider myself a dumb dirt farmer and let it go at that.
You young bucks can figure this other stuff out.
Ill leave the stabilizing and all to the real professionals in labcoats and expensive equipment lol
No wonder there are people sometimes throughout life that are like a fungus...LOL (annoying and wont go away) LMAO!
Thats very interesting! Its amazing on how deep and complex even things like plants and fungus are. I just read an article today that suggest plants can hear water movement and this sense of water movement dictates root growth... I know there has been studies in the past that show different tones and music can influence plants as well. Its crazy how much there is still to learn about the world around us
All I can say is WOW!
I'll just consider myself a dumb dirt farmer and let it go at that.
You young bucks can figure this other stuff out.
No wonder there are people sometimes throughout life that are like a fungus...LOL (annoying and wont go away) LMAO!
Thanks again Ice
Thats very interesting! Its amazing on how deep and complex even things like plants and fungus are. I just read an article today that suggest plants can hear water movement and this sense of water movement dictates root growth...
I know there has been studies in the past that show different tones and music can influence plants as well. Its crazy how much there is still to learn about the world around us
plus a ton of new crosses that eventually I will get to trying I still have to come up with a good method of sealing, sorting and storing the seeds properly. I have to read up more on it, but I believe from what I remember cool, dark and extremely dry are the key with low oxygen if possible. I will double check that info when I get a chance but I'm going to try to find a vacuum type container maybe that is large where I can not only vacuum seal them, but also put them in a slightly airtight container want to make sure they last for years and years then the magic happens! sweet! Getting exciting getting so close 
a few update posts will follow tonight too 
