Genotype and Phenotype

Many growers often misuse the terms genotype and phenotype. Let us now attempt to dispel the ambiguities that surround the two and to shed some light on this matter.

There is a point in every grower’s life when they have to ask questions regarding the uniformity of the plants they have grown. This usually happens right after the first harvest, and also after growing the same strain under the same conditions repeatedly. Why each plant grown from the same seeds looks a bit different than others in these cases?

Inconsistent features

If a grower does not find an answer to similar questions, the logical solution seems to be to change the seedbank or clone supplier. More experienced growers know, however, that this phenomenon, the differences between individual plants of the same variety, is something completely natural, and changing one’s supplier will not influence it in any way.

It is necessary to bear in mind that seeds are products of living organisms and results of the natural process of breeding, which makes each one unique – same as with every human, animal or plant on Earth. Although we constantly feel the urge to categorize all things around us, this approach does not really work in nature.

Genotype and the environment

Every living organism is a result of evolution which works on a single basic principle. Genotype or genetic code carries all genetic information in terms of growth, appearance and all properties that we can later observe. We need to understand that genotype or genetic code is not a thing that is set in stone. Rather, it determines a certain range of possibilities. What specific parts of genotype get activated depends largely on the surrounding environment.

Interaction between genotype and the environment creates phenotype, which is a physical form of certain genes that are activated as a result of the influence of certain environment. It can be expressed by the following, highly simplified equation: genotype (G) + environment (E) = phenotype (P).