Dominant Recessive Expression

Dominant-recessive expression describes the inheritance pattern of traits controlled by alleles at a single genetic locus, where one allele's phenotype masks the other in heterozygous offspring. In cannabis breeding, traits like leaf morphology, flowering time, and pigmentation often follow these Mendelian principles, though many agronomic characteristics involve multiple genes and environmental factors. Understanding dominance hierarchies helps breeders predict F1 and F2 generational outcomes and stabilize desired traits in breeding lines. However, most complex cannabis phenotypes result from polygenic inheritance rather than simple dominant-recessive models, requiring multi-generational selection and backcrossing to isolate and fix target expressions.

Breeders use dominant-recessive frameworks to design crosses where specific traits (leaf shape, resin production patterns, maturation speed) can be reliably tracked and selected across generations. Recognizing whether a desired phenotype is dominant or recessive informs strategy: dominant traits appear immediately in F1, while recessive traits require homozygosity, typically achieved through selfi