Inducing variegation, mutation. Does it pass on to cuttings?

[smurfin'herb]

Is it possible to unwillingly induce variegation or mutation in a plant via any kind of stress or foliar sprays, pesticides, miticides ect..? And then, if this plant affected plant was kept as a mother, would it clones exhibit the same effects?

Reason being, i have had a certain strain for a long time now. For the first few years growing it, i never noticed anything abnormal. Then, over the next few years i slowly started picking up on some kind variegation or mutation. Im really trying to figure out if it was there all along, or not. Although, the person i originally got it from, and some of his sources all confirm that they notice none of the signs im talking about in the strain.. It had to be something i did to it, and then accidentally kept the mom that was affected. Now for the past 3 years, ive been growing it, and she just keeps on chugging. It doesnt seem to affect yield too much. It only displays itself in 5-10% of the population.

I thought it may be my feed lineup, but after watching 2 diff people run this same cut from me, they are showing the same symptoms. The last 2 pics belong to FlowerFarmer. I jacked your pics bro! The large pics are the expression of it that I see the most.

 

[AZClones]

That first image does not look like variegation; it looks more like mottling, a symptom of virus infection.

 

[smurfin'herb]

I've tested for virus's (immuno strips) mulitple times. All negative.

 

[AZClones]

I've tested for virus's (immuno strips) mulitple times. All negative.

For which viruses did you test? I'm uncertain as to whether there are any authoritative publications concerning the viruses to which cannabis is susceptible.

An old post of mine on the subject.

 

[smurfin'herb]

I apologize. Here is the description.


The Tobacco mosaic virus Immunostrip is used to detect the presence of TMV in many different crops, such as vegetable, fruit, and ornamentals. TMV Immunostrips are perfect for use in the field, greenhouse and the lab.

Tobacco mosaic virus is an extremely stable virus and can easily infect adjacent plants and contaminate surfaces such as benches, pots, tools, etc.

The TMV ImmunoStrip detects a variety of viruses from the tobamovirus group. Our experience shows that the test can detect the following: Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), Kyuri green mottle mosaic virus, Odontoglossum rinspot virus (ORSV), Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), Ribgrass mosaic virus (RMV), Streptocarpus flower break virus (SFBV), Sunhemp mosaic virus (SHMV), Tobacco mosaic virus including common strain (TMV and TMV-c), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV). This test, however, is not a tobamovirus group test and was tested for its effectiveness at detecting TMV.

 

[AZClones]

I think what AGDIA calls "sunhemp mosaic virus" is what is also known as Sunn-hemp mosaic virus. "Hemp Diseases and Pests" lists Sunn-hemp as one virus to which cannabis is susceptible. Also from that text, capable of "serious" effects on cannabis, mosaic + dwarfing:

Tobacco ringspot
Tomato ringspot
Tobacco streak
Cucumber mosaic

Additional viruses, mosaic without dwarfing:

Euonymous ringspot
Alfalfa ringspot

Notable:
Elm mosaic resulted in mild necrotic flecking

Of eight viruses tested in three separate fiber cultivars, each virus infected at least one cultivar of cannabis.

Hemp streak, alfalfa mosaic, cucumber mosaic, and arabis mosaic are all known to infect cannabis.

So- while that particular Agdia strip test would be good for select tobamoviruses, there are a number of viruses ouside that group to which cannabis has proven to be susceptible.

 

[smurfin'herb]

Thanks AZ.

A little reading leads me to figure that this variety is now a chimera, displaying sectorial variegation.
Plant DNA can be altered by things such as chemicals, radiation, old age, and sometimes plants just make mistakes in replicating their own DNA. Something happened to the plants in the past, and i must have taken a new mother clone from a plant that was affected. I really do not think its a virus, but i cant rule that out completely.

 

[Agronomist]

Have you grown other plants in the same room to see if they start showing the same markings? As for your original question, yes, if it is a mutation (or an infection), and it is stable, it can be passed on through clones. All you are doing is taking cells and growing them into a whole plant. If those cells are mutated in some way, so will the cells in the new plant. That is one way people get plant patents. Find a stable mutation and grow it. Now you have a new cultivar.