Modelling approach for the quantitative variation of sex expression in monoecious hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Sex expression is of primary importance for the genetic improvement and production of monoecious hemp: masculinized phenotypes are associated with higher fungal sensitivity, and feminized phenotypes with higher seed yields. However, sex expression varies quantitatively among plants and nodes and with time. Here, we developed eight variables that characterize the sex expression in monoecious hemp to dissect its genetic determinism. The monoecy degree (MD), ranging from 1 (mostly male flowers) to 5 (mostly female flowers), was recorded for each node of 167 plants, at 6 times at 1‐week intervals. Two types of longitudinal variables were constructed: ‘synthesis’ (mean MD and percentages of nodes of each MD) and ‘structure’. The latter consisted of the parameters of a logistic curve describing MD as a function of the node position. An r‐square of 0.97 was obtained between the estimated and observed MD values, and the logistic parameters were weakly correlated with each other and with the synthesis variables. Therefore, we conclude that the present modelling approach is relevant for characterizing the sex expression in monoecious hemp.