Development of genetic markers for sexing Cannabis sativa seedlings

Abstract Cannabis sativa is a dioecious plant with a XY system. Only females produce cannabinoids in large amount. Efficient male removal is an important issue for the cannabis industry. We have recently identified the sex chromosomes of C. sativa , which opens opportunities for developing universal genetic markers for early sexing of C. sativa plants. Here we selected six Y-linked markers and designed PCR primers, which were tested on five hemp cultivars both dioecious and monoecious. We obtained promising results, which need to be extended using a larger number of individuals and a more diverse set of cultivars, including THC producing ones.