What is an IBL?
An IBL (inbred line) is a strain that has been crossed with itself for many generations until it becomes stable: its seeds give plants that are very similar to each other and to their parents. It's also called a pure line or a stabilized strain.
The breeder starts with some plants, picks the best ones, crosses them with each other, sows their seeds, picks again… and repeats the process generation after generation. With each round, the differences between plants get smaller.
It's similar to what happens with dog breeds: by always crossing similar dogs, the puppies of a breed turn out looking alike. In the end, the strain "breeds true": if you cross two plants from an IBL, their offspring look a lot like them.
Advantages
- Uniformity: fewer surprises. The plants have similar height, timing and aroma.
- You can make your own seeds: if you grow regular seeds of an IBL and cross a male with a female, the seeds you get will still be that same variety.
- A base for creating other strains: breeders use IBLs as parents for new crosses, including F1 hybrids.
Disadvantages
- Less vigor: they usually grow less vigorously than a hybrid.
- Less strain between plants: if you like hunting for different phenotypes, an IBL will give you little to choose from.
Is an IBL the same as a landrace?
No. A landrace is a traditional strain that has formed over generations in a region, in the hands of local farmers. An IBL is the result of a breeder's deliberate selection. That said, many well-known IBLs come from landraces that someone stabilized.
Related terms
Before you grow, check the laws in your country: growing cannabis is not allowed everywhere.
