Research record8 May 2026Journal article
Genetic architecture of phenological, morphological, and phytochemical traits in Cannabis landraces
Mehdi Babaei, Davoud Torkamaneh
The Plant Genome · 2026
Abstract
Despite its long history of cultivation and diverse applications, Cannabis sativa remains underexplored at the genomic level, particularly in landrace populations that harbor untapped genetic diversity. In this study, we investigated the genetic architecture of 145 Iranian cannabis landrace accessions, including both male and female plants, using 233K common SNPs and genome‐wide association studies. Our analysis revealed three genetically distinct subpopulations shaped by geography, climate, and traditional cultivation practices. We identified 91 significant genomic regions associated with 40 phenological, morphological, and phytochemical traits, including 15 key loci with pleiotropic effects linked to multiple traits, including flowering time, plant architecture, biomass accumulation, and cannabinoid biosynthesis. These findings highlight the complex interplay between developmental and metabolic pathways in cannabis. The high heritability of most traits and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay underscore the potential of these landraces for high‐resolution mapping and genetic improvement. This work provides a valuable genomic resource for marker‐assisted selection, supporting the development of improved cultivars with tailored cannabinoid profiles and agronomic traits.
The paper's abstract, reproduced as published.
Record created 2 July 2026 · maintained by landrace.wiki editors ·
page history
Published8 May 2026
TypeJournal article
VenueThe Plant Genome
Year2026
CountryIran
2026-05-08
2026-07-02
Genetic architecture of phenological, morphological, and phytochemical traits in Cannabis landraces
Journal article
Genetics
Mehdi Babaei, Davoud Torkamaneh
The Plant Genome
2026
10.1002/tpg2.70243
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tpg2.70243
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tpg2.70243
Genome-wide association study of 145 Iranian Cannabis sativa landrace accessions, male and female, genotyped at roughly 233,000 common SNPs. The analysis resolves the collection into three genetically distinct subpopulations shaped by geography, climate and traditional cultivation, and identifies 91 genomic regions associated with 40 phenological, morphological and phytochemical traits, including 15 pleiotropic loci linked to flowering time, plant architecture, biomass accumulation and cannabinoid biosynthesis. The authors report high heritability for most traits and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay, and present the panel as a resource for high-resolution mapping and marker-assisted selection towards cultivars with tailored cannabinoid profiles. A population-scale genetic-architecture reference for the Iran gene pool, complementing the earlier Mostafaei Dehnavi et al. 2025 population-genomics study of Iranian Cannabis.
Despite its long history of cultivation and diverse applications, Cannabis sativa remains underexplored at the genomic level, particularly in landrace populations that harbor untapped genetic diversity. In this study, we investigated the genetic architecture of 145 Iranian cannabis landrace accessions, including both male and female plants, using 233K common SNPs and genome‐wide association studies. Our analysis revealed three genetically distinct subpopulations shaped by geography, climate, and traditional cultivation practices. We identified 91 significant genomic regions associated with 40 phenological, morphological, and phytochemical traits, including 15 key loci with pleiotropic effects linked to multiple traits, including flowering time, plant architecture, biomass accumulation, and cannabinoid biosynthesis. These findings highlight the complex interplay between developmental and metabolic pathways in cannabis. The high heritability of most traits and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay underscore the potential of these landraces for high‐resolution mapping and genetic improvement. This work provides a valuable genomic resource for marker‐assisted selection, supporting the development of improved cultivars with tailored cannabinoid profiles and agronomic traits.
Iran
