The induction of male flowers on genetically female hemp plants using silver compounds is an established method for producing feminized seeds, which are essential for the uniform and high-quality production of cannabinoids. Silver compounds such as silver thiosulfate (STS) and colloidal silver (CS) act as ethylene inhibitors, promoting the development of male reproductive organs on genetically female plants. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of different concentrations and applications of STS (0.5 mM, 5 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM) and colloidal silver (30 ppm) in inducing male flowers on female plants of the ‘Matterhorn’ cannabis strain. We measured plant growth, the percentage of male flowers, plant dry weight, and the germination rate of the pollen obtained. For the production of feminized cannabis seeds, a single application of 20 mM STS was the most suitable treatment, resulting in a high degree of masculinization (3.64), relatively good pollen germination (21.72%), and the least negative impact on plant vitality. Treatment with 10 mM STS applied three times was equally effective in terms of the degree of masculinization (3.65). The results confirm that silver compounds are effective for manipulating sex expression in hemp, but further optimization is needed to reduce phytotoxicity and improve pollen quality.
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