But you could then pop 100 seeds and still only see the same 3 or 4 phenos...
The problem often lies with the purchaser. They expect to get the pheno they are after in only a small sample size when some people will pop 30 or more seeds to cull 20 and be very happy they got the 10 they want to keep.
We know some breeders/growers will do a 1,000 plant seed run just to find the "right" mother or farther.
Dude, you're missing the point.
We're not breeders or at least I don't pretend I'm a breeder (maybe when it becomes federally legal). As you have already pointed out, true breeders will run hundreds/thousands seed run (this process is culled culling which would require time and space). We leave the breeding to the breeders, we just want stable feminized seeds for production.
What is feminized seeds? Seeds from selfied female plant.
Why we buy feminized seeds? Is it for breeding? Is it to hunt for phenos? Obviously the answer is clear, its not for breeding and it's not for pheno hunting
We buy feminized seeds for 2 reasons
1. Guaranteed female plants
2. To get the same result, 'production wise' just like the mother.
Our goal is simple...plant it, grow it, harvest it, and smoke it (or eat it if you will)….then buy more seeds (if cloning is not an option).
That's it.
Why is it hard for breeders to give us say an F8 feminized seeds or F16? You know why? Because in my honest opinion, they don't know jack shit how to do real breeding.
All those original strains, if they were in the hand of serious breeders (orchid breeders for example), we would be hearing F100 by now. Hybrid going through heterosis is not a strain simple as that.