Can Topping = Stess = Males?

I have read some comments where the commenter has claimed that topping an mj plant can cause stress and thus might cause the plant to turn male? I have no information to dispute this claim, but it does seem unlikely to me.

Reason: If a marijuana plant were growing in nature, let's say in a field of thousands of mj plants, bugs, rodents, deer, etc., will be constantly topping plants. Marijuana plants as a species defense mechanism would not be prone to turn male just because something damaged the top of the plant. In this field of thousands of plants, if all were topped by a deer hoping for a little buzz, and all turned male, this would, undoubtedly be bad for the species.

Conclusion: Since plants will turn male in order to offset some trigger that might tell the plant that the species is in danger. Since topping would not indicate danger that males were in jeopardy, it does not follow that these topped plants would turn male to increase the male population.

Light inconsistencies could cause a plant to go hermaphrodite, or do a gender change. Reason being that the plant might determine that it is late in the season due to the light inconsistency and thus pollination of the females is in jeopardy so gender changing is meant to perpetuate the species.

Just curious. When I read comments that would seem contrary to what might occur often in nature, I start to wonder what the real answer might be.

No one has an opinion, or some research that might shed some light on this subject?

Stress can make it more prone to be a hermi. Here is a good article that explains it well: http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/4157.html

Good article.

However, Ed R. listed the stresses that can cause hermaphroditism as follows: "...can include lighting regimen irregularities, low light conditions or response to hormones." There is no mention of topping, or even watering issues, or nutrient issues.

It would seem that the reason a plant might produce male sexual parts is to perpetuate the species when the plant feels that there is a danger that no offspring will be possible under a particular condition. A plant would not be able to come to that conclusion just because the top was removed (since, in nature, this may be a regular consequence of living in a world where insects and animals will top a plant), or even under drought or wet times, or even when the soil is particularly nutrient free.

It would seem that the stimulus would have to be when the plant senses that the growing season is about to come to an end and the plant needs to take action in order to perpetuate the species. Which, to my thinking, would usually happen when the lighting is inconsistent in some way.

Ed also mentioned reactions to hormones, but I am not sure what he means by this.

Well, I top all my plants, at around three weeks old, and I grow from feminized seed even - and have yet to have one go hermie on me from it. You can't make a female plant turn male anyway - just hermie.

So, it would seem that lighting issues are the primary reason a female plant might go hermie.

And there is no way that a female can completely turn male. That makes sense.

Topping a plant, watering issues and nutrient issues, or anything else, are probably not causal in such a transformation.

Not causing undue lighting stress would be key to a successful grow if females are what you are striving for.

Are there any other stresses that might cause a female to be fooled into going hermie?

Prison? That worked for my aunt steve. He lives in Turkey now, trying to get arrested.

Are you trying to make a point? Or, is that suppose to be funny?

Why the fuck would you top a male any fucking way?
the point is to get four colas instead of one...you don't get colas on males...only hermies(I guess)
the only reason I could see for wanting a male around is for breeding and that is really advanced shit....
I may be wrong...

i think the question was will topping cause it to be male not about topping a plant you already know the sex for......