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While there is a lot of data out there about keep the “ purity ” of seeds , the true “ pure ” seed is a myth . There are still good practices that any germ grower should keep in mind ; but once they understand source unity and let hybridization - pollination happen , the existent sport commence .
The following is an extract fromThe Organic Seed GrowerbyJohn Navazio . It has been adapt fo the vane .
( All photography courtesy of Scott Vlaun unless otherwise observe . )
Bell peppers (C. annuum) and other modern sweet peppers are less likely to cross-pollinate than the hot chile types, but they will still cross at higher rates than is normally thought.
Preserving Seed Integrity
One of the main requisites of growing eminent - timbre seed is to maintain the varietal unity of the germ crop you are producing . To do this you must verify that the genetic make-up of the craw is n’t compromised with any genetic mixing via pollen from other plants of the same species .
This requires bring on a seed crop at an adequate spatial closing off from any cultivated , wild , or weedy plants of the same metal money that are capable of intermating with your crop via their pollen .
You must consider a number of biological and environmental factors that can affect pollen movement by louse and wind when determining the minimal closing off distance for each crop and cropping system .
Bell pepper ( C. annuum ) and other modern sweet peppers are less probable to cross - pollinate than the hot chile types , but they will still cross at high rates than is unremarkably thought .
The Species Boundary
First , it ’s important to know which crop are capable of sexually intermating or “ crossing ” with the come crop that you are planning to produce . The word species means “ kind ” in Latin .
In cosmopolitan , each species represents a trenchant form of being that is able to intermate and produce fertile offspring only with other individuals of its own kind or species .
Of naturally , there are exception . For example , a number of species of deciduous tree will sometimes span with related tree species and produce interspecific hybrids .
Thankfully, though, there are very few exceptions among vegetable species.
In the vegetable crops the species designation almost always delineate a boundary to likely crossing when ascertain placement of cum crops for isolation .
The two notable exception among the vegetable are the several species of peppers(Capsicumspp . ) that are sexually compatible and well cross and at least two wild coinage of love apple that will readily interbreed with the cultivated love apple ( Solanum lycopersicum ) .
Another exception is cross among squash species in theCucurbitagenus , though it does not occur almost as readily as with tomato and peppercorn ( see Chapter 9 , Cucurbitaceae , “ Isolation Distances , ” pageboy 211 ) .
Knowing the species designation of each crop you work with also allows you to learn a peachy trade about the reproductive habits of the crop .
When questions rebel as to identifying the species of a chip in crop , it is recommended that you reach researchers or seed professional who are well intimate in the crop before institute .
Increased Isolation Considerations for the Organic Seed Grower
The importance of maintain adequate spatial closing off has increased significance in the New era for the constitutive source cultivator .
Pollen taint from genetically modified ( GM ) crops will disqualify the ejaculate craw from consideration as a license organically grow ware .
Many of the opponents to GM crops see the consequent genetic mixes as fraught with potentially damaging effects on the bionomic balance wheel in constituent farming systems and having potentially harmful effect on human health .
Certainly , everyone can agree that the introgression of modified genetical traits into seedstocks think for organic farming may be very hard to get out , resulting in long - endure effects on the integrity of the germplasm .
Most professional involved in the production of constituent cum advocate for at least a two- or three-fold increase in the minimum closing off distance when GM crops of the same species are in the vicinity over the normal minimal closing off distances state for each particular crop mintage in this text .
The Myth of Standardized Isolation Distances
The first thing that most husbandman determine when growing a seed harvest is that their crop must be isolate from any other crops of the same form in order of magnitude to raise seed that is genetically pure and has n’t crossed with a neighbor ’s crop .
For most farmers , the best information that they can get on how much closing off they ’ll take for their seed crop is often vague and not very specific to their surround or the craw specie that they are growing .
The recommendations that are most often echo is that seed harvest require either 0.5 mi ( 0.8 km ) or 1 mi ( 1.6 kilometer ) between cross - pollinate crop of the same specie , and that self - pollinated crop necessitate little or no isolation ( although a roadblock harvest is sometimes recommended ) from other crop of the same species .
This information is often just hearsay from farmers or local agricultural officials , or it is found in much of the published literature from old seed saving publications and on the Internet .
It often head to piteous planning of seed crop , which in turn can lead to pollen contaminant and hereditary mix and outcrossing .
If you ’re locate in a region where there is a assiduousness of production for the particular seed harvest of sake , isolation guidepost have often been work out between regional growers ’ co-op and local governmental governing body , like the province Extension Service of the Land Grant Universities in the United States .
regrettably , much of the specialised information generated by these groups is difficult to access , is unknown outside of these regions , and is not well found in the lit .
The Myth of Pure Seed
Photograph courtesy of Scott Vlaun
The other vulgar mistaking among seed growers has to do with the melodic theme of varietal or inherited honour in crop assortment .
In most of the seed - grow literature there seems to be the implication that if raiser keep abreast the passport for isolating their seed harvest , then they have eliminate any chance of an outcross and can require to harvest a seeded player crop that is genetically pure .
In reality there is no such thing as perfect isolation, unless perhaps truly extraordinary steps are taken.
Even when the strict closing off distances are observed by the seed companies for stockseed and foundation ejaculate , cases of inherited crossover have occurred that can only be explained by pollen mixing .
While pollen of any given crop has an average range of movement base on the type of louse or direction and strength of wind that carries it , there are certainly the strange event where the pollen is carry several time farther than its common trajectory due to an over-the-top louse pollinator or wind gust that may do along .
Many seed workers know that pollen is easily carried on clothes, on the fur of animals, and in water.
at long last , have a pollen - proof space to produce in truth everlasting ejaculate would require high - technical school equipment like to some of the gadgetry of NASA and would be prohibitively expensive .
All feel source growers learn how to deal with the occasional mark that occur in their stocks ; in fact , they expect it to happen and pick out or “ scalawag ” against it in every generation .
Indeed , sometimes these chance crosses result in new combinations that the savvy agriculturist can insulate and develop into a novel variety . Remember , nature is always creating novel transmitted combinations to be tested in the cracking experimentation of sprightliness on Earth .
What is the Intended Use of Your Seed Crop?
The first doubtfulness that come raiser must demand themselves when determining the placement of a crop is , “ What is the intended use of the seed that I am producing ? ”
The proportional genetic whiteness of seedstocks necessary for a seed society ’s commercial-grade sales is quite different from the increase level of purity required for its foundation come or stockseed .
care that are often learn when produce a germ crop for transmissible preservation function will always meet a stricter standard than the closing off requisite for Farmer deliver seed for their own production needs .
The relative nature of this determination must always be thought through and decided by the individuals who are upholding the quality standards for the farm, seed company, or public institution that they represent.
The closing off distance may frequently motley based on the regional variation of the biological and environmental factors discussed in this chapter .
Those experienced in seed growing in any given region will be the most qualified to take the isolation guidelines proposed at the end of each crop section and amend the distances based on their practical cognition of the regional factor that exist .
This requires existential noesis to be collected among cum growers and seed - companionship fieldworker who are n’t afraid to get their boot dingy , who have salutary data-based acquirement , and who are real scholar of nature .
Many of the minimum closing off distances given for the dissimilar harvest in this book are greater than many experienced seed grower trust are necessary .
The minimal distances presented here are only guidelines , to ensure comparatively little levels of crossing between moderately magnanimous output fields , and should be handle thus .
The fact that there is no such thing as perfect isolation can be intimidating to anyone seeking genetic purity in seed.
But it can also be liberate once everyone involved in seed production realizes there is no such thing as rank purity and that some genetic mixture is inevitable whenever seed is produced .
It then becomes your obligation to be much more involved in the process of determining the isolation aloofness base on the biota of the craw and the environment and topography of the location where you ’re grow it .
You must also get more familiar with each seed crop , realizing that your selection of off - types , outcrosses , and ejaculate commixture is the only way in which the wholeness of the crop will be uphold as it passes through your hands to sodbuster who will grow the craw now and in the future .
Knowing that genetic mixing and variation is inherent to the process puts us back in touch with our true role in the process.
This is the same use that our ancestors who first domesticise these plants had . This is the way that we integrate these crops into our life-time .
The genetic integrity of the craw then becomes a reflection of our commitment and involvement in the summons . The crops that we farm and utilise thus become woven into our communities and into the “ culture ” of our factory farm .
Recommended Reads
A Short account of Agricultural Seed
save Dry vs. Wet Seeds : The Seed Series
The Organic Seed Grower
A Farmer ’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production
$ 49.95
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