Living · 6 pages · 12 min
How open-pollinated seed differs from hybrid seed
Open-pollinated seed can stay stable if the line is isolated and the off-types are not saved.
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From the opening
Open-pollinated seed comes from plants pollinated by wind, insects, or themselves, without a breeder forcing one cross each year. If the variety is stable and isolated from other varieties of the same species, the next generation tends to resemble the parents. The opening covers a population held by selection, why neighbors still matter, and heirloom as a cultural label.
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Inside
- A population held by selection
- Why neighbors still matter
- Heirloom as a cultural label
- Which crops cross too easily
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Open-pollinated variety maintenance by selection and isolation
- Hybrid seed as a one-generation parent cross