Hello Loïc,
I'll be anxious to see more of your mixed ploidy seedlings. I also think that there is a great potential for good in these crosses. Neil Mogensen had expressed similar thoughts: having studied iris history and pedigrees extensively, he had concluded that the genetic base of modern Tall Beardeds remains relatively narrow. Because the few breakthrough seedlings from tetraploid/diploid crossings were such an improvement over the previously known diploids, they were used very heavily to form the foundation of our modern Tall Beardeds. Much of the variability that existed in the old diploids was overlooked in the process. There have obviously been instances where other germplasm has been introduced into the TB genepool (like fairly well documented infusions of Iris aphylla). But Neil thought [and I strongly agree] that great things would come from the addition of variability via more new breeding material of tetraploid/diploid mixed parentage.
I can hardly wait to see how your lines develop!
Oh and about (ab)using Clown Pants -- you'll see, it won't mind a bit.
I still haven't gotten tired of using it. See the attached picture of 2008 pod harvest from 'Bach Fugue' X 'Clown Pants' as an example.
Best wishes, Tom
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Loïc wrote:
...i think it's difficult to draw definitive conclusions, because for me, (diplo X tetra) crosses or (tetra X diplo ) ones seem to work the same : very disapointing, but also terribly exciting at the same time, so much seems to be held in these so rare and precious odd surviving seeds!
Next year, Clown Pants will be (ab)used to the limits on both sides of the ocean !
