HYB: seedlings and Darwin

I keep hearing different people talk about "abusing" seedlings and how that
aids in producing adult plants that are better suited for a specific set of
climate conditions. I believe that to some extent that is a valid argument.
However, some extremes may be too much to expect any useful application of
these rules. More mature seedlings that have developed enough leaves to form a
rhizome large enough to support the plant through temperature extremes, lack
of sun, water, or nutrients are fair game for natural selection. Infant
seedlings are another story. They have no rhizome to speak of and tiny leaves
whose purpose it is produce a rhizome before dormancy is required, before
freezing happens, or before drought occurs. This is probably why they
germinate in the spring-- temps are favorable, there is adequate moisture and
light. Sure, late freezes happen and kill a few...no problem. That is why
plants produce multiple offspring (seeds) with variable germination. However,
when we *produce* favorable conditions by using such things as burritos,
freezers, toilet tanks, grow lamps and other devices to encourage early
germination, and then thrust the tiny germinants into conditions which kill
them and say they were weak is not valid. A few may survive, but that could be
luck just as easily as strength and superior genes. I could draw a parallel by
saying that if you drop the entire population of lemmings into the cold vacuum
of outer space or launched them onto the surface of the sun that they were
weak if they didn't survive.

I don't object to breeding for tough plants. It just seems counterproductive
to go to the effort of forcing germination without giving enough protection to
the seedlings to allow them to survive until they have the conditions
available that they would have had when they normally germinated and when
natural selection would normally take place.

John Bruce
zone 5B, SW Ohio

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