Re: AG Hybrid!!!!

Steve,
   It sounds like you are well on your way. The idea of inbreeding and
selecting is to get the 567 straightened out genetically, so every time you
plant the seed, you get the same characteristics. Take some of your seeds and
continue to plant them in an isolated field where they can't cross with
anything else. Or hand pollinate with protected males and females. At harvest,
take only seeds from a pumpkin that displays the traits that you like. The
idea is that if you keep discarding specimens that aren't true to type, you
will end up each year with a higher percentage of good specimens. To make up
some numbers, 1st year 50% good pumpkins. 2nd year 60%, 3rd year 75%, 4th 85%
, 5th year 95%. Now you have an inbred line that you have culled out virtually
all bad specimens. Rather than try to produce two inbred lines, maybe you can
find someone who has a small isolated patch with no winter squash around, that
has been growing the same seed for four or five years and letting it cross
itself. They would be inadvertently producing an inbred line and not knowing
it. If you take a look at his pumpkin and like what you see, plant 10 of them
next year to see if his (or her) line is also straightened out genetically. If
the two lines seem to be consistent, you are ready to make the cross between
inbred lines. The seeds that come from the cross, might be hybrids for the
following season. It is often said that you should have dissimilar inbred
lines. I can't tell you if you might want to cross an inbred squash line with
a pumpkin, or a brown seeded with a white seeded, etc., etc. I can get you in
touch with some pumpkin breeding research types, if you want to really persue
this. I would be prepared for a decade worth of work.
                                                pumkinguy
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