Re: Hybridized Plants.--Includings AG's
- Subject: Re: Hybridized Plants.--Includings AG's
- From: S*@aol.com
- Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 12:21:59 EDT
In a message dated 7/30/99 4:55:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Innealtoir@aol.com writes:
> On a slightly different tangent, we have bred certain vegetables and grains
> to enhance commercial properties. We would like to have tomatoes that
ripen
>
> all at once on a plant instead of over a period of 2 months, By
hybridizing
>
> to enhance commercial properties like bigger fruit or higher yields, we
are
> winding up with strains that are more susceptible to problems than thier
> ancestors. That is one reason why there has been an effort retain some
seeds
>
> of the original plants. Some of the new species do not have the vigor of
> their predecssors.
> We may be doing the same with AGs. Selection for size and weight may
> produce
> plants more temperamental and less resistant to the various problems we
> seem
> to encounter.
> In a sense, we are reversing the process of natural selection as far as
AGs
> are concerned. No real problem here since AGs are raised more for fun
than
> food.
> I, at least, do not propose to eat any part of any that I might grow.
After
> all,
> don't most of us feel our pumpkins are akin to family?. (:>)
>
> INNEALTOIR
Well, hybridizing is totally different from genetic manipulation! Hybridizing
is still a form of enhanced natural selection. But in F1 hybrids and extreme
crossing, it does cause problems, since it reduces the variability of each
plant. So if one disease hit that struck one F1, the chances that all of them
will be wiped out is greater than if there was some more genetic diversity
with each plant. So in nature, F1 hybrids would have a hard time surviving
and reproducing since we crossed out most of the variability which they would
need to survive as a species. Now in controlled gardening, F1 hybrids (or
partial hybrids) have an enhanced vigor and the best of all of the qualities
that you want, for THAT generation anyway. So this certainly is a good thing.
AG's don't need to be equipped to survive "in the wild"! We DO need to save
all of the seed stock though, since those can't be replaced once they are
gone. It would be like setting up a complex model, then throwing away the
instructions. If something ever goes wrong, there is nothing left to go by to
put it back together. And for backcrossing, we need these seeds. As for
reducing vigor in AG's. Not really. We are basically breeding for size. Now
if a pumpkins gets to be 700 or more pounds, I would say that plants probably
have a good deal of vigor and resistance to diseases, etc. to get to be that
size. So in effect we are also breeding for vigor and resistance. Of course
since EVERYONE uses pesticides, chemical fertilizers, fungicides, we are also
breeding them to thrive on these things, and if someone decided not to use
all of this, they might not make it as good.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
