Re: creating breeds
In a message dated 11/30/99 9:18:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,
sarmstrong@sgfimat.com writes:
> how does one go about creating a new breed, naming, and then ultimatly
> obtaining
> a PVP? not that i'm planning on actually doing this any time in the near
> future, i was just wondering how it worked, not just for pumpkins, but for
> anything, sunflowers, corn, etc......
>
> scott
>
Scott, to create a new variety of a species of plant, there are a couple ways
that I know of. One way is to go back and start with growing different
"heirloom" OP varieties (like specific pumpkins and squash) and after years
(decades sometimes) of selection for certain traits, go through a series of
crosses and backcrosses, etc. Then produce a hybrid of the two, or continue
to add new strains or varieties to the mix, then make a hybrid. This of
course takes a long time. Another way might be to artifically induce
mutations using chemicals or radiation, etc. and find traits that appear in
the next generation that you want to keep in a line. Of course the latter way
can produce unpredictable and possibly negative genetic changes that might be
regressive, which you would not want. So it would still take a long time to
prove the variety. I used to know all of the details about the creation of
the Supersweet and Sugary Enhanced corn varieties (the SH2 gene, etc.), but I
forgot a lot of it, so maybe someone else can fill in the details, since I
wouldn't feel comfortable giving out info that I am not 99% (or at least 80%)
sure of.
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