Ever wondered what is meant by open pollinated seeds and hybrid seeds?
Open pollinated seeds (OP) are produced when two plants of the same variety mate and produce offspring.
If these plants are prevented from crossing with other varieties, OP varieties produce seeds that are true to type. This means the plants grown from these seeds will be similar (though not the same—they’re not clones) to their parent. Since pollination between plants isn’t strictly controlled, OP varieties are fairly genetically diverse, so they tend to show more variation. Over time, breeders have developed newer strains of OP varieties, selecting for better uniformity.
Heirloom varieties are OP strains that have been passed down from generation to generation, usually because they’re delicious.
In general, they haven’t been as carefully selected for specific traits, so they may exhibit more variation.
Now, let’s look at hybrid seeds (F1 or F2). F1 hybrid seeds are produced by carefully controlled cross-pollination of two distinct OP varieties within the same species.
The plants grown from F1 hybrid seeds tend to have desirable characteristics from both of its parents and are more reliable and uniform.
The label F1 denotes that the plant is a first-generation hybrid variety. In general, F1 hybrid seeds are intentionally created for specific favourable traits, such as disease resistance, earlier maturity, or uniformity. The plants also tend to show “hybrid vigour” and will be more productive and vigorous.
F2 hybrids are the offspring of a F1 hybrid variety, pollinated by hand or natural means—they’re the result of seeds saved from an F1 plant. Plants grown from F2 hybrid seeds are usually less vigorous and productive compared to F1 hybrids. They’re also inconsistent and not true to type—they may or may not retain the desirable traits of its parent. This is why F1 hybrid seeds must be purchased each year.
Hybridization is different from genetic modification. Genetically Engineered and Modified Organisms (GEO/GMO) have DNA (sometimes from non-plant organisms) inserted into their genome via genetic engineering techniques.
Hope this helps.
