Topic: F1 Seeds.

[laurieuk]

Reading the comments about tomato and potatoe blight I find a query about using F1 Hybrid plants. I have grown F1 Peer Gynt sprouts for over 20 years with no problem what so ever. Is F1 being confused with GN crops or am I missing something. :-\ :-\

[DJEM]

F1 seeds are produced by cross-pollinating two pure strain plants (types that have been self pollinated for many generations to emphasize beneficial characteristics, but are therefore usually fairly weak). The resulting seed will produce plants that have these good characteristics, but as they have come from cross (rather than self) pollination they also have something called 'hybrid vigour' which usually produces excellent plants.

Some people are reluctant to use F1 seed as the characteristics that have been bred in are often aimed at commercial growers, and therefore may be less suitable for amateur growers - e.g. sprouts all maturing at the same time. Also, the process is far from natural which puts people off. The use of these F1 seeds, reduces the use of traditional or heirloom varieties which are open pollinated (by insects). Seed collected from F1 plants will not produce the same crop as the origninal F1 crop, as these have been open pollinated, and so are unreliable for collecting your own seed - you have to go and buy more seed the next year.

While the process of producing F1 seed is essentially manipulating the genetics of the plant (in much the same way as pedigree dog breeds have been bred over generations) it is not Genetic Modification as is understood by most - i.e. biochemically inserting genes into the DNA of a plant like Monsanto do with wheat etc.

I use some F1's and some open pollinated seed. Horses for courses.

Finally, I have a feeling that Peer Gynt is no longer available.

Dave

[Robert_Brenchley]

I avoid them as they tie the grower in to buying seed annually, while agriculture the world over has traditionally been dependent on people saving their own seed, resulting in a mass of locally adapted varieties. Dependence on bought seed has been part of a process whereby people in vary large numbers have been impoverished and forced off the land in favoour of the bigger guys who can afford to pay for seed, fertiliser, etc. All too often, they've then become dependent on varieties which were just unsuitable for local conditions. So I try to avoid them where possible, though I am growing F1 sweetcorn this year, due to having had mice go through all my seed.

[laurieuk]

I have heard this before about sprouts all coming at once,from  my experience over the last 20 years this is not so. I used to supply the sprouts used by a society exhibiting in the Tunbridge Wells show in Sept. and we would still pick sprouts from the same plants in Feb.I started picking last September and could go out now and still pick. You are right in thinking that Peer Gynt may not be on the market, so I have three packets in hand. When you consider the advantages I think they are well worth while the extra cash, as you do not need to grow so many plants to get the same crop of firts rate veg, but we all have our own thoughts on such things.

F1 seeds are produced by cross-pollinating two pure strain plants (types that have been self pollinated for many generations to emphasize beneficial characteristics, but are therefore usually fairly weak). The resulting seed will produce plants that have these good characteristics, but as they have come from cross (rather than self) pollination they also have something called 'hybrid vigour' which usually produces excellent plants.

Some people are reluctant to use F1 seed as the characteristics that have been bred in are often aimed at commercial growers, and therefore may be less suitable for amateur growers - e.g. sprouts all maturing at the same time. Also, the process is far from natural which puts people off. The use of these F1 seeds, reduces the use of traditional or heirloom varieties which are open pollinated (by insects). Seed collected from F1 plants will not produce the same crop as the origninal F1 crop, as these have been open pollinated, and so are unreliable for collecting your own seed - you have to go and buy more seed the next year.

While the process of producing F1 seed is essentially manipulating the genetics of the plant (in much the same way as pedigree dog breeds have been bred over generations) it is not Genetic Modification as is understood by most - i.e. biochemically inserting genes into the DNA of a plant like Monsanto do with wheat etc.

I use some F1's and some open pollinated seed. Horses for courses.

Finally, I have a feeling that Peer Gynt is no longer available.

Dave