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| I understand that planting seeds from a hybrid tomato will not produce the same tomato. But just how do developers ever get hybrid seeds to sell if crosses of the parent tomatoes can yield many different varieties? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by carolyn137 z4/5 NY (My Page) on Mon, Jul 22, 13 at 10:45
| The production of hybrid seed is what you're really asking about. The earliest hybrids such as Ramapo F1, Big Boy, F1 and Better boy F1 had but two parents but more modern hybrids can have up to 4 parental inputs in each of two breedinglines. I did a search about this topic, I know I've discussed it in detil here before and hopefully the 5 pages that resulted from the search willhelp. OK, maybe I'm being a bit lazy, but when I know a topic has already been discussed i guess I just don't want to do Carolyn |
Here is a link that might be useful: Hybrid Seed Production
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| Hey Carolyn, I really did a search for "hybrid seed" and "hybrid seed production" on this forum before I posted this question but didn't see a post that was asking this question specifically in the first few lines of the post. But tonight when I get home from work, I'll read through each of them! (grin) I'm with you, no need to rewrite what has already been written. If I can't find your post or an answer, I'll get back to you! Thanks. Glenn |
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| It isn't a simple question or answer and yes, there are previous discussions, one just last week as well as the whole Hybridizing forum here with info. Trying to simplify it means much gets lost in the process. But basically they get hybrid seeds by isolating/bagging the blooms, hand pollinating them, and growing them out over several generations while selecting for particular characteristics. There is a FAQ here that explains how to prevent cross pollination. Just click the blue FAQ button near top of the page. Dave |
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| Thanks, Dave. I will look that up. Guess I thought preventing cross pollination was referring to open pollinated or heirloom varieties, not hybrids, since I knew seeds from hybrids usually don't produce the same hybrid tomato. |
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| Still OP's question is not answered with clarity. Here I state it , maybe, slightly differently: Say XYZ corporation has developed (hybridized) a new tomato. Now they plant the seeds( THAT THEY ARE SURE WILL BE WHAT THEY EXPECT). OK, it turns out that they were right and the new plant(s) produce exactly the same kind of fruits they had in mind. |
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| amerique2, The simplest answer is that if you cross A and B you get C, a hybrid. A and B will always produce C. It is the seed from C that will give rise to different expressions of the gene sets. If you want more of hybrid C, you have to cross A and B again each time. The commercial process is more complicated with multiple breeding lines, but this is the basic idea. Jim |
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| seysonn - you are confusing F1 and F2 generations (much less F3) as well as mixing up hybrids and what are often called "stabilized hybrids" (began as a hybrid variety and after 100's of generations now breeds true - mostly). When you buy a reputable hybrid variety to grow it is labeled an F1, a first generation seed. When they need more F1 seeds to sell they go back and hand cross the parent stock again. They don't sell F2 seed and call it F1. So yes, when Joe gardener saves his own seeds they are now F2 seeds and may not breed true. Totally different things and explained in accurate detail in many of the links Carolyn provided. Dave |
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| Thank you all for your responses. I've read through the majority of links provided and learned quite a lot. I did a search and found another article, "Hybrid Seed Production of a Tomato" (link below). This article states "Both parents should be pure, being self-pollinated for more than 6 generations (this is called inbreeding). Parents are selected for their desirable traits (high yields, disease resistance, fruit quality, earliness, etc." Does the self-pollination for more than 6 generations result in a genetically identical variety? So that when crossed with another "pure" variety, it can be relied upon to produce a different variety 100% of the time??? Trying to reconcile probability. Guess I need to go back and review my genetics book from many years ago. I AM starting to realize the years and hard work that go into hybridizing a new variety. I think I will gladly pay the increased price if I choose to grow a hybrid tomato http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/mukeshkarnwal-1732869-hybrid-seed-production-tomato/ |
This post was edited by amerique2 on Tue, Jul 23, 13 at 2:57
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