Is produce from hybrid seed the same as being genetically modified? One year I bought some hybrid tomato seeds. When I saved some seed from my harvested tomato and planted them the following year, they grew yellow and orange but none were red like the first year.
Every year we buy winter potatos from the farmer. 2 years ago, I noticed the potatos weren't the same texture, yet the farmer doesn't admit to changing anything. This spring, my mother in law seeded some of the left over potato's which grew normally, yet, now, when we cook them, they fall apart into soup in less than half the time. This didn't happen when we were using them throughout the winter? I'm wondering if they are hybriding the potatos too?
They are allowing and doing so much to our food, which they don't even have to tell us about?

Thanks Mark, I did find out with yellow and pumpkin orange tomatos? I can't recall if it said on the package that the seeds were hybrid? Do they have to label it if they are hybrids?

In Canada, vegetable and fruit produce does not have to be labelled as being genetically modified and therefore the public is unaware of what they are buying at the supermarket or eating at their tables. I seen a documentary following the news, and they were saying scientists aren't even sure if genetically modified food is safe for us. Its a long story and a scary one at that...I'm sure there is plenty of information about this on the internet. Grow organic, especially corn and potatos and then you can be assured of food that is healthy to eat.

Im pretty sure all F1s will be labeled, and most cost twice the price!

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Mark

Am I doing this copy/paste thing right?
Mine doesn't look as good as everyone else's.

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Lots of varieties started as hybrids. You can stablize them. Some are easier to stabilize than others. There is several places on the internet you can read about that. You plant several seeds and just pick the ones that have the traits of the original plant. And do this till most plants come true. At this time you have an OP variety. I buy from a variety of suppliers including Burpee. They offer some great hybrids along with some OP's. I know several out there that are stabilizing Brandy Boy. Some say they have it already. I don't know of any GMO hybrid tomatoes being offered. I could be wrong. Hope this helps some. JD

But what does open pollinated ACTUALLY mean?
As opposed to closed pollinating?
This gets me confused, and so does the difference between genus, variety, cultivar, hybrid, species, etc.
If someone can jump in and make it all make sense I would really appreciate it.

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Originally posted by Deborah L.:
But what does open pollinated ACTUALLY mean?
As opposed to closed pollinating?
This gets me confused, and so does the difference between genus, variety, cultivar, hybrid, species, etc.
If someone can jump in and make it all make sense I would really appreciate it.

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quote:

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op(open pollinated)that means that a particular cultivar can be grown from seed and will come back "true to type." In other words, the next generation will look just like its parent.

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Deborah, what were you doing in class when they were teaching about open and closed pollinations...you must have been busy chatting with me and not paying attention, because I'm a little confused about it too. All I can remember is learning about cross pollination, but open and closed???..
Comfrey thanks for explaining the open pollination, so I take it, that closed pollination is not true to type and does not look like it's parents...have I got it right this time?

There really is no such term as "closed" pollinating. Open pollinated really means that no outside intervention(human, bees,etc.) is needed for the variety's F1 generation to grow the same characteristics(true) as the parent. Hybrids have two different parent plants and are pollinated mechanically by humans.

As far as stabilizing hybrids goes, there is more to it than just randomly picking offspring. You need to bag blossoms, isolate the plants or use some other means of preventing cross-pollination or you will be just fighting a losing battle trying to get the variety you want. Stabilizing hybrids takes years and lots of work and careful note taking before they sucessfully become open-pollinated. But it is true that anyone can create their own variety by crossing their own choices of parents with just a little knowledge of biology.

In another forum I am taking part in cross-hemisphere dwarf tomato breeding project to attempt to broaden the colors and shapes of available open-pollinated dwarf tomato varieties. By having people to grow-out successive generations of seed in northern AND southern hemispheres of the planet(specifically Australia and USA), it allows you to grow 2 generations in ONE calendar year rather than just one and cuts the time it takes to stabilize the offspring in half. The project just started this past spring and already the F2 seeds are germinating in Australia as they are entering spring as we are entering Fall here in the USA. Its very interesting.

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John - Zone 6

Deb, I wouldn't use the word "clone". It also needs SOME environmental conditions for the flowers to become properly pollinated, namely wind....And btw, I am generally referring to tomato plant pollination. Other plants can be somewhat different....

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John - Zone 6