Understanding Hybrids


Tulip Praestens Fusillier Unicom
F1 results, but technically F2 hybrids (descendants of F1 or F2 plants). However, through consistent inbreeding as explained above, growers have been able to achieve good uniformity and then "repackage" their seeds as F1 hybrids. This is technically acceptable as the offspring will all be quite uniform and exhibit the desirable traits.

Tulips revisited
Now that we have a better understanding of hybrids, let's revisit the famous tulip one more time.

We have discussed hybrid vigor and exhibited how hybrid plants can be vastly superior to their species parents. However, in some cases extensive hybridizing can also have the opposite effects.

Tulips used to be great perennializers, meaning that they came back year after year without fail. Your grandmother probably had a group of white tulips for many years.

Today, most hybrid tulips will perform reliably for two or three seasons but then disappear requiring replanting with new bulbs. This trait is clearly not as desirable to the gardener and a lot of home owners would probably be willing to sacrifice stem height or flower color variety for some nice white tulips which you could count on year after year.

This is not to say that the trait is not cultivated or even unwanted. To growers who have to sell tulips this trait has probably not been culled out because it may not be entirely undesirable?

This just goes to show that some hybrid plants bring great vigor. Others bring less desirable traits which were better in the original species. Some gardeners would prefer offspring that "come true to type" while others enjoy the variability.

At least now you know enough to make your own informed decision regarding hybrids.

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Sources Used :

  • Holland.nl
  • Wikipedia.org
  • The Hybrid Dilemma, Thomas T.Watson
  • Basic Genetics, Introductory Genetics Notes, ekcsk12.org
  • "Let's Talk About Hybrids and Standards", by Sherry Rindels, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University.
The copyright of the article Understanding Hybrids in Seeds & Plants is owned by Kenneth Joergensen. Permission to republish Understanding Hybrids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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