What the heck is F1?
S
eed packages and plants often carry the designation, F1 hybrid. This literally stands for “filial 1” or the first generation of plants from a cross pollination of two
different and genetically pure parents. While this cross breed- ing can happen in nature, in the seed industry it applies only to deliberately crossed plants. These deliberately crossed plants are developed through a
system of trial and error (based on knowledge, of course), are expensive to produce and so cost the consumer more. They often produce better volumes, bigger fruits or blooms and improved disease resistance. However, you cannot save seeds generation after generation, or if you do, then there is no guarantee that the offspring will come true to the parents. They usually do not, reverting to a mix of traits inherited from the grandparents. Often, F1 hybrid seeds are naturally sterile because the
cross has produced plants that have extra sets of chromo- somes. This is called polyploidy. Because cells have to divide evenly, the uneven numbers of chromosomes means the plant cannot produce the equal numbers of eggs and sperm cells in order to produce the next generation. However, crossing two polyploidy plants can balance the chromosome mix and produce plants that will produce viable seeds. F2 hybrids are the result of crossing two F1 hybrids. The progeny are even less stable than the F1s.
F1 stands for “filial 1”, or the first generation of a crossbred plant. Open pollinated or heirloom plants, while they are subject
to the vagaries of the wind and the pollination habits of their neighbours, can be saved generation to generation by gardeners. The negatives are lower yields, less disease resis- tance and smaller crops. In the 1990s, a company, now owned by Monsanto, devel-
oped a way known as GURT (genetic use restriction tech- nology) to ensure that all hybrid seeds could be rendered sterile. Dubbed “Terminator Technology”, the seeds of the second generation hybrid using this technology could only be stimulated to fertility through the use of a chemical trigger. However, GURT was a very controversial technol- ogy that was not commercialized due to great resistance by farmers, NGOs and first peoples. Hybridization is not all bad or good. It’s been nature’s
way to ensure diversification and humans have exploited this trait over hundreds of years to improve harvests and make more diverse and beautiful gardens. It’s just interest- ing to know how it all works. V
William Moore Farms Ltd. of Acme, Alberta, carries a wide variety of F1 ornamental grasses. Visit
williammoorefarms.ca to view their products.
www.localgardener.net
WINTER 2013
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