Difference between open pollinated seeds and Hybrid seeds

There are so many differences between open pollinated seeds and hybrid seeds. Firstly, let us know about a seed and how it is important for nature. A seed is a reproductive structure containing a fertilized embryonic plant in an arrested state of development. It is in dormancy until sown. Seeds vary in color, shape, size and texture.

There are three types of seeds. They are Open pollinated seeds, Hybrid seeds, Genetically modified seeds or GMOs.

Open pollinated seeds

Pollinated by natural means (wind, insects, birds). Either within the same flower or between 2 flowers of the same plant. They are classified into two types. Heritage seeds and Heirloom seeds.


Features:

Can be saved. They create pure seeds that are similar in characteristics to the parent plant.

Able to adapt to a specific local environment.

To maintain varietal purity, they require isolation while growing.

Naturally resistant to pests.

Vigorous and need less water. High-yielding in right conditions. Most cost-effective.

Hybrid seeds

Produced by pollinating 2 or more open-pollinated varieties in the laboratory, for promoting specific characteristics of the parent plant(s).

Features:

Usually high-yielding, compared to the parent; since the plant’s energy unused for reproduction is used for its growth.

Hybrid varieties do not reproduce true-to-type. They cannot be saved.

They are expensive as they need to be purchased for every sowing.

They result in a loss of biodiversity as they do not preserve the properties of the parent open-pollinated plants.

Hybrids typically require corrosive chemical fertilizers and pesticides with intensive irrigation.

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Farm Update April 2020

This month April 2020, we didn't grown much for the farmer markets.

We grown few bottle gourds, okra, cucumber for the Kitchen.

These are bottle gourds round variety which are growing well.

This month we setup a small plot for food security nearly 5 to 6 cents. We planted cow pea, pigeon pea, Ber tree seeds, purple beans, curry leaf, Jasmine flower plants and hibiscus flower plants.

Sown chilly kanthri variety and brinjal green variety  seeds in a small bunds for saplings propagation. After getting saplings will transplant to the raised bed.

First the ber tree seeds, second the brinjal green variety seeds, third the chilli kanthri variety seeds.

Need to mention the chilli kanthri variety seeds. You can harvest chillies for two years. First color of this chilly will be white, when it ripes it turn to red. Moreover it is more spicy than other chillies.

The purple beans which yields beans in high quantity and it is a dwarf and short term crop of about 2 months.



10 rows for food security

Would like to sow seeds of perrineals and trees as much as I can in this plot.

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How to create Indian food forest part IV vegetables

This article is a continued from How to create Indian Food forests. Here is a list of vegetables you can add for your food forest.

Pigeon pea

The pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan, family fabaceae) is thought to have originated in India, where it is still widely grown as a food crop. It is also used extensively as a cover crop, green manure, inter crop etc. in many sustainable farming systems in the tropics and subtropics, and in many home gardens in warm climates.

Brinjal

Eggplant is a high-fiber, low- calorie fruit that's used  as they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds. Egg plants grows well in warm weather. Usually you will see flowers coming in the plant in about 40 days after the planting. There are many varieties of brinjal where you can choose according to shape at taste.

Okra

Okra, also known as gumbo or ladies fingers, is a warm-season vegetable. It is a good source of minerals, vitamins,. antioxidants. Additionally, okra is low in calories and carbs and contains some protein and fiber. There are many varieties of okra; the most commonly found are green and white. Green okra is shorter and slightly stubby when compared to white okra.

Cherry tomatoes

The cherry tomato is a type of small round tomato believed to be an intermediate genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up to the size of a golf ball, and can range from spherical to slightly oblong in shape. Cherry tomatoes are bite-sized tomatoes that grow quickly, ripen early, and are good for you. The cherry tomato plant is one of the most popular plants to grow because it is easy to grow and produces a harvest quickly.

Bottle gourd

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is an annual, vigorous, climbing vine with large leaves and white flowers. Bottle gourds come in various shapes and sizes. The plant grows quite quickly and vigorously, spreading over large areas. There are so many varieties of bottle gourd where you can choose them accordingly.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae and is grown primarily as a vegetable or ornamental plant. Pumpkin plants are short lived annual or perennial vines with branching tendrils and broad lobed leaves. The plant produces large yellow or orange flowers and a pepo fruit (berry with a thick rind) known as a pumpkin.

Ridge gourd

Ridge gourd is a very important Indian vegetable crop and it can be grown throughout the year. Ridge gourd plants need a lot of water. And because they grow in full sunlight the soil can dry out very fast. Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range from 6.5-7.5. Season Planting spreads during July and January. You can also grow them in balconies and terrace.

Cow pea

It grows best in hot areas and can produce a yield of one ton seed and five tons hay per hectare with as little as 300 mm of rainfall. Cowpea is a food and animal feed crop grown in the semi-arid tropics covering Africa, Asia, Europe, the United States, etc.. Forage cowpeas are herbaceous annual legumes, with spreading to fairly erect habit, growing 50 to 100 cm high. There are few varieties of cow pea to choose from. Even you choose climber variety of cow pea.

Indian beans

There are so many varieties of Indian beans you can choose from perrineals to annuals. Choose accordingly to your climate conditions.  Happy farming :)

Not only this you can choose other veggies such as chilli, sponge gourd, gherkins, cucumbers, etc ... Which are suitable for your location.

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How to create Indian Food forests Part III Perennials

Perennials plays major role in food forests. Perennials are plants which lives more than two years. In this article we are covering few easy to grow Perennials which don't require much maintenance.

Agathi spinach or August tree

August tree is the English name and agathi keerai is the Tamil name. The August tree Leaves, stem, root and flower of August tree leaves are used for medicinal purposes. The agathi leaves can be consumed in the form of juice, cooked spinach or medicine. The thin stem is used as a ingredient for good health medicines in siddha and ayurveda. You can also grow them in grow bags.

Moringa tree

Moringa is a genus of shrubs and trees with multi-purpose uses. Its leaves roots and immature pods are consumed as a vegetable. All parts of the moringa tree such as bark, pods, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, roots, and flowers are edible. The leaves are used fresh or dried and ground into powder.

Malabar spinach

Malabar spinach is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. It is found in tropical Asia and Africa where it is widely used as a leaf vegetable. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. It is a vine, where leaves are used for cooking. The cooking procedure is same as that of regular spinach. Stem cuttings about the length of 20 cm preferred over seeds for natural propagation, and faster growth. Being a vine, it requires trellising for its spread. It bears white or white-pink color tiny flowers depending upon the species and purple to black color berries.

Cluster beans

Cluster beans plant prefers tropical environment. It is a short lived perennial and live up to only 2-3 years. In India and Pakistan it is planted after summer in monsoon, during rain when humidity level increases.

Lablab beans / Indian field beans

Lablab beans are good sources of the amino acid, lysine, and as such complement the generally low lysine content. Lablab is a multipurpose legume. Its immature seeds and pods, and young leaves are edible and cooked as vegetables.

Mint / Pudhina

Mint is also know as mentha or Pudhina. Mint is one of the herbs that has it all. It grows like a weed, is perfectly safe for use, and is an excellent remedy for reducing symptoms related to digestion. And it tastes good going down.

Are some of the few Perennials you can have in your food forest. And the next posts vegetables for your food forest. Be tuned 😊
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