Biodiversity within our food crops is essential for ecological sustainability. We have lost 75% of genetic diversity.

Open pollinated These seeds will grow a variety that willbreed ‘true to type’ from one generation to the next. The seeds produced willcarry their parents’ genetic material and plants grown from them will beartheir characteristics.

However, sometimes ‘cross pollination’ occurs. This is when pollen istransferred from one variety to another – from bees, for instance, visitingmany different blooms. This can cause quite significant variations from theparent plant, particularly in brassicas or squashes. Peas and French beansgenerally do not cross-pollinate.

F1 hybrid This is a variety deliberately created by crossingtwo different parent varieties. By combining their genetic material, thebreeder creates a seed which inherits particular characteristics from theparent plants. This could be disease resistance, for instance, or exceptionaltaste, size or colour.

Pollination is done under strictly controlled conditions.

F1hybrid seeds often show vigour in growth. However, the seeds saved from F1hybrid plants will not produce a plant with the same characteristics of theparent. The whole breeding process has to be done annually