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Post by hmoosek on Sept 2, 2022 16:03:57 GMT -6
Sitting around thinking today. Below is that patch of cowpeas that I planted. I had 1 or 2 of several different varieties. So, I got to thinking, there’s a chance for a cross. Not let’s put on our supposing hat. I’m not a breeder and don’t know much about it. I’ve always took the seed that someone else crossed and then tried to stabilize it. Basically just growing it out and selecting what I liked. You know how some beans have pods with multiple colors of beans? I wonder if that could be done with cowpeas. Wouldn’t it be neat to have a variety that had multiple colors? Black, Cream, Red, etc.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Sept 3, 2022 17:51:08 GMT -6
Is that the official “Puny Pea Plant Patch?” It looks great. I was wondering about crosses when you posted about it. Would evidence of crossing show up in the pods this year, or would it only be in a grow out of saved seeds that you would know you had a cross?
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Post by hmoosek on Sept 3, 2022 18:14:24 GMT -6
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Post by macmex on Sept 5, 2022 6:55:11 GMT -6
Sometimes the cross isn't evident in the first seed which contains it. It shows up either in the plants or seed that come from that seed, hence it's called the F2 generation. The F2 plants are usually uniform in their form and productions (they're true bybrids) but anything grown from their seed will start to differentiate quite a bit. This differentiation can continue for several generations. I have some dehybridized marigolds which are on their fourth generation and I'm still seeing differentiation.
The more vigorous plant in your photo could well be an F2 hybrid. Some heirloom tomato growers automatically discard strikingly vigorous seedlings, assuming that they are crosses.
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Post by rdback on Sept 7, 2022 11:51:04 GMT -6
...Would evidence of crossing show up in the pods this year, or would it only be in a grow out of saved seeds that you would know you had a cross? hmoosek You would need to grow out the seeds you collect this year (F1). ALL of this year's seeds will look the same, and produce the same looking PLANT next year*. At the end of next year's season, you would collect F2 seed. That is where the differences begin to appear. At least that's my understanding.
Here's a LINK that may help explain. I know it uses tomatoes in the example, but I think it's the same concept for cowpeas.
* this is assuming that you started with pure seed for this year's plants. If you started with crossed seed (which you probably wouldn't know) all bets are off, lol.
Edit: The "F1" refers to the first filial generation. Filial is derived from the latin word filialis, which means "son". More than you wanted to know, I'm sure, lol.
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