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Open Pollinated is a term applied to plants and seeds.
These are the seeds that mankind has used for all of his history, and continues to use.
The "open" means pollinated by traditional methods -- wind, water and bugs -- rather than deliberately in a controlled environment by hand, one plant at a time, as is the case with hybrids.
While they may not have the look, uniformity, high yields or general vigour that hybrid plants have, some people feel that plants from open-pollinated seed still have better flavour. Selections from each successive generation can be done based on how well particular plants from that crop flourish and produce in the climate in a particular region, and thus sub-varieties emerge.
Not many new Open Pollinated varieties are being produced. Because the seed from a crop can be saved and re-used for free, without going back to the supplier for next year's seed, there is no money for the supplier to re-invest in further development.
The plants will grow true to seed.
Many people prefer Open Pollinated Seed as a "political act" against large profit-making companies selling PVP or hybrid seed. Ironically, much of the encouragement to buy Open Pollinated Seed comes from companies selling Open Pollinated Seeds -- for profit.
Other entries for Technical Terms
Accolade, Acetic Acid, Air-Layered, Alliumophobia, Alum, Alveograph, Ascorbic Acid, Best Before Dates, Biologique, Butyric Acid, Carbonic Acid, Carnauba Wax, Chocolate Bloom, Collops, Cracker Barrel, Cucina Casalinga, Cultivar, Deipnophobia, Dioecious Plants, Du Jour, Dunking, Etiolation, EU Designations, F1, Firkin, Free-Range Chickens, Free-Range Total Freedom, French Revolutionary Calendar, Gastrique, Gâte-sauce, Gomme Arabique, Hybrid, Invaiatura, Kosher, Lachanophobia, Lime (Chemical), Listeria, Lye, Mageirocophobia, Maillard Reaction, Open Pollinated, Ostraconophobia, Oxalic Acid, Pack Date, Pavé, Phosphoric Acid, Plant Variety Protection, Pome, Potassium Nitrite, Potluck Suppers, Punnet, Quinine, Rifilature, Scald (Fruit), Sell-By Dates, Sodium Nitrite, Stufatura, Sunday Roast, Traditional Free-Range, Turophile, Use-By Dates, Yatai, Ye Shi, Yearling, Yuuki
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