Seed Saving presentation 2 (2)

SEED

MATTERS

“� I have great faith in a seed.

Convince me that you have a

seed there, and I am prepared to

expect wonders.” — Henry David Thoreau

• Native Seeds/SEARCH Seed School, Bill McDorman, Jill Hought, Rowen White

• Science is Beautiful, Faculty of Science, Charles

University , Prague

• Seeds: Time Capsules of Life, Rob Kesseler, Wolfgang

Stuppy, Alexandra Papadakis, Sir Peter Crane

SEED MATTERSThe Basics of Seed Saving and Why It Matters

• Why

• What

• When

• How

• Cleaning

• Storage

• Viability

• Breeding

• Seed Libraries

• Resources

“The greatest service which can be rendered to any country is

to add a useful plant to its culture.” - Thomas Jefferson

A Little History

About 7,000 different species

of plants have been raised as

food crops in the history of

human agriculture.1

1 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Agricultural Biodiversity: Introduction. 2005

Original agricultural diversity

Loss of diversity

• 10,000 years of domestication

• Selected for desirable traits

• Specific adaptation to peculiarities of

local climate and environment

• Favorable traits bred into other

varieties

• 90 percent of our historic fruit and

vegetable varieties have vanished

Loss of diversity

• Philippines: from thousands of

varieties of rice to about 100

• China: 90 percent of the wheat

varieties cultivated just a century ago

are gone

• Half of the world's food varieties

have disappeared in past century

• Disease or climate change? Severe

gene pool reduction

Loss of diversity

+

Irish Lumper Phytophthera infestans

=

One variety + one lethal organism =

Loss of diversity

Loss of diversity

+

Banana, Gros Michel Fusarium oxysporum

=


Loss of diversity

?

First thought Cavendish was immune,

now infected in Asia and Middle East

Loss of diversity

+

Wheat, spring or winter Puccinia graminis (UG99 )

=


Loss of diversity

?Wheat stem rust, Puccinia graminis (UG99 ), is

affecting wheat in Africa, Asia and Middle East

Loss of diversity

?

Roughly 90% of world’s wheat is

defenseless against UG99

Wheat stem rust, Puccinia graminis (UG99 ), is

affecting wheat in Africa, Asia and Middle East

Only the best survive?

Loss of diversity

Only the best survive?Depends on trait selection:

Loss of diversity


• Yield

• Durability

• Appearance

• Herbicide resistance

• Pesticide production

Loss of diversity


• Yield

• Durability

• Appearance



• FLAVOR

Loss of diversity

Uniform and red, but relatively tasteless

Not uniform and red, but definitely delicious!


• Yield

• Durability

• Appearance



• FLAVOR

• Texture

Loss of diversity


• Yield

• Durability

• Appearance



• FLAVOR

• Texture

• Fragrance

Loss of diversity


• Yield

• Durability

• Appearance



• FLAVOR

• Texture

• Fragrance

• Disease resistance

Loss of diversity

Loss of Diversity

• Farmers and gardeners have

deferred the role of ‘creator’ to plant

breeders and confined themselves

to role of ‘users’

• Who knows best and cares more

about what will work in your specific

location?

Why

Why Save Seeds

• Fun

• Satisfying

• Challenging

• Saves money

• Easy to share

Why Save Seeds

• Helps develop plants

adapted to local conditions

• Develop seeds that thrive in

low-input organic systems

• Opportunity for stewarding

heirloom varieties

Why Save Seeds

You can play a part in

shaping the availability of

tasty, productive

vegetables and flowers

that are specifically

adapted to our organic

systems and our region

What

Some vocabulary

• Open-pollinated – any variety that breeds true when

crossed with its own variety

• Hybrid – a variety created by the crossing of two

different varieties (often labeled as F1). Does not

breed true

• Self-pollinated (selfers) – a plant that usually

reproduces using its own pollen

• Cross-pollinated (crossers) – a plant that usually

reproduces using the pollen of another plant. Can

only occur within a species.

Some vocabulary

• Heirloom – open-pollinated plants that have been

cultivated for generations. Usually applied to varieties

that pre-date 1945

• Annuals – plants that complete their life cycle in one

year, from seed to seed

• Biennials – plants whose life cycle requires two

years; growth the first year, seed production the

second

• Perennials – plants that live more than 2 years; may

be short-lived or long-lived, most produce seed during

life cycle

Some vocabulary

• Cultivar - short for cultivated variety, i.e. Purple

Graffiti, Snowball, Amazing are all cauliflower

cultivars

What to save

Be sure that the variety you select is

open-pollinated.

Hybrids do not breed true so the

generation grown from your collected

seed will likely be different than the plant

from which you collected it

Hybrid seeds must be identified on the

packet (hybrid or F1)

What to save

Start with self-pollinating varieties like:

lettuce* cilantro*

beans** fennel*

peas ** poppies*

tomatoes** dill*

* These varieties can be planted close together and produce lots of seeds

** These varieties may occasionally cross if planted very close to another variety

What to save

As you gain experience move to out-crossers:

peppers corn

cucumbers squash

melons carrots

beets spinach

brassicas onions

These varieties will cross readily and more care needs

to be taken to ensure that they are isolated to avoid

cross pollination with other cultivars in their species

What to save

Out-crossers have isolation requirements:

• distance

• time

• mechanical

Good candidates for breeding!

What to save

An interesting sub-class of out-crossers are

the biennials:

beets carrots

cabbage kale

Brussel sprouts onions

parsnips parsley

These varieties make seeds their second year so

number of plants wintered over will be small, reducing

opportunity for crossing (a type of time isolation).

What to save

Which plants are best candidates?

• desirable traits

flavor, size, hardiness, early maturity, late

bolting, vigor, yield, etc.

• consider plant health, not just fruit size

• earliest maturation

• greatest number of individual plants

• mark plants designated for saving

What to save

Which plants are best candidates?

• don’t give plants special treatment

• variety preservation has significantly

different requirements

When

When to gather seed

Seeds depend on stored nutrients

To ensure good germination and plant

vigor wait to gather seeds until they

are mature

Larger, plumper, heavier seeds are

usually more vigorous

When to gather seed

Two main categories:

• Wet-seeded (fruit with moist flesh)

• Dry-seeded (fruit dries and turns

brown when seed is ready

When to gather seed

Wet-seeded (fruit with moist flesh)

• Tomatoes

• Eggplant

• Peppers

• Cucurbits

When to gather seed

Wet-seeded fruit

• choose when slightly overripe

• choose healthy fruit (no mold, etc)

• don’t let flesh dry around seeds

• tomatoes/cucumbers/melons

benefit from fermentation

When to gather seed

Dry-seeded (fruit dries and turns brown

when seed is ready)

• Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, etc.)

• Legumes (peas, beans, etc.)

• Grains

• Sunflowers, many other flowers

When to gather seed

Dry-seeded fruit

• gather before they shatter (lettuce,

peas, okra, onions, cabbage family)

• leave corn, beans on plant until

dry, if possible

• frost won’t hurt dry seeds

• store in dry protected place until

threshing

How to clean seeds

Cleaning seeds

• Less critical for home gardeners

• You decide how much chaff you

can accept (less is better)

• Different methods for wet and dry

seeds

Cleaning seeds

Wet-seeded fruit

• If seeds are ‘dry’ when extracted

(like peppers) simply remove,

label and dry for 1-2 weeks

• If seeds are ‘slimy’ (like tomatoes)

fermentation is needed to remove

germination-inhibiting coating

Cleaning seeds

Wet-seeded fruit fermentation

• Label sturdy paper cup with date,

variety and any notes

• Squeeze pulp and seeds into cup

• Add water only if necessary

Cleaning seeds


• Cover with cheesecloth secured

with rubber band, optional

• Let sit until mold formation (3-5 days)

• Pour off anything floating

• Don’t leave in liquid after mold forms

– can germinate, hard on viability

Cleaning seeds


• Rinse seeds, drain in sieve

• Return to labeled paper cup until

completely dry (2 weeks)

• Put in labeled seed envelope with

pertinent notes

• Store consistently cool and dry

Cleaning seeds

Threshing and winnowing are ancient

methods for extracting dry seeds

from their pods or husks

We still use variants of these

methods today

Cleaning seeds

Threshing is a way of applying

pressure to the dried fruit to break husk

and release seeds

Winnowing applies wind to remove

chaff (broken pieces of seed pod and/or

husks)

Cleaning seeds

Dry-seeded fruit threshing

• small amounts can be shelled by

hand

• thresh larger quantities by tying

seeds in pillowcase then whacking

the pillowcase with a flail

Cleaning seeds

Cleaning seeds

Cleaning seeds

Another home threshing method

• Tie seeds in old pillowcases (or an

old sheet sewn into a tube)

• Turn on some music and let a

couple of small children loose to

stomp

• Adults are too heavy – might

damage seed

Cleaning seeds

Dry-seeded fruit winnowing

• Use windMother Nature

hair dryer (no heat)

fan with variable speeds

• Use seed screens with graduated

mesh sizes

How to store seeds

Storing Seeds

2 important words

Storing Seeds

COOL & DRY

Storing Seeds

• Seeds are alive!

• Vigor closely tied to original seed quality

• Seed storage conditions have greater impact on viability than age

• Humidity and temperature are critical– as temp and humidity rise seeds metabolic

rate increases, seed switches on and off

Storing Seeds

• Consistent conditions are more

important than either variable

independently

• For each 18 degree drop in temp and

1% drop in seed humidity the life of

the seeds doubles– important to dry seeds properly before storage

Storing Seeds

• Application to home seed storage

• Most consistently cool and dry location

– No garages

– No sheds

– No car trunks

– No boxes in the garden

– No plastic envelopes left in the sun

Storing Seeds

• Drying seeds (Hooray for Idaho!)

– For ‘wet’ seeds - allow to dry on

ceramic plate or in paper cup for 1-2

weeks or more

– For ‘dry’ seeds – same drying time

– Storing seeds that are not adequately

dry can drastically reduce viability

Storing Seeds

• Drying seeds (Hooray for Idaho!)

– Seed snaps when bent

– Pack into paper (or plastic) envelopes

– Can use desiccant, if desired

– Store consistently cool and dry

• Can freeze if confident in seed moisture

content (desiccant is helpful here)

Storing Seeds

• Seed Storage Rule of Thumb:

The sum of the relative humidity and

temperature in the storage area

should equal less than 100

i.e. if the storage humidity is 50% then

the temperature should be less than

50 degrees

Storing Seeds

CONSISTENTLY COOL

& DRY

Checking Viability

Checking Viability

• You know your seeds’ storage

conditions

• Few things more frustrating than

bad seed

• Vigor closely tied to original quality

• Even under good conditions seeds

have storage life limits

Germination Test

1. Label paper towel, then dampen

2. Count out 10 seeds (20 is even better)

and place on towel

3. Roll up paper towel with seeds inside

4. Place inside an unsealed plastic bag

Note that

date is

on bag

6. Check every other day for 1-2

weeks (or longer if germination

time is lengthy)

5. Place in a warm spot (not over

85 degrees)

7. Calculate germination percentage

# of germinated seeds x 10 = germ. %

3 x 10 = 30%

8. Adjust sowing rate if germ rate <70%

Breeding Adventure

Teosinte

Glass Gem

Chiltepin

Mendel garden

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)

“Until recently, all gardeners and

farmers saved their own seedP”

Carol Deppe

“Pamateur plant breeding was

the only kind of plant breeding

there was.”

Carol Deppe

http://www.richmondgrows.org/create-a-library.html

Pima County Libraries

Seed Saving Resources

SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE www.seedsavers.org

INT’L SEED SAVING INSTITUTE www.seedsave.org

VEGETABLE SEED SAVING www.howtosaveseeds.com

A HANDFUL OF SEEDS: Seed-saving and Seed Study for Educators

EARTHLY DELIGHTS FARM www.earthlydelightsfarm.com

HIGH ALTITUDE GARDENS www.seedstrust.com

BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOMS www.rareseeds.com

NATIVE SEED/SEARCH www.nativeseeds.org

SEEDS OF CHANGE www.seedsofchange.com

SEED SAVING RESOURCES

Seed Savers Exchange Planting &

Seed Saving information

Vegetable Planting and Seed Saving Instructions

Arugula (Eruca sativa) - Planting: Sow seeds outdoors as soon as soil can be worked and danger of hard frost has passed. Plant seeds 1" apart and ¼" deep. Seeds will germinate in 5-7 days. Thin to 1-6" apart. For a continuous supply of arugula, sow every three weeks throughout the summer. Best grown in cooler weather. Plant in full sun or partial shade.

Seed Saving: Arugulas will cross-pollinate. Separate varieties by ¼ mile. Allow plants to bolt and form seed stalks. Seed heads may need to be protected from bird damage and rain when drying on the plants. Seeds are produced over a 2-3 week period and will require repeated harvesting.

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) - Planting: Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Plant seeds 2" apart and 1" deep in rows 36-48" apart. Beans prefer full sun. Provide support for pole beans. Harvest snap beans frequently for increased yields. Shell beans should be picked when seeds are plump in the pods. For dry beans, leave pods on the vine and harvest when completely mature and dry.

Seed Saving: Bean flowers are self-pollinating and almost never cross-pollinate. As a precaution never plant two white seeded varieties side-by-side if you intend to save seed because crossing may occur but not be visible. It is always best to save seed from plants that ripen first and are free from disease. Harvest seed pods when completely dry, crush in a cloth or burlap sack, and winnow the seeds from the chaff.

Seed Savers Exchange Planting &

Seed Saving information

Vegetable Planting and Seed Saving Instructions

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum/pimpinellifolium) - Planting: Sow seeds indoors 6 weeks before last frost. Plant ¼" deep. Seeds will germinate in 7-14 days. Transplant outdoors 24-48" apart when soil has warmed. Support indeterminate plants with a cage or trellis. Tomatoes prefer full sun.

Seed Saving: Cross-pollination between modern tomato varieties seldom occurs, except in potato leaf varieties which should be separated by the length of the garden. Do not save seeds from double fruits or from the first fruits of large-fruited varieties. Pick at least one ripe fruit from each of several plants. Squeeze seeds and juice into a strainer and wash, spread on a paper plate, and dry.

Turnip (Brassica rapa) – Planting: Sow seeds outdoors as soon as soil can be prepared in spring. Plant seeds ¼-½" deep and 2" apart in rows 24" apart. Seeds will germinate in 7-14 days. Thin to 4-6" apart. Sow every 2 weeks for continuous harvest. Quality and flavor are best if harvested when weather is cool. Turnips prefer full sun to partial shade.

Seed Saving: Biennial. Varieties must be separated by ½ mile from all other Brassicarapa when going to seed. Will overwinter in mild climates if well mulched. In northern climates trim leaves to 2" and store roots in sawdust or sand in a root cellar. Roots will store 2-4 months at 32-40° F and 90-95% humidity. Replant in the spring and harvest seed heads when dry.

References• Seed to Seed, Suzanne Ashworth

• The New Seed-Starters Handbook, Nancy

Bubel

• Breeding Organic Vegetables: A Step-by

Step Guide for Growers, Rowen White and

Bryan Connolly

• Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties, Carol

Deppe

• Growing Garden Seeds, Rob Johnston,

Johnny’s Selected Seeds

The world has become increasingly

dependent upon technology-driven,

one-size-fits-all solutions to its

problems. Yet the best hope for

securing food's future may depend

on our ability to preserve the locally

cu lt ivated foods o f the past.

Rejoin the Ritual

What are you doing today that will have relevance in a thousand years?

Seed Saving presentation 2 (2)

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