A new study, conducted by the University of Florida, on heirloom cabbage production sheds light on how different crop management systems affect seed quality. The research highlights the potential for sustainable and resilient farming practices to enhance seed quality for this prized variety. The work is published in the journal HortScience.
Heirloom cabbage, valued for its rich flavor, genetic diversity, and adaptability, is a staple in organic and sustainable farming systems. The study focused on comparing the impact of various crop management practices, including conventional, organic, and integrated systems, on the production of high-quality seeds.
On-farm seed production is the practice of farmers producing, saving, and disseminating seeds directly from their own crops. On-farm seed production of open-pollinated crops was standard practice throughout most of our agricultural history.
Factors such as the advent of hybrid varieties, intellectual property protections, and extensive consolidation within a once-diverse global seed industry have contributed to the substantial decrease in on-farm seed production. Resultant erosion of technical knowledge related to seed production and storage practices, particularly in farming locales outside of traditional seed production areas, may have also contributed to the precipitous decline of this practice.
Read more at Phys.org