Hybrid vigour and genetic bottlenecks

Raymondo · October 14, 2009

With the number of projects, large and small, going on, I began wondering about genetic vigour. I know that tomatoes are self-fertile, and certainly appear to be happy inbreeders.
This would suggest that there's little to be gained from hybrids. But I've noticed with my own crosses, and grow outs of other people's crosses, that these hybrids seem to exhibit what could be described as hybrid vigour. The plants are often vigorous and less disease prone than the OPs around them.
I wonder too about the effectiveness of home seed saving. Many homegardeners, me included, often save from just a single fruit from a single plant. I can't help feeling that by doing so we are creating genetic bottlenecks.
What do others think?

October 14, 2009	#1
Raymondo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Saumarez Ponds, NSW, Australia Posts: 946	Hybrid vigour and genetic bottlenecks With the number of projects, large and small, going on, I began wondering about genetic vigour. I know that tomatoes are self-fertile, and certainly appear to be happy inbreeders. This would suggest that there's little to be gained from hybrids. But I've noticed with my own crosses, and grow outs of other people's crosses, that these hybrids seem to exhibit what could be described as hybrid vigour. The plants are often vigorous and less disease prone than the OPs around them. I wonder too about the effectiveness of home seed saving. Many homegardeners, me included, often save from just a single fruit from a single plant. I can't help feeling that by doing so we are creating genetic bottlenecks. What do others think? __________________ Ray