PDC LESSON 3.4 SEEDS – SCIENCE OF SEED SAVING

 

PERMACULTURE COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY

PDC LESSON 3.4 SEEDS – SCIENCE OF SEED SAVING

 

Science of Seed Saving

Pollination

Pollination occurs in plants when pollen from the male parts of the flower is deposited on the female parts of the flower. In most of our vegetables, herbs and flowers, the male and female parts are in the same flower. These are called complete flowers.

Exceptions to this are members of the cucurbit family and corn, where the male and female parts are on the same plant but in different flowers.

These are called monoecious.

Asparagus have male and female plants, and these are called dioecious.

 

Self-pollination

In some complete flowers, self-pollination occurs before the flower even opens. Lettuce, tomato, and okra have the female part of the flower so close to the male part of the flower that the slightest wind movement, even from a passing bird, causes the pollen to drop into the receptive stigma (the female part).

In peas and beans, self-pollination occurs before the flower even opens.

This is called automatic self-pollination.

Text from the roots, Elisabeth Ferkonia (Aus.) PDC studied with Bill Mollison,