Openbestuivend

Openbestuivend refers to a plant that is capable of self-pollination, meaning its pollen can fertilize its own ovules. This is in contrast to cross-pollination, where pollen from a different plant of the same species is required for fertilization. Open-pollinated plants are not genetically uniform like hybrids, and their offspring will retain the characteristics of the parent plants, assuming pollination occurs from another plant of the same variety. This makes them valuable for seed saving and maintaining specific plant lines.

The term "openbestuivend" is often used in the context of vegetable and flower breeding. When a plant is open-pollinated, seeds produced from it will generally grow into plants that are true to type, meaning they will resemble the parent plant. This is a key characteristic for gardeners who wish to save seeds from year to year. In contrast, hybrid seeds, often labeled as F1, are created by crossing two specific parent lines, and their offspring (F2 generation) will exhibit significant genetic variation, losing many of the desirable traits of the F1 hybrid.

The genetic stability of open-pollinated varieties allows for gradual improvement and adaptation to local conditions over generations through natural selection or intentional selection by breeders. This process is fundamental to traditional agriculture and the development of heirloom varieties.