I like the possibility of this scenario, i have no idea is it based in reality though or if anyone has attempted it.
So to make my point more clear. The modern landrace variety has to be in end phase, more monotone and not a beginners grex or hybrid swarm. Then it will be crossed with a local struggling heirloom doomed to dissapear together with the aging collectors who find it important. I like to think that after a few generations and mixing with a high dose of struggling heirloom we end up with a heirloom which is resistant to anything the modern times is throwing at it.
It would be a very strong argument against heirloom fanatics that hate the idea of modern landracing/ adaptation gardening and are horrified by the thought of mixing varieites if it would help them invigorate their struggling heirlooms in some cases.
I’ve not seen this topic discussed but maybe it has been somewhere , in that case i’d like to know where and what was said. All thoughts welcome.
I really have enjoyed researching and finding and then systematically crossing with the early modern tomatoes of my region over the last couple of years. These are tomatoes which were bred during an era when folks wanted mostly red short season tomatoes for a reliable crop for home canning here in Montana. My intent with them is to include them in double crosses incorporating three elements: including South American genetics for deep diversity, the early moderns as a source of local adaptation, and modern fancy and European/American heirlooms for their flavors / colors / and wow factors. So, in my view: incorporate that beloved heirloom from early on- no need to wait for the breeder’s grex to mature first- it might in fact be the phenotype source for the grex. If you really like its phenotype you are preserving it by reinvigorating its genotype. Or it may, as in my case, just have a few important characteristics that may make it useful in breeding. Like earliness or hardiness to local conditions.
Sounds like a great idea, Hugo. On a symbolic level (the level of human thought and feeling) what I think you’re proposing is a hybrid cross between “heirloom paradigm” and “landrace paradigm”. Those kinds of integrated differences can often work as bridges. It speaks to that part of heirloom gardeners that also like vigor, health, adaptation and tolerate some diversity.
If I were you I would work on finding a good name for that method. Maybe “Revived heirloom” or even “Resurrected heirloom” or “Reawakened”? I think that could be a really interesting project to work on.
I appreciate this kind of prompt for reflection and synthesis. I think Hugo’a scenario is similar, but distinct, from efforts to (re)establish a historic landrace as a diverse population in a place. I think about this with my “modern candy roaster squash” project.
In terms of terminology, I wonder if this is one of the situations when “adaptive” might be a useful term. Something like “an heirloom adaptation project” or “an adaptive heirloom variety.”