Oh wow I didn’t realise that! Mine are doing fine indoors and with no misting, but with all the plants here, the humidity is probably fairly high. But this is also good news for the UK environment. So that. enthuses me for my pennellii crossing projects!
Yeah, I remember this advice from you and this is what I’m trying to do now with other SI systems. Do you like my idea of using different SI systems for different lines, to keep them separate?
I haven’t grown many habrochaites plants this year, but I do have… hmm, maybe 10~15 or so? And that’s 4 different accessions. So I could try starting a hab cross project too, along those lines. But part of what I’m doing is just trialing these 4 accessions to see which does best here. So maybe I would be best to follow your principle of letting the population adapt to my environment first.
I have one pennellii that I’m not sure if is SC or SI. So I labelled one branch and vibrated the flowers, and will make sure to leave it alone, keep it away from other pollen. Since it’s indoors, if fruit sets then it should be SC.
I suppose I am thinking that if we lump everything together, we get only 1 product. But the world has diverse tomato needs, in terms of climate; taste; size; and a few other things. So I see a potential benefit in developing different lines. For example, cherry tomatoes and large beefsteak tomatoes. Or fresh eating; paste; storage; and self-drying. Or specific lines for Northern areas with low light, cold, and short season, vs. hot bright climates. Or reds, and orange. So I do see benefit of making separate lines. And whilst tomatoes suited to different climates could easily be on the same SI system since they won’t be grown together; if someone wants to grow both cherry tomatoes and large beefsteaks for example, then if they’re 100% outcrossing and grown in the same garden, and compatible with each other, then it won’t be long before they no longer have 2 separate crops, and soon enough (even if it takes several years) they will presumably not only have a mixture, but rather, the population might end up with all medium tomatoes, no?
So do you not see this as a disadvantage of using only 1 SI system? I mean, if the majority of people who want to grow tomatoes, have needs that are not being met by what SI tomatoes are available, then I would assume they will not grow them. But I have the sense that there is potential for this need for somewhat distinct lines to be served by SI tomatoes.
That belief is contradicted by the fact that SC pennellii can pollinate SI peruvianum. Interestingly, SI peruvianum is said to be unable to pollinate SC pennellii. This is a reversal of the common ‘rule’. But yes, I understand that usually, SC species can’t pollinate SI wild species.
But aside from wild species, this does not answer my question about your wild-domestic hybrids. Have you tried manually pollinating them with SC wildings or SC Q-series, for example? If so, what was the result? It would make sense that that would not work, but I was specifically interested in the experiential evidence, if there is any. I would be grateful to hear an answer on that if you’ve tried. Thanks!
I would assume that would be the case with exserted populations of pimp., che. and gal. Though perhaps that same trait is what has been leading Galapagos species to be diluted by pimps and lycs, endangering those species. Well, ‘endangering’ is a subjective term, but anyway, it does perhaps relate to the issue I refer to. And if the resulting hybrids are not exserted, then perhaps that locks them down to the dangers Joseph mentions, directing them to inevitably homologous chromosomes and freezing adaptability.
I will propose an hypothesis. Suppose 2 seedling appear in the population, both equally strong, but one exserted, the other inserted. In later generations, the inserted stays strong, whereas the exserted undergoes further crosses, the offspring of which are less strong. The inserted comes to dominate, and eventually takes over.
Now that would not happen in every case. But I hypothesise that such a mechanism could lead to the eventual dominance of insertion. Which is the danger I have speculated as the one I would like to avoid.
I suggest that insertion may act to enforce that principle.
Out of interest, have you seen that with exserted accessions? Though an affirmative answer will not counter my hypothesis.
Are you saying that some wild populations have multiple SI systems function in the same crossing population?
This highlights my point. Many people like to save seed and would like the same or at least similar tomatoes to what they grew before. With high outcrossing and compatibility, they mix. Do you see what I mean about the potential benefit of having mutually incompatible lines?