Only a few of the many varieties of potato are commercially grown; others are heirlooms.
An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit (Australia and New Zealand), or heirloom vegetable (especially in Ireland and the UK) is an old cultivar of a plant used for food that is grown and maintained by gardeners and farmers, particularly in isolated communities of the Western world.[1] These were commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but are not used in modern large-scale agriculture.[citation needed]
In some parts of the world, it is illegal to sell seeds of cultivars that are not listed as approved for sale.[2] The Henry Doubleday Research Association, now known as Garden Organic, responded to this legislation by setting up the Heritage Seed Library to preserve seeds of as many of the older cultivars as possible. However, seed banks alone have not been able to provide sufficient insurance against catastrophic loss.[2] In some jurisdictions, like Colombia, laws have been proposed that would make seed saving itself illegal.[3]
Many heirloom vegetables have kept their traits through open pollination, while fruit varieties such as apples have been propagated over the centuries through grafts and cuttings. The trend of growing heirloom plants in gardens has been returning in popularity in North America and Europe.
^Whealy, K. (1990). "Seed Savers Exchange: preserving our genetic heritage". Transactions of the Illinois State Horticultural Society. 123: 80–84. Archived from the original on 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
^ abPowledge, F. (1995). "The food supply's safety net: If global agricultural crises occurred, could the international germplasm community survive a run on its genebanks?". BioScience. 45 (4): 235–243. doi:10.2307/1312415. JSTOR 1312415.
^"Colombia farmers' uprising puts the spotlight on seeds". Grain. 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
An heirloomplant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit (Australia and New Zealand), or heirloom vegetable (especially in Ireland and the UK) is an old cultivar...
tomato. They are classified as family heirlooms, commercial heirlooms, mystery heirlooms, or created heirlooms. They usually have a shorter shelf life...
Rutgers University. Retrieved 3 January 2022. Male, Carolyn J. (1999). 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 9780761114000...
generation, making seed saving practical for the home gardener or farmer. Heirloomplant conservationist Amy P. Goldman calls the San Marzano "the most important...
of the oldest varieties of pumpkin in existence and are known as an heirloomplant. One of the most popular Halloween pumpkins, Connecticut field pumpkins...
philanthropist, and advocate for seed saving and heirloom fruits and vegetables. She is one of the foremost heirloomplant conservationists in the US. Goldman has...
a non-profit organization based near Decorah, Iowa, that preserves heirloomplant varieties through regeneration, distribution and seed exchange. It is...
food. While almost all foodstuffs are derived from the natural products of plants and animals, 'natural foods' are often assumed to be foods that are not...
Fruit Collection Heirloomplant Seed library "What are the National Collections?". Plant Heritage. Retrieved 16 October 2023. "Plant Heritage, registered...
societies. Plant Heritage's patron is The Prince of Wales. In 2010, the television gardener Alan Titchmarsh became president of the charity. Heirloomplant List...
disease. Modern hybrids focus on improving disease resistance over the heirloomplants. Various forms of mildew and blight are common tomato afflictions,...
Retrieved 19 October 2015. Clark, Melissa (13 March 2015). "Know Your Heirloom and Ancient Grains". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 October 2015. Dan...
(yellow/wax), 50 days, heirloom Royal Burgundy (purple pod), 55 days Stringless Green Pod, heirloom Triomphe de Farcy, 48 days, heirloom Algarve Blue Lake...
Conservation movement Gene bank Gene pool Germplasm Heirloomplant Index Seminum International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Knowledge...
showpiece garden. The Green Mountain College organic garden with many heirloomplantings has become a campus showpiece. A performance or composition which...
greenhouse gas emissions of organically farmed plant-based food were lower than conventionally-farmed plant-based food. The greenhouse gas costs of organically...
days (heirloom) 'Eastland', 68 days 'Jackson Wonder', 68 days (heirloom, seeds brown mottled with purple) 'Dixie Butterpea', 75 days (heirloom, two strains...
days (smooth seeded) Tom Thumb / Half Pint, 55 days (heirloom, extra dwarf) Thomas Laxton (heirloom) / Laxton's Progress / Progress #9, 60–65 days Mr. Big...
leading to reduced reproduction. Backcrossing Heterosis ("hybrid vigour") Heirloomplant Marschall S. Runge; Cam Patterson, eds. (2006). Principles of Molecular...
has been subdivided into the following operations: Hydroponics, growing plants in a water and nutrient solution usually in a substrate such as coconut...
v t e Non-GMO Labels Non-GMO USDA Organic Heirloomplant Organizations The Non-GMO Project Movements Natural food Organic movement Ecological farming...
Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2015. [Heirloomplant "Pirurutong at Tapol / Purple and White Glutinous Rice"]. Market Manila...
preppers), subsistence farmers, and enthusiasts of local food, slow food, heirloomplants, and traditional culture. Root cellars are for keeping food supplies...
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