seed crop stategies

FIELD LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS

F O R V E G E T A B L E S E E D P R O D U C T I O N

SEED CROPS ONLY SEED CROPS & CROPS FOR MARKET?

• Layout your field

crops then follow

this method in

spaces left

• Create a

designated seed

garden

OPEN POLLINATED - HEIRLOOM

French Charentais

OPEN POLLINATED – FARM SELECTED HEIRLOOMS OF THE FUTURE

Dave Christensen’s

Painted Mountain corn Frank Morton’s lettuces

SEED CROP CLIMATES

• Cool season, Dry seeded crops • Table beets, chard, spinach, many mustards, siberian kale,

rutabaga, parsnips and cilantro

• Warm season, Dry seeded crops • Radish, most kales, collards, cabbage, lettuce, peas and

fava beans

• Hot season, Dry seeded crops • Garden beans, dry beans, lima beans, edamame, carrots,

onions and sweet corn

• Hot season, Wet Seeded crops • Summer and winter squash, cucumbers, melons,

watermelons, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

WISH LIST

Excel

• 1 Hot pepper

• 1 Sweet pepper

• 1 Winter squash

• 1 Summer squash

• 1 Pumpkin

• 2 tomatoes

Little Bit Challenging

• 2 Corn

• 2 Peas

• 4 Beans

• 1 Carrot

More Challenging

• 2 Lettuce

• 1 Beet

• 1 Chard

FIELD LAYOUT ON BLANK SPREAD SHEET

10 feet ↑ ←

5 feet 110 feet long x 90 feet wide North Prevailing winds

KNOW YOUR CROP’S MATING SYSTEM

Selfers

• Aka inbreeders

• Plant self fertilizes

• Offspring very similar to

parent as all genes

come from one parent

Crossers

• Aka outbreeders

• Plant fertilizes a

different plant

of same species

• Offspring are

genetically different

than both parents

Strongly

Inbreeding

Strongly

Outbreeding

Very inbreeding – lettuce, pea, tomato (modern) endive

Primarily inbreeding – tomato (heirloom& potato leaf), sweet

pepper, lima bean, common bean

Both inbreeding and outbreeding – hot pepper, runner bean

Primarily outbreeding – squash, cilantro, carrot

Very outbreeding – radish, beet, kale, watermelon, corn

WISH LIST

crossers

• Beet -VO

• Chard - VO

• Carrot - VO

• Corn - VO

• Sweet pepper - BIO

• Winter squash - PO

• Summer squash - PO

• Pumpkin - PO

selfers

• Peas - VI

• Lettuce - VI

• Beans – PI, BIO

• Tomatoes – VI, PI

• Sweet pepper - PI

• Hot pepper - BIO

KNOW YOUR PLANT’S LATIN NAME

• Scientific name

• Genus, specific epithet = species

• Daucus carota

Wild chicory, wild amaranth, wild lettuce, wild radish

WISH LIST BY SPECIES

• Hot Pepper

• Capsicum annuum

• Capsicum baccatum

• Capsicum frutescens

• Capsicum pubescens

• Sweet Pepper

• Capsicum annuum

• Carrot

• Daucus carota

• Winter Squash

• Cucurbita pepo

• Cucurbita maxima

• Cucurbita moschata

• Summer Squash

• Cucurbita pepo

• Tomato

• Solanum lycopersicum

• Solanum pimpinellifolium

SPECIES LIST

• Common bean • Phaseolus vulgaris

• Fava bean • Vicia faba

• Lima bean • Phaseolus lunatus

• Runner bean • Phaseolus coccineus

• Corn • Zea mays

• Beet • Beta vulgaris

• Swiss chard • Beta vulgaris

• Pea • Pisium sativum

• Lettuce • Lactuca sativa

ISOLATION REQUIREMENTS

Isolation is the practice of keeping your seed

crop from coming into contact with the

pollen of other plants of the same species in

order to ensure minimal contamination of

your seed crop’s genetics.

ISOLATION BY DISTANCE

Selfers Crossers

Beans

Peas

Lettuce

Peppers

Tomatoes

Beets

Corn

Carrots

Cucumbers

Squash & Pumpkin

ISOLATION DISTANCES FOR SELFERS

Seed Crop Min distance own use Min distance

commercial

Tomato, modern 10 ft 20 ft

Tomato, potato leaf or

heirloom

40 ft 160-320 ft

Tomato, currant 160 ft 320-640 ft

Pepper, sweet 160 ft 320-640 ft

Pepper, hot 800 ft 0.3 – 0.6 mi

Lettuce 10 ft 20 ft

Pea 10 ft 20 ft

Bean, common 10 ft 20 ft

Bean, fava 800 ft 0.3 – 0.6 mi

Bean, lima 40 ft 160-320 ft

Bean, runner 800 ft 0.3 – 0.6 mi

Anther Tomato Flower Pistil

MODERN or HEIRLOOM

CROSSERS – INSECT POLLINATED

Crop Type Min distance own use Min distance commercial

Broccoli 1600 ft 1-2 mi

Cucumber 1600 ft 1-2 mi

Okra 800 ft 0.3 – 0.6 mi

Hot pepper 800 ft 0.3 – 0.6 mi

Squash 1600 ft 1-2 miles

CROSSERS – WIND POLLINATED

Crop Type Own Use Commercial Use

Corn 1600 ft 1 – 2 mi

Beet 3200 ft 1 – 3 mi

Chard 1600 ft 1 – 2 mi

Spinach 3200 ft 1 - 3 mi

WISH LIST

crossers

• Beet -VO

• Chard - VO

• Carrot - VO

• Corn - VO

• Sweet pepper - BIO

• Winter squash - PO

• Summer squash - PO

• Pumpkin - PO

selfers

• Peas - VI

• Lettuce - VI

• Beans – PI, BIO

• Tomatoes – VI, PI

• Sweet pepper - PI

• Hot pepper - BIO

BEANS - 4

common bean, Phaseolis vulgaris (bush)20'

runner bean, Phaseolis coccineus, (pole)800' common bean, Phaseolis vulgaris (pole) 20'

common bean, Phaseolis vulgaris (bush) 20'

10 feet ↑

5 feet 110 feet long x 90 feet wide North

PEAS - 2

beans

climbing pea 20'

runner bean pole bean

bush bean

10 feet ↑


LETTUCE - 2

beans

climbing pea

lettuce 20' lettuce 20'


bush bean

10 feet ↑


TRELLISING

• Trellis all peas regardless of height

• Rebar cut to 4 foot lengths and chicken wire

• T-posts and 6 feet of chicken wire for climbers

• Trellis pole beans

• T-bar, 8 foot lengths every 9 feet.

• Run wire top and bottom and run strings between.

TRELLISING

• Trellis all peas regardless of height

• Rebar cut to 4 foot lengths and chicken wire

• Trellis pole beans

• T-bar, 8 foot lengths every 9 feet.

• Run wire top and bottom and run strings between.

LETTUCE - 2

beans

climbing pea

lettuce 20' lettuce 20'


bush bean

10 feet ↑


TOMATOES - 2

beans

tomato 20'- 640' (modern or known variety)

climbing pea

lettuce lettuce


bush bean

tomato 20'- 640' (modern or known variety)

10 feet ↑


BEETS & CHARD

• Beta vulgaris

• Biennial

• Year one plant

• Year two seed

• Opportunity

• Plant roots

• Sow seed

BEETS & CHARD

bush bean

chard, Beta vulgaris 1-2 miles, sow seed (year 1)

tomato

climbing pea

lettuce lettuce


bush bean

year 2 beet

tomato

10 feet ↑


SQUASH - 1 WINTER, 1 SUMMER & PUMPKIN -1

• Cucurbita pepo

• Acorn, crookneck, scallop, zucchini, spaghetti, many

pumpkins, delicata, small striped and warted gourds

• Cucurbita moschata

• Butternut, black futsu, cheese, golden cushaw

• Cucurbia maxima

• Banana, buttercup, hubbard, turban and many giant

pumpkins

• Lagenaria siceraria

• Hard shelled gourd

OTHER PLANTS TO WATCH OUT FOR

• Cucurbita pepo

SQUASH & PUMPKIN

bush bean

winter squash 1-2 miles, Cucurbita moschata - Waltham Butternut

year 1 chard

tomato

climbing pea

lettuce lettuce


pumpkin 1-2 miles, Cucurbita maxima - Dill's Atlantic Giant

bush bean

year 2 beet

tomato

summer squash 1-2 miles, Cucurbita pepo -Black Zucchini

10 feet ↑


PEPPERS – 1 HOT, 1 SWEET

• Hot Pepper (0.3 - 0.6 mile) • Capsicum annuum

• Capsicum baccatum

• Capsicum frutescens

• Capsicum pubescens

• Sweet Pepper (320-640’) • Capsicum annuum

PEPPERS

bush bean

hot pepper, Capsicum annuum in tunnel

Cucurbita moschata - Waltham Butternut

year 1 chard

tomato

climbing pea

lettuce lettuce


Cucurbita maxima - pumpkin

bush bean

year 2 beet

tomato sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum, 160'

Cucurbita pepo - Black Zucchini

10 feet ↑


PHYSICAL BARRIERS

PHYSICAL BARRIERS - BAGGING

Agribon

PHYSICAL BARRIERS CAGING & ALTERNATE DAY CAGING

• Selfers

• No insects needed

• Crossers • Some need insects for

pollination

• Bees or flies (bluebottle)

• Alternate day caging

PHYSICAL BARRIERS - TUNNELS

Peppers under Protectnet

• With Pollinators - crossers

• Without Pollinators - selfers

PHYSICAL BARRIERS HAND POLLINATION

CARROT -1

bush bean

hot pepper, Capsicum annuum in tunnel


year 1 chard

tomato

climbing pea

lettuce lettuce


carrot in tunnel with insect netting?


bush bean

year 2 beet

tomato sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum


10 feet ↑


CORN WISH LIST - 2

bush bean

hot pepper


year 1 chard

tomato

climbing pea

lettuce lettuce


corn - own use 1600 commercial 1-2 miles


bush bean

year 2 beet

tomato sweet pepper


10 feet ↑


ISOLATION - TIME

• Crops flowering at

different times.

• Plant early and late

varieties eg. corn

• Set transplants out

and then seed eg.

Sunflowers

• Start crop under

tunnels to give

advantage - carrots

Earthwalker sunflower

CORNTAMINATION

POPULATION SIZE

Retain

Genetic

Variability

Remain

True to Type

POPULATION SIZE - SELFERS

• Selfers adapted to self fertilization. Deleterious

genes weeded out over many generations

• Lower poulation #’s required

• 10 – 20 plants VI (very inbreeding)

• 40 plants BIO (both inbreeding & outbreeding)

• # after rogueing

POPULATION SIZE - CROSSERS

• Crossers suffer from inbreeding depression

• Higher population numbers required

• 80 plants most crossers

• 200 plants onion, corn carrot

• Exception cucurbits, 10-20 plants

• # after rogueing

POPULATION SIZE

bush bean (10 -20 plants)

hot pepper (40 plants)

Cucurbita moschata - Waltham Butternut (10-20 plants, 80 better)

year 1 chard (80 plants) sow 200

tomato - 10 -20 plants

climbing pea (10-20 plants)

lettuce (10-20 plants) lettuce

runner bean - 40 plants pole bean

corn - (200 plants)


bush bean

year 2 beet (80 plants)

tomato sweet pepper (10 - 20plants)

Cucurbita pepo - Black Zucchini (10 - 20 plants, 80 better)

10 feet ↑


WISH LIST

Excel

• 1 Hot pepper

• 1 Sweet pepper

• 1 Winter squash

• 1 Summer squash

• 1 Pumpkin

• 2 tomatoes

Little Bit Challenging

• 2 Corn – only 1

• 2 Peas – only 1

• 4 Beans

• 1 Carrot -none

More Challenging

• 2 Lettuce

• 1 Beet

• 1 Chard

FIELD LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS

• What is growing nearby

• Wide row spacing

• Rows in line with prevailing winds

• Trellis/support many crops

• Protection from fall rain

• The use of mulch

• Pollinator habitat

• Refugia for beneficial

insects

seed crop stategies

Food