The Burpee Seed thread kind of got off track so let's discuss it here instead.
It appears that some folks are confused regarding what comprises each of these catagories, especially when it comes to seed selection. I will however state again that a home gardener cannot buy GMO seed, even if they wanted to... only very large producers that are under contract & tight control. Anyone that states otherwise is either misinformed or intentionally misleading for ulterior motives.
So lets open this & talk about what 'type' of seeds are available to us & then discuss GM in a little bit... Basically, there are only 2 types of seeds available to consumers, heirlooms & hybrids:
Heirloom plants or seeds refer to any type of seed that has been grown for a number of years (since 1940 or before seems to be the general rule) & passed down from gardener to gardener. Heirloom plants are 'open pollinated', which means the plants are pollinated without human intervention, so by wind or insect pollination. Plants grown from heirloom seeds may not be as predictable as hybrid plants, but many gardeners prefer them for their flavor. Many also appreciate the idea of preserving the vegetable’s heritage.
Examples of heirloom corn varieties include ' Golden Bantam', 'Trucker's Favorite' & 'Dent' aka 'Field Corn'
Hybrid plants are created when breeders cross-pollinate different plants in order to maximize their best features, such as yield, size, resistance to disease & taste. Seed saved from hybrid plants isn't likely to produce a new generation with the same qualities. Instead, the second generation may look something more like one of the parent plants used to create the hybrid. Hybrids tend to be reliable & will produce uniform produce – and a lot of it, generally – but you may lose out on flavor. You will have to shell out money next year to buy new seed.
Examples of hybrid corn varieties include ' Peach & Cream', 'Breeders Choice' & 'Kandy Korn'
