Dear Editor,
Re: “Growing Native Woody Plants From Seed”- Sept 15
Learning to preserve and grow our native trees and shrubs is a great opportunity to get started in the wider sphere of seed preserving. I would like to encourage this noble work and hobby to continue.
Preserving seed species is extremely important in preventing the loss of species not only in our native ecosystems, but also in farmed species important for our food. Imagine the fate of the Monarch butterfly with the loss of the milkweed from our ditches. What about the impact if several of the 40,000 rice species, of only which a few are actually farmed, contracted a devastating disease? Thousands of people would go hungry if there were no other rice species available to grow that were unsusceptible to the disease. (Look what happened to the beans in Jack and the Beanstalk; because he didn’t save them we lost access to the giants.)
Disease resistance is important for our plants. By preserving seeds, their genetic diversity and their value over genetically modified, but genetically weakened, plants is saved. When seeds, especially the old heirlooms die, their genetic information is lost. Forever.
I think this concept needs to be taught in our schools and to our children. Students need to learn, hands-on, the value of preserving the seeds. Planting seeds of stewardship now will reap a harvest for generations to come.
George DeBoer
