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Blue Corn and Square Tomatoes

W

wordwiz

Has anyone read this book? A guy was telling me about it and how hybrids have changed foods. I can probably borrow a copy from the library (they are supposed to have two of them) but before I do I wondering if it is good reading.

Mike
 
dont know anything about that book. but hybrids have changed everything in the WHOLE food chain - be it fruits,vegetables,livestock, or just the plain fact that humans exsist & because of that we alter food products in several ways, even w/o making a effort to make hybrids, it happens!

hybrids are not new, hybrids have been around since the dawn of time. all plants & animals are hybrids, they've evolved (aka hybrid) on their own to survive or become better, only the strong survive!

you can also say genetically altered animals/livestock have been around for decades, cloning animals is new but still its genetically altering the animal which we've been doing for YEARS!! already.

hybrids are nothing new! grab your fork & knife & enjoy LOL
 
As I said, I have not read the book. But a google search of the title was interesting - tomatoes have evolved because a person (I think his name is Davis) wanted to find a way to make harvesting tomatoes more efficient. He threw tomatoes on a road and the ones that didn't splatter he saved and cultivated seeds from. This led to thicker skinned tomatoes that harvesters and trucking doesn't destroy.

Blue corn has a very low yield, with stalks that fall over, don't have a uniform size, yada, yada, yada. Dent corn came from the Blue Corn.

Which brings up an interesting question - how can one offer heirloom seeds? Aren't they heirlooms of hybrids?

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Which brings up an interesting question - how can one offer heirloom seeds? Aren't they heirlooms of hybrids?

Mike
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The hybrids can be stabilized after X generations of culling plants with undesirable traits and only breeding those with the traits you want. How many generations would depend on the how many and what specific trait you were selecting for, some are going to be simple dominant/recessive traits, but others may be governed by several genes, etc.

So, what did your friend tell you about how hybrids have changed foods?
 
I saw something on public television that blew my mind on this subject.

Hundreds of years ago ther were 2-3 kinds of cow. Man has bred them over the years until now there are like 550 specific breeds.It is amazing that some of them came from the same animal they are so different!

And cauliflower is the same plant a slike 40 other vegetables. I want to say asparagas, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage , kale and turnips.

Different traits and different parts of the plant were focused on for unnatural selection.(man's intervention)

Cabbage and cauliflower were once the same plant. Crazy!
 
So, what did your friend tell you about how hybrids have changed foods?
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Pretty much what you would expect, besides the idea of blue corn (which use to be the dominant variety) and tomatoes that could withstand mechinical harvesting. Bigger varieties, types that are resistant to diseases or grow better in some climates. Basically, better living through breeding! :oops:

Mike
 
Maybe. Sometimes quality or flavor is sacrificed for durability and disease resistance.

Or in the case of Chinese cresteds, something that natural selection should have eliminated is actually been kept around for people's amusement.
 
cheezydemon said:
Or in the case of Chinese cresteds, something that natural selection should have eliminated is actually been kept around for people's amusement.
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Humans have a long history of meddling with the rest of nature for their "amusement"....
 
just as you all know chiles can cross pollinate with other chiles on their own & create new forms of chiles. just like the rest of the plants & trees they can take it on themselves to create hybrids all in the name becoming a better plant. same as for animals they've become hybrids.

IMO hybrids & evolve is so close to being the same thing, you say a hybrid is no longer a hybrid after awhile & then its just a normal species, well same goes for evolution of plants/animals.

that corn you eat nowadays is not the same corn brought to the new world (USA) back in those days we didnt have the technology to create better corn strains. the corn did this its self by adapting to the conditions it was grown in.

the word "hybrid" is just a word that basically means humans purposely had their hands in creating that type of plant or animal. other than that everything is a hybrid from some original stock.

& to take it one step farther, you could also say we humans are creating better hybrid humans. if you dont think so I think you should take a very hard look around in the ways we are doing this because it is happening! not on a grand scale (yet) you can pick the genes (well not genes but traits from sperm donors) you want for your baby, come on thats making a hybrid human IMO! finding the genes that give you diseases & eliminate those genes from our body.etc....


oh yea cheezy that chinense dog is one UGLY dog! I like molosser types.
 
i've heard that on average we've been getting taller (clearly i'm bringing down this average...) over the last thousand years or so, cuz we all think tall is pretty. but at the same time we're de-evolving due to technology, like before if you couldn't see well you generally died pretty quickly but now you just go to lenscrafters and you're cool in about an hour.
i think evolution also considers mutations, not just hybrids tho.
 
GrumpyBear said:
i've heard that on average we've been getting taller (clearly i'm bringing down this average...) over the last thousand years or so, cuz we all think tall is pretty.
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Hmmm not me, a petite 5 ft 2 inches.
 
Yeah Daisy well said, I love being little, the best things come in small packages. Maybe we can't fight loads of 5 year olds but some of them might be the same size as us ;)
 
rainbowberry said:
Yeah Daisy well said, I love being little, the best things come in small packages. Maybe we can't fight loads of 5 year olds but some of them might be the same size as us ;)
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, you say that now; but the first time you need something off the top shelf you'll be all. "Pam, can you get that?"

And at out first annual The Hot Pepper Monster Mash, when imaguitargod starts sassing his betters, you'll be all, "Pam, can you bitch slap him, please?"
 
nah, we'll take him out at the ankles. that's where you tallies are weakest...

RB - i'm just gonna pretend you said grumpy, it kinda sounds like daisy ;)
 
rainbowberry said:
Maybe we can't fight loads of 5 year olds but some of them might be the same size as us ;)
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Are you referring to the infamous 2+2 forum thread? If not, here is the link for your amusement / debate

How many 5 year olds could you take at once?

The thread itself is priceless, and having the debate with friends over a poker game is equally amusing (at least if you have a warped mind like me).

FWIW, I find myself more attracted to short women.
 
If it makes you feel any better Pam, I'm not in the position to be choosy and I wouldn't turn someone down based on their height. I'm sure you could find plenty of things you don't like about me :)
 
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