F1 hybrid

Production of Hybrids

• F1 hybrids are produced by crossing genetically different plants to obtain hybrid seeds.
• In agronomy, F1 hybrids are derived from two-parent cultivars through inbreeding and selection for predictable genetic effects.
• Historically, a high percentage of corn and sugar beet planted in the US in 1960 were F1 hybrids.
• Beans and peas are not commonly hybridized commercially due to automatic pollination processes.

Types of Hybrids

• F2 hybrids result from self or cross-pollination of F1 hybrids.
• F2 hybrids lack consistency but may retain desirable traits.
• Some seed companies offer F2 seeds at a lower cost as they are produced more cheaply than F1 hybrids.
• Consistency is less critical in bedding plants with F2 seeds.

Advantages and Disadvantages of F1 Hybrids

• Advantages include homogeneity, predictability, higher performance, and hybrid vigor in interspecific breeding.
• Disadvantages include lack of hybrid vigor in F2 generation, costliness of inbreeding, and simultaneous maturation affecting harvesting.

Hybrid Production in Plants

• F1 hybrids in plants are created through controlled pollination with parent plants having predictable genetic effects on offspring.
• Inbreeding and selection for uniformity are essential in F1 hybrid production, with breeding stock inbred until homozygosity exceeds 90%.
• Techniques like hand pollination or male flower removal are used to prevent self-fertilization.

Hybridization in Animals

• F1 crosses in animals can involve inbred lines or closely related species.
• Examples include mules (horses and donkeys) and offspring of domesticated-wild hybrid breeds classified by filial generation.
• Species hybridizations can occur due to various factors like small population size, habitat fragmentation, and interferences, influenced by visual, chemical, and acoustic cues.

F1 hybrid Data Sources