Editorial: “Seeding Our Future”
From small beginnings, to big developments. It is the seed. The ultimate blueprint. Just add water and behold!
The economic importance of seeds cannot be over-stated -or, over-looked! Globally, 95% of our food comes from seeds. And, about 250 species of seeds are used for human and livestock consumption. The 6 most important seeds are: rice, barley, wheat, oats, maize and rye.
To be sure, seeds are a natural treasure, a national asset, and a world heritage. In addition to food, essentially, our entire pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and medical industry, has evolved around the use of plants. Accordingly, and for our own security, various seed repositories exist world-wide, to ensure that the all-important genetic material is not forever-lost or destroyed. It is a matter of our very survival.
There is a tremendous difference and variation among seeds, but they all contain the ‘magic
and miracle’, within. The coconut is one of the world’s largest seeds weighing-in on average at 3lbs, 1 ounce. In contrast, there are approximately 500,000 tobacco seeds per ounce!
As for beverages, the coffee bean (or seed) has us ‘by the hip’, in that world-wide consumption is a ‘mere’ 2.25 billion cups a day! That’s a lot of seed -and aroma. And, more than a ‘hat trick’ for Tim Horton.
Not all seeds come true-to-type when planted due to genetic variation (recombinant DNA). Therefore, many important crops are the result of controlled crosses or hybrids. In addition, saplings -such as tree fruits and grape vines, make use of the various forms of grafting and are referred to as clones, to ensure the desired effects and results.
Please read-on as this issue explores the world of seeds and saplings. Welcome to Norfolk Farm News, Issue #27. We hope you enjoy it, if you would like to receive a paper copy of this issue please contact Dave at dougls@kwic.com