Seed Preservation and Diversity / Preservación y Diversidad de Semillas
| Seed saving is an agriculture tradition where seeds from crops are stored for use the next year. Over time, selection of seeds best suited to the area changes the characteristics of the plants and their ability to grow in the given climate. There are machines that can clean the seed for storage purposes and are part of the agriculture infrastructure. Individual plants can also be cloned, by taking a part of the plant and allowing it to grow1. The USDA seeks to preserve genetic diversity of plants through gene repository centers located across the United States; these centers are located in different climate regions, including a center in Corvallis1.
Genetically modified organisms, on the other hand, are created in a lab and specific traits are altered within their genetic material2. |
Seed Preservation and Diversity / Preservación y Diversidad de Semillas Translation Needed
La traducción española para este sitio es un trabajo en curso. Redacte por favor cualquier gramática o las faltas de ortografía que usted encuentra. |
 Photo by Kimberlee Chambers |
References
1. US Department of Agriculture (1996) Seeds for Our Future: The US National Plant Germplasm System. Available at sun.ars-grin.gov/ (accessed July 2009).
2. Fernandez-Cornejo, J. & Caswell, M. (2006) The First Decade of Engineered Crops in the United States. Available at www.ers.usda.gov/ (accessed July 2009).