Why a Hass Avocado Seed Does Not Give Us a Hass Avocado Tree [video]
youtube.com
youtube.com
Mono-embryonic seeds are not true to type, which means their seeds will not grow fruit like their parent tree. Techniques like grafting, air layering, and cloning were developed to quickly scale editable fruiting types. They reduce the risk of having a plant that is non-productive, and accelerates the anticipated fruiting period vs from seed (most tree types will be 8-15 years before fruiting, while a clone can produce in as little as 3 years, but generally no longer than 5).
I've been going over avocado seeds to find proof of poly embryonic types as these: https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article-abstract/35/7/209/81...
Information for avocado's seems to be lacking, I have a quick reference for which citrus can/will grow true to type, however with avocado's, there is some research, but few points of use for home growers. If there's anyone that can point me to a good resource, I would appreciate it!
> Avocado seeds are largely mono-embryonc,
> they are a blend of the pollen from the flower, and the genetics from the parent tree.
Pollen carries genetics. Avocado seeds are a blend of genetics from both parent trees, instead of being clones of the mother tree.
In (many) polyembryotic plants, the mother inserts multiple clone alongside the (usually single) sexual embryo. (Interestingly, the mother can't produce seeds asexually, but can insert asexual embryos into the sexual seed.)
On our farm there are a bunch of wild apple trees that popped up outside the proper orchard over the years — and some are amazing. And some are trash - but the elk and the deer like them.
The way we discovered as a species which apples taste great, and which ones thrive in a certain area had a lot to do with ... growing a lot of different kinds of apples!
This isn’t my idea — I learned it from “Restoration Agriculture” by Mark Shepherd. His book was a big inspiration for us in even getting a farm in the first place, and his approach is to grow lots of trees from trees. Reason being that finding a well-adapted variety for your region — one that tastes great, thrives in your climate, and is resistant to the local pests and fungi — is very valuable! And one way to do this, if you have the land, is to simply plant a lot of stuff and see what survives.
Another reason is that eventually our beloved varieties succumb to environmental pressures. Pests and fungi become too well adapted. Climate changes, etc.
While the issue of “mess” with fruit trees can be real depending on where you live, trees are overall a good thing. I’m a proponent of planting the right tree for your environment. It’s likely to last longer, both because it’s well suited to the environment and also because humans are more likely to keep it around. But don’t be discouraged that a tree may not make edible fruit — it could still make a nice tree. And you may get lucky with a new and interesting variety!