Lack of pollinator diversity this year
dottiecarrano
8 years ago
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Sabji garden (7b), Raleigh NC
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Genetic diversity in the backyard flock
Comments (13)I have heard about those who breed the same sire to generations of the female line. I have done it. breeding rex rabbits in the 70s I usedf a certain superior male on 7 gens of his female progeny; I culled as best I knew at the time and produced a very good line which were super show animals. but i neglected to do a total study of traits and ended up with thin hock pads. I was ready to reach out for near relatives when a dog attack solved my breeding problems for me. I have for 40 years bred very close in all of my stock but have learned to cull severly and to evaluate the total animal. I work with a poultry scientist and a poultry geneticist as mentors and partners and rely heavily on their opinions while i do make the final decisions. my Sumatra line of bantams has been inbred for nearly 40 years now, my black Hamburg bantams, which we made from the ground up are totally inbred. both lines are superior in the show room, the Hams are super egg producers and health is top shelf. nearly a 100% hatch rate in the Hams and excellent with the Sumatras. No new or outside genetics in 10 years now, its a captive flock. My beagles were bred very close too, never a mating w/o " little Man" at least 2 times in any 7 generation pedigree. They just keep getting better. I never inbred my horses but my Scttish Highlands were inbred to some degree. My belief is that inbreeding is the best method of breeding to eliminate the bad genes. It does take a great deal of paper work and study/observation. dealing with larger animals is a harder game due to monetary value and time involved. A outcross to a totally inrelated animal or another breed will give momentary flushes of qualities such as rate of gain, milk production or vigor but a decrease is noticed in suceeding gens without a well managed culling criteria. A study of the holstein breed will show that many of the high producers are closelu related. No one should be afraid of inbreeding but it does take a great deal of study and mistakes can be very noticable. In all of my breeding of animals, the only monsters I have produced were from total outcrosses; inbreeding depression is seen in several ways, poor health, less milk, fewer eggs, lower sperm, and so on but it neednt be a severe problem if culling is properly practiced. I would say the easiest and probably the best way for average backyardes is to not inbreed until they are ready to reach a new level of study; a competent mentor is a great asset too. I have realized my share of mistakes but that is what makes me want to do better....See MoreLack of citrus diversity on a tropical island
Comments (3)I live in Southeast Florida and I have trouble growing Citrus. I have Honey Tangerine, Duncan Grapefruit, Valencia Orange, Persian Lime, Key Lime, and Meyer Lemon. I am constantly battling leaf miners, diseases, and dealing with poor production. The lemon and lime are the best performing of the citrus. If you google valencia orange, you should get a result from the University of Florida. The school has an excellent web-site dedicated to all kinds of Citrus. I would recommend mangos, avocados, bananas, and papaya trees for tropical zones. I have these as well and have absolutely no problems with them....See Morelack of seeds - pollination or genetic issue?
Comments (1)I think it could be either. some varieties I grow have far fewer seeds than others. john...See MoreLack of honey bees & other pollinators this year?
Comments (6)I can't exactly comment on this year vs. last, as this is our first summer in our "new" (97-year-old) house since we returned from GA. However... we seem to have a swarm (if that's the right term) of honeybees that have taken up residence under the soffits (sic?) at the corner of our house. I don't want to have them exterminated, but DH has an allergy to stings, and this corner is located right by our primary entrance to the house. Does anyone have ideas about what to do?? I'm thinking of Googling for beekeepers in our area, or could try the Regional Market honey guy... need to do something ASAP, as we have another swarm--of guests--descending on our house in a week's time. Mountainsong, in Jordan (central NY)...See MoreSabji garden (7b), Raleigh NC
8 years agoSabji garden (7b), Raleigh NC
8 years agoSabji garden (7b), Raleigh NC
8 years agoloisthegardener_nc7b
8 years agodottiecarrano
8 years ago
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