How do i hybridize plants from seeds?

Question

How do i hybridize plants from seeds?

Answer 1

To hybridize plants, you need to start a step before the seed. Hybridization occurs by the transfer of pollen from one species to the stigma of another species followed by fertilization and seed production. Of course, it isn't as easy as this ... there are lots of natural barriers (physical and chemical) that can prevent hybridization happening. The plants have to be fairly closely related because the chromosomes will not pair if they are not. If you succeed, the seeds produced will be hybrid plants.

Answer 2

There are different ways to make hybrids between plants depending on the plants. If you are working with self pollinated plants, such as soybeans or most small grains such as oats, you can plant the seeds of two different varieties and when they start to flower remove the male parts, or pollen bearing anthers, before they shed pollen. Then you collect pollen from the other variety and pollinate the protected female flowers. The resulting seeds will produce hybrid plants. For cross pollinated plants, like corn, you must first develop your own inbred lines by self pollinating corn plants for a number of years until you have pure inbred lines of corn. To make the hybrid you cross different inbred lines and you have seed that will produce hybrid plants.

Hybrid plants produced by crossing unrelated species, like another answerer referred to, are rare and usually will result in sterility of the offspring.