Editing Open pollination (section)

==True-breeding definition==
"Open pollinated" generally refers to seeds that will "breed true". When the plants of an open-pollinated variety self-pollinate, or are pollinated by another representative of the same variety, the resulting seeds will produce plants roughly identical to their parents. This is in contrast to the seeds produced by plants that are the result of a recent cross (such as, but not confined to, an [[F1 hybrid]]), which are likely to show a wide variety of differing characteristics. Open-pollinated varieties are also often referred to as standard varieties or, when the seeds have been saved across generations or across several decades, [[heirloom_plant|heirloom]] varieties.<ref name="Ashworth1991">{{Cite book |last=Ashworth |first=Suzanne |title=Seed to Seed |date=1991 |publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing Co |pages=13–16}}</ref> While heirlooms are usually open-pollinated, open-pollinated seeds are not necessarily heirlooms; open-pollinated varieties are still being developed.

One of the challenges in maintaining an open-pollinated variety is avoiding introduction of pollen from other strains.  Based on how broadly the pollen for the plant tends to [[biological dispersal|disperse]], it can be controlled to varying degrees by [[greenhouse]]s, tall wall enclosures, field isolation, or other techniques.

Because they breed true, the seeds of open-pollinated plants are often saved by home gardeners and farmers.<ref name="Ashworth1991" /> Popular examples of open-pollinated plants include [[heirloom tomato]]es, beans, peas, and many other garden vegetables.