Editing Open pollination (section)

==Uncontrolled pollination definition==
A second use of the term "open pollination" refers to  [[pollination]] by [[Insect#Roles_in_the_environment_and_human_society|insects]], [[Bird#Ecology|birds]], [[wind]], or other [[nature|natural]] mechanisms. This can be contrasted with [[cleistogamy]], closed pollination, which is one of the many types of [[self pollination]].<ref>Kearns, C.A.; Inouye, D.W. 1993. Techniques for pollination biologists. University Press of Colorado, Niwot, CO.</ref> 

When used in this sense, open pollination may contrast with '''controlled pollination''', a procedure used to ensure that all seeds of a crop are descended from parents with known traits, and are therefore more likely to have the desired traits.

The [[seed]]s of open-pollinated [[plant]]s will produce new [[generation]]s of those plants; however, because breeding is uncontrolled and the pollen (male parent) source is unknown, open pollination may result in plants that vary widely in [[genetics|genetic]] traits. Open pollination may increase [[biodiversity]].

Some plants (such as many crops) are primarily self [[pollenizer|pollenizing]] and also [[True breeding organism|breed true]], so that even under open pollination conditions the next generation will be (almost) the same. Even among true breeding organisms, some variation due to [[genetic recombination]] or to mutation can produce a few "off types".