4 ms·
> I wonder if it's the fate of any breed to eventually be bred for looks instead of taste. No, fruit trees are predominantly propagated by cloning, by grafting
by exDM69 5y ago
> I wonder if it's the fate of any breed to eventually be bred for looks instead of taste.
No, fruit trees are predominantly propagated by cloning, by grafting branches into a root stock. This method has been used already in prehistoric times.
New varieties are created by producing seeds, but then they are no longer called the same "breed". There is a big element of luck involved due to cross pollination and only specialized growers practice it.
The issue you mention is common in plants propagated through seeds, such as tomatoes and carrots. Modern tomato varieties are red, big, robust in transport... and tasteless.
- wincy 5y agoThere’s an interesting planet money podcast about the thousands of trees grown to find the honey crisp apple. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/05/27/410085320/episode-627-the-miracle-apple https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/05/27/410085320/epis...
- the__alchemist 5y agoI may be misinterpreting, but I think the comment you replied to implies natural(artificial?)-selection at the supermarket-selection level; not actual breeding of the trees.
- amanaplanacanal 5y agoIndividual branches have mutations, and those are cloned for new trees. Which is what the article is about. It doesn't take seeds to have this behavior.
- mcv 5y agoYet the article talks about breeding Red Delicious for looks and transportability. If it was only cloning, Red Delicious would still taste the same way it did way back then.