Hybrids A hybrid results from the controlled pollination of one genetically uniform variety with the pollen from another genetically uniform variety. A grower (seed company or hybridizer) chooses male and female parents with specific traits and characteristics to produce a brand new offspring variety. Parents may be selected for disease resistance, earliness, unformity, color or flavour depending on the qualities sought after for the new variety. The pollination is done by hand, and it is very labor intensive to produce the quantities of seed needed for mass marketing. That is one reason that hybrid seed is usually more expensive than open-pollinated varieties. […]