| Thursday Tips: Organic Seeds |
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| Written by Heleigh Bostwick Thursday, 28 March 2013 | |||
 There’s no doubt that organic gardening is the way to go, but is it really necessary to use organic seeds as well? Or do conventional ones (non-GMO that is!) work just fine? In other words, are organic crops grown from organic seed superior to organic crops grown with conventional seeds? The consensus seems to be that there is not much difference, that it is in fact the practice of organic agriculture that makes the most difference. Seed quality is all about the DNA in the seed. Inferior DNA produces inferior plants whether it’s organic or not. On the other hand, if you are a grower that sells produce that is organically certified, it is necessary to use organic seed as well organic agricultural practices in accordance with the National Organic Program (NOP) unless “an equivalent organically produced variety is not commercially available.” Conventional seeds may have been treated with certain fungicides, which are prohibited in organic agriculture. Interestingly, wild collected seed is not considered organic under current regulations. One of the big advantages to using organically certified seed is that they are not GMO, that is no genetically modified organisms have been incorporated into the DNA of the seed. To learn more about organic seeds visit The Organic Seed Alliance. Photo source: www.highmowingseeds.com |
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