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Glossary

Type 

A species is all individuals that under natural conditions can reproduce with each other and produce fertile offspring, while at the same time they cannot reproduce with individuals from other, similar groups. Having fertile offspring means having children who can in turn have children of their own (source: snl).

Species diversity

The number of species and the breadth of species.

Crop

A crop is the part of a crop that is harvested and used for human food or feed. The size of a crop is usually measured in kilograms per hectare (kg/daa). Both the quantity and quality of the crop determine how successful a growing season has been. The ability of the soil to supply the plants with nutrients, climate, length of the growing season and agronomic skill affect the result (source: snl.no).

Emergency preparedness

Preparedness is being prepared to respond to unexpected critical situations.

Pollination

– see pollination

Biological diversity, biodiversity, biodiversity

Biodiversity is the sum of the diversity in nature. That is, the differences within a species, between all species and between the ecosystems they live in. (source: sabima.no)

Annual plant

Annual plants grow, set seeds and die within one year. Most overwinter as seeds. In nature, such plants are often pine trees or plants that grow where there is a high degree of disturbance. Winter annual plants, on the other hand, germinate in the autumn and overwinter as small seedlings, e.g. winter wheat and winter rye. Annual plants usually have small and thin, light-colored roots. Annuals are also called annuals. (source: snl.no)

Ex situ conservation

Conservation outside natural habitats/living areas.

F1 hybrid

A hybrid variety developed by crossing two selected parental lines, each of which has been inbred for many generations. The parental lines are very different lines from each other. The hybrid has a positive cross-breeding effect (heterosis) and the F1 hybrids are very uniform in appearance. However, seeds taken from an F1 hybrid will not produce plants that are identical to the parent plant.

Perennial plant

Perennial plants live over several growing seasons and usually bloom several times. In trees and shrubs, the root and shoot system grows from year to year. On the above-ground shoot system, buds are formed every summer that overwinter and only shoot out the following spring to form a new shoot generation. In perennial herbaceous plants, the above-ground parts die off each autumn, and the plant overwinters with a rhizome, bulb or tuber. Perennial is also called perennial. (source: snl.no)

Seed producer

Someone who grows plants with the main purpose of obtaining seeds that can later be sown to grow, for example, food plants.

Genes

Genes are the instructions for characteristics in living organisms. We say that genes code for characteristics. Genes are passed down from one generation to the next, and are therefore also called heredity. Genes consist of DNA and are located on chromosomes inside the cell. Each gene has its own defined place on the DNA strand, and the place is called a locus (source: snl.no).

Genetic diversity

The variation within a species. An example: There are many different varieties of tomatoes, and they all have slightly different genes. This means that some tomato varieties will survive better than others if, for example, a tomato disease spreads. This is also the case in the wild. (source: sabima.no)

Inbreeding

When closely related individuals produce offspring, offspring resulting from inbreeding can therefore have a number of diseases and negative traits such as decreased viability and fertility (inbreeding depression).

In situ conservation

Conservation of species in the environment where they have developed their distinctive characteristics. In situ conservation is the opposite of ex situ conservation.

Isolation distance

The distance that must be between two varieties for them to be varietal and not cross-pollinate. The distance can vary from 2-3 meters for those that are mainly self-pollinating, such as oats, to several kilometers for cross-pollinated varieties such as spinach.

Sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction means that the genetic material of both parents is mixed and distributed, so that the offspring have new and different combinations of genetic material than the parents. In this way, the species can constantly change with the surrounding environment.

Cross-pollination, cross-pollination

Pollen is transferred between different plant individuals of the same species. Genes from the parent plants are then combined randomly. In cross-pollinating plants, self-pollination leads to inbreeding and the offspring have combinations of gene variants that are unfavorable or even lethal.

Cultivar

A variety of a plant used in agriculture or horticulture. A cultivar is a subgroup of a species. Cultivar is used to distinguish cultivated plants from wild plants. In a hierarchical taxonomy, the order is genus, species ( sp .), subspecies ( subsp.), cultivar ( cv. ).

Legde

When the grain/crop settles down in the field. Can be caused by rain, wind, or being left standing for too long. Loam makes it more difficult to thresh the grain.

Monoculture

Monocultures are fields and fields where one crop is grown over large areas. A cornfield, for example, is often a monoculture. Monoculture makes it easy to sow, tend, and harvest mechanically. The opposite of monoculture is polyculture.

Natural diversity

– see biodiversity.

Pollen 

Pollen is the male, haploid (n) reproductive organ of seed plants. The pollen's most important task is to spread the male plant's genetic material to the female plant (source: snl.no).

Pollination

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers to a stigma, either on the same plant or on another plant. The transfer of male gametes to the female reproductive organ of the plant. Pollination can occur with the help of, among other things, wind, water, insects and birds.

Polyculture

Polyculture is when different crops are grown together in the same area, for example when carrots and onions are grown together in the same bed. It is space-efficient and makes good use of resources, but requires more manual labor than monocultures.

Population

The individuals of one and the same species that live within an area or ecosystem.

Self-pollination/self-pollination

A hermaphrodite flower is pollinated by pollen from the same flower. With self-pollination, a plant will be preserved exactly the same from generation to generation.

Black

In agriculture, horticulture and forestry, variety is used to refer to a group of cultivated plants that can be distinguished from another group of the same species on the basis of appearance, physiological, chemical or other characteristics, and which retain these characteristics through sexual or asexual reproduction (source: snl.no).

Black sect

Seeds from varietal plant varieties will produce plants that are identical to the parent plant, as long as they have not been cross-pollinated with pollen from another variety. Open-pollinated varieties are usually varietal. F1 hybrids are not varietal.

Biennial plant

Biennial plants germinate and grow vegetatively in the first year. They form a rosette of leaves and store nutrients in the roots. The leaves usually die in the fall, but the dead remains protect the short stem. In the second year, the stem grows strongly and flowers and fruit are formed. To complete the biennial development, these plants require vernalization – a period of low temperature between the two growing seasons. If the plants are grown in a warm greenhouse, they do not flower. Examples of biennial plants are carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, beets and celery. Biennial plants are also called biennials. (source: snl.no)

Vegetative propagation

Vegetative propagation is asexual propagation that occurs when parts of an organism detach and are released, thereby spreading and multiplying the species. Since this does not involve any reduction division and sexual process, the offspring, the clone, is genetically identical to the parent plant. In horticulture, vegetative propagation is of practical importance through the use of offshoots, cuttings, grafting and budding.

Open-pollinated variety

Varieties that are freely pollinated within a population and contain a natural variation of plants. Such varieties can be harvested from seeds and grown further. The offspring will closely resemble the parent plant, provided it has not been crossed with another variety.