The F1 breed has been in full swing since the time of the Tokyo Olympics. The meaning of F1 is "First Final Genaration. F1 means "First Final Genaration", which translates to "first and last generation". The best seeds for the land, which have been passed down from generation to generation, have become a fixed cost (an expense that must be paid regardless of sales) that must be purchased every year. The industrial structure of society also shifted from agriculture to manufacturing.

One of the reasons for the popularity of F1 varieties is the advent of a mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal society. At that time, oil was cheap, so the cost of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers was much lower than it is today. For a long time, crude oil has hovered at $20 per barrel. It is expected to remain below $100/barrel for the foreseeable future. Today's F1 seeds are produced from mutant plants that cannot produce pollen, first one seed, then a thousand, then ten thousand, then a trillion, and then they are distributed to the market. Many of today's vegetables, fruits, and flowers cannot produce offspring. When you think about it, it is a little scary. If the seed companies raise the price of F1 seeds, the damage to agriculture would be incalculable.

There are stories of hope.

A variety of seeds have been excavated from numerous ancient ruins. We can see how much people have cherished seeds since ancient times. I think it is fair to say that human civilization was born from a single seed.
For example, cotton cultivation in Japan began in the 8th century when an Indian man drifted ashore in the Mikawa region and found cotton seeds in a jar he was carrying. At that time, Indian cotton did not seem to take root in Japan. However, although it is not recorded, later, through the efforts of many people, Mikawa cotton was created as an indigenous (old-fashioned) species in Japan. In the Mikawa region, there is a shrine dedicated to cotton called Tenchiku Shrine, which means Tenjiku (meaning "Jersey"), where the ritual of cotton beating with a bow is performed. I, too, have visited the shrine (^^).

In other words, even if seeds from a distant region do not take root easily at first, if they are grown in a new place over many generations and repeatedly self-collected, we can obtain native species (fixed species) adapted to that place. Even if the seed is obtained from a foreign land, if the seed is produced from a well-developed individual and collected patiently, the plant will adapt to the land and leave behind offspring adapted to the climate of the land. That is how they become indigenous species (fixed species). According to my friend in India, it takes about 4 to 5 years for cotton. It is said that nature does not need experience, but it is truly amazing to think about how this process is carried out.

Some municipalities offer farms for rent. You can do your own collecting on a balcony farm. It is also possible to take it up in school classes. Learning about the mysterious workings of plants has, in my case, slightly changed the way I see the world. I began to feel a sense of awe toward invisible life forms. It's that exciting and interesting.