Many restoration projects need more seed than can be collected directly from wild populations. Agricultural increase is the process of growing wild-collected native seed in production fields so that larger quantities are available for restoration.
This process is essential, but it can also influence which genetic variation is represented in the final harvested seed. Some species move through production with little change, while others may lose lineages or overrepresent certain biological types before seed is harvested.
Key steps
- Wildland seed collection from one or more source populations.
- Cleaning, storage, germination, or propagation before field establishment.
- Production-field establishment and crop management.
- Harvest of increased seed for restoration use.
- Monitoring to understand whether genetic diversity was retained.
Why species biology matters
Mating system, ploidy variation, dormancy, germination timing, hybridization, and seedling establishment can all affect which plants make it into a production field. For some species, the largest genetic shifts may occur before the field is fully established.