by Jeffrey Schad, Art major
The University of Wisconsin – Madison is selling pre-orders for open-source seeds beginning April 22, 2014, or as the date might be more widely known, Earth Day. These seeds are open for anyone to use, replant, or pass on to anyone. They are unpatented seeds that can be used for breeding.
The main focus is to let farmers and breeders dictate how they use the seeds they purchase again. These seeds are meant to be an outlet for farmers and researchers to not have to go through the lengthy and expensive process of having to buy seeds year after year from a company that has patents for the seeds. All of the seeds sold are certified organic.
The University of Wisconsin – Madison has already released 29 different varieties of crops for breeders and famers to freely use:
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This blog post was an assignment for Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.