There are thousands of native species used in restoration, and for each of these species, there are countless locally adapted ecotypes. As the demand for native seed increases, seed producers must prioritize which local ecotypes to target for wildland collection and amplification. In this presentation, we draw on lessons learned from 30 years of native seed production to show how growers can take a proactive approach to meeting demand for local ecotypes. This approach includes (1) identifying geographic gaps in ecotype availability within our inventory (2) closely tracking state and federal funding to anticipate future demand for ecotypes and (3) working with scientists to develop a list of ‘priority’ species that have been shown to have especially high genetic variability across ecotypes.
Finally, we share how our production-network model has allowed the NativeSeed Group to ‘scale up while staying local’--serving our local regions while taking on the financial risks of amplifying new ecotypes. Strategies include sharing inventory across networks of smaller seed companies, planting on farmland across a range of microclimates, and working with the Crop Improvement Associations to increase standards for local ecotypes.
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