What isolation distance is required for farmers aiming for true-to-type squash results?
Answer
1,500 meters
Squash plants exhibit a reproductive challenge due to their tendency to cross-pollinate readily via insects, meaning pollen transfer between varieties can easily occur. If a farmer or seed saver harvests seeds from fruit resulting from such cross-pollination, the subsequent generation will display mixed traits rather than the desired *true-to-type* characteristics. To prevent this genetic mixing and ensure purity, strict physical isolation is necessary, requiring a separation distance of at least 1,500 meters between different varieties planted for seed saving.
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