On Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:34:58 +0100, "vsop"
wrote:

When seed packets are marked as F1 or F2 is this a discretionary marketing
purpose in order to inform the buyer of ....
a) The quality and uniformity of the resulting hybrid produce, or....
b) Is it a legal requirement, there to protect/discourage the customer from
saving seed from the hybrid produce because the grown-on plants cannot be
guaranteed to come true to the parents?

In other words, MUST F1 and F2 seeds be described as such on the packet
...... or is it discretionary?

vsop

I'm not aware of any legal requirement to label Fx seed as such.
However as it commands a premium in terms of the guaranteed
performance of the plants grown, no seed seller with any sense will
fail to apply the label.

As to the results of saving seed, in general unless someone takes all
the necessary precautions, saved seed from a plant will not grow true.
No seed seller is liable for subsequent generations grown from plants
raised from the seeds they sell. It's just that if you buy a pack
labelled F1 you know that any seed you collect is unlikely to grow
true whatever you do.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.