Chance seedling

{{Short description|A type of plant that is the product of unintentional breeding}}

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A chance seedling is a plant that is the product of unintentional breeding.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/programs/nsw-country-hour/2015-10-21/julie-apple/6873504|title=Bilpin's chance seedling variety set for success|last=Wainwright|first=Sofie|date=2015-10-21|website=ABC Rural|language=en-AU|access-date=2020-04-03}}{{cite book |last1=Herrick, C. |title=CHANCE SEEDLING NEW BITTERSHARP APPLE PATENTED |date=2016 |publisher=Western Fruit Grower |page=136 (4), 34,36 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1787795937/.}}

Identifying the parent plants of a chance seedling may be difficult.{{cite book |last1=Davarynejad, G |title=Investigation of Antioxidant Capacity and Some Bioactive Compounds of Iranian Pistachio (Pistachio vera L.) Cultivars. |date=2012 |publisher=Notulae Scientia Biologicae. |page=4 (4), 62–66 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1152191373/.}} It may be necessary to genetically analyse the seedling and surrounding plants to be sure. Plants that come from the artificial union of gametes{{Cite web|url=https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/gamete-gametes-311/|title=gamete / gametes {{!}} Learn Science at Scitable|website=www.nature.com|access-date=2020-03-30}} from a maternal and paternal source are not chance seedlings.

A chance seedling may be a genetically unique individual with desirable characteristics that is then intentionally bred. The Kindred Spirit Hybrid Oak and the Granny Smith, Wolf River, Lady Alice, Red Delicious, Gravenstein, Braeburn, Samarbehisht Chausa, Calville Blanc d'hiver, Belle de Boskoop and Baldwin apples are examples of varieties that started with chance seedlings that were selected and assigned cultivar status owing to their desirable properties.