Odd Types of Hybrid Vegetables

Broccoflower

• Broccoflower is a hybrid between broccoli and cauliflower. Whether you are eating broccoli, cauliflower or broccoflower, the main part you eat is the flower buds and pedicels, though the stems are also edible. Broccoli and cauliflower are closely related, making it easy to cross-pollinate them. The combination makes for an unusual-looking specimen, with wavy and folding flowers that poke out randomly from the stalk. The plant is a lime-green color and is milder and sweeter than broccoli and cauliflower.

Squash Zucchini

• Squash zucchinis have the shape and feel of a regular green zucchini but they are yellow like a squash. These can easily replace regular zucchinis in traditional recipes because the flavors are similar. The plant takes approximately 50 days to fully grow. The plant can be grown inside with pots or outside in the heat or in a greenhouse. The seeds are grown similar to zucchini, which requires you to plant them in about 1/2 to 3/4 inches of fine soil.

Lettuce

• Researchers at the University of Central Florida have cross-bred lettuce with an insulin gene that can help fight diabetes. The cells of the lettuce protect the insulin as it travels through the human digestive system. Once the insulin reaches the intestines, your body's insulin-producing response mechanism is triggered. Researchers hope this will contribute to a healthier standard of living for people who suffer from the life-threatening illness.

Cultivation

• Hybrid vegetables are being cultivated both commercially and privately. Growing techniques have been implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkwa province, Pakistan. A hybrid bitter gourd called karail is grown in mass on sticks and plastic wire in the country. A farmer told Inpaper Magazine that farmers are often too ignorant and conservative to adapt new growing techniques. However, they are adopted once the technology is fully implemented. More farmers adapt to the practices when they see the financial success of their competition.