I don’t know how suitable this is, but I instantly thought of it as sort of comparable to bacteria in the wild, compared to the same bacteria moved to a sterile environment and being fed growth medium. The latter can grow to vastly larger quantities in a comparable area, maybe even in a giant vat. But if there’s enough of a problem with the single source of growth medium, some kind of contamination or just no more supply, the whole colony dies. It’s a more successful colony, but in a potentially far less stable state unless the conditions can continue to be kept that good.
Yes, and it’s very frustrating. People don’t realize how difficult the life of a produce farmer is. There’s a reason we tie all the produce into the ground. Potatoes used to be a fucking nightmare before we started doing it the new way, burying them in dirt.
Do you have any idea how high a potato jumps if given the chance?