Principles of Plant Breeding (2+1)

Breeding of apomictic crops

Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction in which sexual organs or related structures take part but seed is formed without the union of male and female gamete.
Uses of Apomixis

• Apomixis is genetically controlled and the apomictic plants produce normally reduced male gametes which can be used to pollinate sexual plants to produce new apomictic genotypes.
  
• The species which can produce both sexual and apomictic seed are facultative apomictics.
  
• The species which can reproduce only through apomixis are obligate apomicts.
• Apomixis is usually controlled by few genes which may be either recessive or dominant.
i. Fixation of heterosis.
ii. Production of phenotypically stable populations in the form of vybrids.
iii. Production of pure homozygotes.