Researchers propose a new strategy for harnessing apomixis — a plant superpower that lets seeds form without sex or fertilization — by hunting for naturally occurring mutant crop plants that already show hints of this trait, rather than engineering it from scratch.
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Apomixis occurs in two distinct forms — sporophytic and gametophytic — each following a separate developmental pathway with different implications for seed formation
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Current apomixis research is split between studying natural model systems and engineering synthetic versions; this paper advocates for a neglected third path: screening crop populations for spontaneous apomixis-like mutants
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Naturally occurring apomixis mutants in crops could accelerate breeding breakthroughs without the regulatory and technical hurdles of genetic engineering
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