What are the Advantages of Apomixis?
There are several advantages of apomixis as it surpasses the requirements of sexual reproduction:
- In plants, sexual reproduction promotes genetic variation but it also seems to have a lot of expenditure in time and energy. So in certain higher plants apomixis helps to resolve such problems by reproducing asexually.
- It is very helpful in preserving hybrid vigour and protecting superior genes.
- Recently, apomixis has been a very useful tool in agricultural biotechnology. Currently, two ways have been used to introduce apomixis into agronomically significant crops, that is the introgression of apomixis genes from natural apomicts and the introduction of synthetic apomixis by molecular engineering.
- The use of natural apomixis or introgression of apomixis genes in agriculture helps the development of pure lines faster. It ensures a reduction of cost for plant breeding and fast reproduction.
Apomixis in Plants
Apomixis is the formation of an embryo without the fusion (mixing) of gametes. Apomixis example is Taraxacum officinale. The term was first coined by Albert Winkler in 1908 when he noticed a single female Alchornea ilicifolia plant producing seeds even when there were no male equivalents in the United Kingdom. In this article, we will learn about the apomixis definition, types, characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of apomixis in plants in detail.
Table of Content
- What is Apomixis?
- Apomixis Example
- Types of Apomixis
- General Characteristics of Apomixis
- Applications of Apomixis
- What are the Advantages of Apomixis?
- What are the Disadvantages of Apomixis?