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6. Nov. 2026
Imagine growing a plant with exceptionally desirable traits and then using its seeds to produce more plants that are genetically identical to it. Some plant species can actually do this. Thanks to a process called apomixis, they can produce seeds without sexual reproduction. Scientists want to understand how this process works and eventually use it in crop breeding. This could help farmers reduce the cost of seeds while continuing to grow high-yielding crops or varieties that are more resilient to challenging environmental conditions. Researchers led by Terezie Mandáková at CEITEC Masaryk University have now assembled the first genome of an apomictic plant from the genus Boechera, providing an important tool for finding answers.
Why do some plants not need sex to produce seeds?
Because they can produce seeds without fertilisation. In normal sexual reproduction, genetic information from two parents is combined, producing offspring that differ from one another. In apomixis, however, the offspring are genetically identical to the mother plant. This is a natural form of reproduction found in certain plant species.
Why could the ability to produce genetic copies of plants change agriculture?
Plant breeders aim to develop crops with the best possible combination of traits, such as high yields or resilience to challenging conditions. However, sexual reproduction can change this combination in subsequent generations. Apomixis could make it possible to preserve the genetic make-up of bred plants through seeds. In the future, this could allow farmers to save and reuse seeds from certain hybrid crops without losing their valuable genetic traits.
So why aren't we already using this ability in agricultural crops?
Because we still do not fully understand the genetic mechanisms that make apomixis possible. Although scientists have known about it for more than a century, research is complicated by the complex genetic make-up of most apomictic plants. The newly assembled genome of a Boechera plant provides researchers with an important tool to investigate these mechanisms in greater detail. However, practical applications of apomixis in agriculture are still a long way off.
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Deputy Research Group Leader, Senior Staff Scientist
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