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Q.Apomixis is a blessing to agriculture. Justify the statement with reasons.

Kerala DhseKerala DHSE Plus Two Board 2025Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that mimics sexual reproduction (it produces seeds) but occurs without meiosis or fertilisation, so the embryo is a genetic clone of the parent — this makes it extremely valuable for maintaining hybrid vigour in crop plants across generations.

In several flowering plants (e.g. some Asteraceae and grasses), seeds can be formed without the normal sequence of meiosis and fertilisation — this is apomixis, an asexual mode of reproduction packaged inside a seed. Because there is no gamete fusion or genetic recombination, the embryo produced is genetically identical to the mother plant, i.e. a clone.

Why this is a blessing to agriculture:

  • Hybrid varieties (F1 hybrids) developed by plant breeders show hybrid vigour (heterosis) — superior yield, quality etc. — but this vigour is normally lost/segregates in the next generation (F2) if hybrid seeds are grown from their own seed, forcing farmers to buy fresh hybrid seed every season. …

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