Deciphering the apomixis reproductive trait and its manipulation strategies to enhance crop improvement

In plants, apomixis is the process of asexual reproduction when seeds are produced from the maternal tissues of the ovule. Gametophytic and sporophytic apomixis develop with distinctive mechanisms and are molecularly triggered either by hybridization or polyploidization. As apomixis involves meiosis suppression and parthenogenesis, these events are likely to be genetically driven. T he apomictic trait is associated with several genes that need a diploid or aneuploid gamete for their transfer in polyploid species. T he molecular mechanisms driving apomixis in various plant species have been explained by previous investigations into apomictic genes. Apomixis offers agronomic advantages, such as reducing the cost and time involved in plant breeding, avoiding complications of sexual reproduction like the need for pollinators and cross compatibility, and increasing yields by utilizing technology to fix heterosis. Biotechnological approaches such as CRISPR-Cas9, transgenic technologies, marker-assisted selection, and epigenetic control have been implemented in strategies for apomictic manipulation aimed at crop improvement. This review provides valuable insights into the mechanism of apomixis, apomictic manipulation strategies, and the agricultural potential and benefits of apomixis.