Jan 29, 2016

Naturally cloned crops improve small farm harvest

A research team at the University of Zurich in Switzerland has found that some hybrid plant species can preserve desired properties when cloning their seeds to reproduce naturally.

The same size and yield can be achieved for at least two more generations, the team led by Professor Ueli Grossniklaus found.

Here’s more from Phys.org:

“If this special reproduction method could be used in crops, it would slash the cost of producing F1 hybrid seeds,” explains Grossniklaus. “It’s not just seed producers who stand to bene-fit, but also subsistence farmers in developing countries.”

Apomictic reproduction would offer them more affordable access to more productive and hardy hybrid strains. And they would be able to use the seeds from the current harvest for sowing the following year without affecting the yield. According to Grossniklaus, however, its actual use in crops still needs to be tested in detail.