Rice Seeds Grown Without Fertilization
What if cereal crops could produce fertile seeds without pollen or pollination? Scientists have taken an important leap toward realizing that goal by using CRISPR to switch off specific genetic switches that govern rice seeds without fertilization.
This biological marvel is called apomixis: an extraordinary reproductive pathway in which plant embryos develop directly without maternal and paternal fertilization. The scientific trail began nearly three decades ago, when geneticist Dr Abed Chaudhury uncovered a cluster of Fertilization Independent Seed (FIS) genes in the model plant Arabidopsis.
Now, collaborating researchers in Australia and China have demonstrated that disabling two rice genes, OsFie1 and OsFie2, triggers a dramatic rise in the rate of seeds developing without fertilization. Once combined with complementary genetic edits, functional apomixis in cereal grains could empower farmers worldwide to harvest and replant high-yielding hybrid seeds season after season without buying expensive commercial stock.
