However, a line of Arabidopsis plants has been produced in which part of the apomixis process occurs. Having located the gene responsible for the change, the scientists plan to produce multiple copies of it by cloning and find out more about how it operates in Arabidopsis . Dr Abed Chaudhury and his team discovered genes related to pollenless seed production. In a collaborative project also involving research teams in Adelaide and the Philippines, scientists will search for the equivalent gene in rice. They will investigate ways to activate it, and other genes involved in apomixis, to create rice plants that produce seed asexually.
Similar work is likely to follow on other important crop plants.
The scientists believe the potential benefits, in terms of increased and more efficient crop production, are enormous. They emphasise, though, that current work is just the beginning of the complex, long-term research effort that will be needed. This work is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.