In higher-order plants, seed production usually comes about as a result of sexual reproduction.
Some plants develop seeds without fertilization, however.
This phenomenon is known as apomixis. It involves the development of embryos containing the same genetic information as the mother plant and which are in effect clones. Apomixis occurs naturally in around 40 plant families and more than 400 plant species. None of the major global cash crops undergoes apomixis by nature, but it would be possible to induce apomixis by genetic engineering. This could revolutionize plant breeding.