Question

What is Polyembryony and how can it be commercially exploited?

Answer 1

The condition of an ovule where the occurrence of more than two embryos is observed. This happens without the process of fertilization and m=generally seen in the case of mango and citrus plants.

Complete answer:
It is interesting to know that more than two embryos may also be found in plants. Polyembryony is a phenomenon where the development of more than one embryo takes place. It was discovered by Leeuwenhoek in 1719 in oranges. It is of two types:

1. True polyembryony
2. False polyembryony
   In true polyembryony, extra embryos arise in the same embryo sac as that of the zygotic embryo. In the case of false polyembryony, the extra embryos arise from the non-reproductive part of the ovule that may be either integuments or nucellus. It may be either in antipodal cells (as in Ulmus), in synergids (as in Sagittaria), or endosperm (as in Balanophora). This condition of the embryo is apomictic in nature as here the embryo is developed without the process of fertilization.
   The polyembryony can be commercially exploited by the production of hybrid seeds. As we already know that the higher-yielding seed varieties are expensive along with the seeds of hybrid plants so farmers cannot afford to buy these seeds every year, instead they produce the hybrid seeds by the process of polyembryony at lower prices and use them in the next coming years. By this method plants that are disease-free and having a long survival period may be produced under various environmental conditions.

Note:
Polyembryony is similar to the process of production of identical seeds just as in the case of humans where the single embryo develops and produces two identical twins. Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that is similar to sexual reproduction. In this process the asexual formation of seed takes place from maternal tissues of the ovule, avoiding the processes of meiosis and fertilization leading to embryo development.