Asexual Reproduction

Unlike most animals, plants can reproduce asexually, producing offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant. Asexual reproduction in plants, also called vegetative reproduction, takes place without the fusion of sex gametes or meiosis. 

Plants may reproduce asexually through natural mechanisms developed by plants or artificial mechanisms developed by breeders. 

Vegetative propagation is a form of asexual reproduction in which detached root or stem fragments can develop into an entire new plant. For example, the ‘eye’, or bud, of a potato can be planted to regenerate a whole new plant. 

Dandelions use another method of asexual reproduction in which they produce seeds without pollination or fertilization—a process called apomixis. Apomixis allows certain hybrid plants to overcome sterility and pass their intact genome to their offspring.

Breeders use a variety of artificial methods of asexual reproduction, such as grafting, cutting, layering, and micropropagation. These methods are sometimes used by plant breeders to generate novel plant varieties. 

Grafting is a technique commonly used to grow grapes that combines favorable traits from different varieties. The upper