Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(12): 2619-2626 2619 Review Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.612.303 Apomixis: A Boon to Plant Breeding Khushboo Chandra * and Anil Pandey Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Introduction Apomixis (apo = detached/separate; mixis = union/combination) term introduced in 1908 by Winkler, seeds are formed but the embryos develop without fertilization (Nogler, 1984).When sexual reproduction does occur, the apomixis is termed as „Facultative‟, ex- Blue grass, Pearl millet and Sorghum. When sexual reproduction is absent, it is referred to as „Obligate‟, ex- Panicum maximum. Apomixis is usually found at a higher ploidy level. Apomixis is a complex and coordinately regulated cascades of events controlled by one or a few genes (Savidan 2000). Apomixes is controlled by large sectors of DNA in which recombination is suppressed (Bicknell et al., 2000). Apomixis deviates from sexual reproduction in following aspects (Ramulu et al., 1998) Modification or complete omission of meiosis. Formation of unreduced megaspore. Parthenogenetic development of embryo. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 12 (2017) pp. 2619-2626 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Apomixis is a method of asexual reproduction in plants i.e., seed formation without fertilization with three main variants, viz., apospory, diplospory, and adventitious embryony. Genetic understanding of apomixis has been handicapped for a long time due to lack of techniques viz., for isolation of embryo sacs, use of flow cytometry, and availability of molecular markers for a rapid and accurate identification of apomictic genotypes (Crane and Carman, 1987; Peel, 1993). Apomixis is a consequence of deregulation of the genes involved in sexual reproduction. Harnessing apomixis is a major goal in applied plant genetic engineering. In this regard, efforts are focused on genetic and breeding strategies in various plant species, combined with molecular methods to analyze apomictic and sexual modes of reproduction and to identify key regulatory genes and mechanisms underlying these processes. These can open new avenues for the transfer of the apomixis trait to important crop species and will have far-reaching potentials in crop improvement regarding agricultural production and the quality of the products. This review paper contains an idea about apomixes, types, genes involved in genetic and molecular basis of apomixis and role in crop improvement. Therefore, it seems that apomixis is about to change the face of plant breeding forever. Keywords Apomixis, Parthenogenesis, Vybrids. Accepted: 19 October 2017 Available Online: 10 December 2017 Article Info