Apomixis is a special mechanism found in some flowering plants (such as species of Asteraceae and grasses) to produce seeds without fertilisation. It is a form of asexual reproduction that mimics sexual reproduction. In some species, the diploid egg cell is formed without reduction division and develops into the embryo without fertilisation.

The importance of apomixis lies in its application in agriculture and horticulture. In hybrid varieties, seeds collected from hybrids segregate and do not maintain hybrid characters, requiring farmers to buy costly hybrid seeds every year. If hybrids are made into apomics, there is no segregation of characters in the hybrid progeny. This allows farmers to reuse hybrid seeds year after year, eliminating the need to purchase new seeds annually. Due to this significance in the hybrid seed industry, active research is being conducted worldwide to understand the genetics of apomixis and transfer apomictic genes into hybrid varieties.