selffertile

Selffertile is a term used in biology to describe organisms capable of fertilizing themselves, enabling the production of offspring without cross-pollination or mating with another individual. In botany, selffertile varieties can set seed through pollen from the same flower or plant, typically due to self-compatibility and flower structures that promote autonomous selfing.

In plants, selffertility often results from the breakdown or absence of self-incompatibility systems, or from floral traits that constrain cross-pollination (for example, closed or otherwise self-pollinating flower morphologies). The genetic basis frequently involves mutations or regulatory changes at loci that control pollen–pistil interactions, enabling pollen to fertilize ovules from the same plant.

In animals, true self-fertilization is rare but occurs in some hermaphroditic species where individuals possess both functional male and female gametes. In these cases, selfing can occur under certain environmental or developmental conditions, though many self-fertile lineages also rely on occasional outcrossing to maintain genetic diversity.

Applications and implications of selffertility include reliable seed production in environments with limited pollinators or isolation from other plants, which can be advantageous for crop breeding and maintenance. However, self-fertility can reduce genetic diversity over time and may increase the risk of inbreeding depression, potentially affecting vigor and long-term adaptability. Breeders often balance selfing with outcrossing to preserve desirable traits while maintaining population health.

Related concepts include self-pollination, self-compatibility, and apomixis. Selffertility is discussed primarily as a functional trait in taxonomy, horticulture, and breeding rather than as a formal taxonomic category.