selfpollinating

Self-pollinating, or autogamy, refers to the fertilization of a plant’s ovules by pollen from the same plant. This can occur within a single flower (autogamy) or between flowers on the same individual (geitonogamy). It is often facilitated by cleistogamy, when flowers never open and self-pollinate, or by self-pollination after a flower opens. Self-pollination reduces reliance on pollinators and can ensure seed set in environments with few or unreliable pollinators.

Many crop species are predominantly self-pollinating, including wheat, rice, barley, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans. Some plants exhibit mixed mating systems, capable of both selfing and outcrossing, which provides a balance between reproductive assurance and genetic diversity.

Genetic consequences of self-pollination include higher homozygosity and often lower genetic variation within populations, which can lead to more uniform plant material but also a greater risk of accumulating deleterious alleles or inbreeding depression under certain conditions. Selfing can be advantageous in stable environments or when pollinator services are limited, and it can simplify selective breeding by fixing traits more quickly. However, it can reduce adaptive potential compared with outcrossing species.