by Peter Rüegg, ETH Zurich
Most mammals and humans have a double set of chromosomes—and as a rule, plants do, too: One set comes from the father, the other from the mother. Such organisms are called diploids. However, sometimes the number of chromosome sets doubles from one generation to the next: one diploid organism suddenly becomes a tetraploid—i.e., it has four sets of chromosomes.

Unlike in humans, where multiple genomes are usually fatal, polyploidy can have advantages for the plants affected. Plants with multiple genomes adapt better to the environment and are salt-tolerant or drought-resistant. In addition, they often produce larger seeds or fruits and result in greater yields—promising characteristics for crops of the future.

Read on: https://phys.org/news/2024-04-pollen-tubes-infertility-multiple-chromosomes.html