why do farmers choose to reproduce plants asexually?
952126
They choose do reproduce plants that way because the cuttings are true to parents characteristically. Meaning, the next generation of plants will look and produce just like the plants of the year before.
1134171
lol, that's natural selection at work. \ngenetic variance produces all sorts of things, but those who won't reproduce won't pass on those genes.\nits as simple as that. they're not any less of a person, they just won't have offspring who are genetically similar.
576764
Asexual reproduction\n\n\nAsexual reproduction is the biological process by which an organism creates a genetically-similar or identical copy of itself without a contribution of genetic material from another individual. Bacteria divide asexually via binary fission; viruses take control of host cells to produce more viruses; Hydras (invertebrates of the order Hydroidea) and yeasts are able to reproduce by budding. These organisms do not have different sexes, and they are capable of "splitting" themselves into two or more individuals. Some 'asexual' species, like hydra and jellyfish, may also reproduce sexually. For instance, most plants are capable of vegetative reproduction—reproduction without seeds or spores—but can as well reproduce sexually. Likewise, bacteria may exchange genetic information by conjugation. Other ways of asexual reproduction include fragmentation and spore formation that involves only mitosis.\n\n\nSexual reproduction\n\nSexual reproduction is a biological process by which organisms create descendants that have a combination of genetic material contributed from two (usually) different members of the species. Each of two parent organisms contributes half of the offspring's genetic makeup by creating haploid gametes. Most organisms form two different types of gametes. In these anisogamous species, the two sexes are referred to as male (producing sperm or microspores) and female (producing ova or megaspores). In isogamous species the gametes are similar or identical in form, but may have separable properties and then may be given other different names. For example, in the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, there are so-called "plus" and "minus" gametes. A few types of organisms, such as ciliates, have more than two kinds of gametes.\n\nHumans, most animals, and plants reproduce sexually. Sexually-reproducing organisms have two sets of genes for every trait (called alleles). Offspring inherit one allele for each trait from each parent, thereby ensuring that offspring have a combination of the parents' genes. Having two copies of every gene, only one of which is expressed, allows deleterious alleles to be masked, an advantage believed to have led to the evolutionary development of diploidy (Otto and Goldstein).
914597
Asexual reproduction is the reproduction of a single individual without the use of sex.  Sex is defined as the halving of the chromosome number of an individual and its subsequent reconstitution at the fusion of the gametes (egg and sperm).  \nBasically asexual reproduction creates the clone of an individual as one individual copies its own genome and then splits into two individuals.\n\nBacteria and Archaeans (so all prokaryotes) reproduce only by asexual reproduction.  Also sponges have the ability to produce a full individual if one individual is broken into two pieces, which is called regeneration.  Also sea stars, sea anenomes, flatworms (etc.) are able to reproduce asexually by regeneration.
1171142
it has is advantages and disadvantages both are just as important.  Sexual reproduction requires a lot of time and energy, mate selection, gamete production and housing a developing embryo are a few reasons for this.  However, sexual reproduction leads to a stronger mix of genes which allows a stronger species to evolve.  It also gives rise to more complex organisms.
604070
You need to get the sperm to the eggs and with an "army " of sperm, its more likely that some of it will eventually make it past all of the factors that might cause it from not reaching its target... such as when pollen is on a pollinator, some of it is usually lost in flight or just in the regualr movement of the animal that does that job. some plants are pollinated by the wind and the more that is released increases the  chance that some of it will reach the egg. Eggs are usually very close to the adult version of the plant or even within the plant before they are fertalized so they are mainly stationary... with more chances to reach the egg it increases the fecundity.
1009613
Domestication of plants is done in order to increase yield, improve disease resistance and drought tolerance, ease harvest and to improve the taste and nutritional value and many other characteristics. Centuries of careful selection and breeding have had enormous effects on the characteristics of crop plants. Plant breeders use greenhouses and other techniques to get as many as three generations of plants per year so that they can make improvements all the more quickly.\n\nPlant selection and breeding in the 1920s and '30s improved pasture (grasses and clover) in New Zealand. Extensive radiation mutagenesis efforts (i.e. primitive genetic engineering) during the 1950s produced the modern commercial varieties of grains such as wheat, corn and barley.[citation needed]\n\nFor example, average yields of corn (maize) in the USA have increased from around 2.5 tons per hectare (40 bushels per acre) in 1900 to about 9.4 t/ha (150 bushels per acre) in 2001, primarily due to improvements in genetics. Similarly, worldwide average wheat yields have increased from less than 1 t/ha in 1900 to more than 2.5 t/ha in 1990. South American average wheat yields are around 2 t/ha, African under 1 t/ha, Egypt and Arabia up to 3.5 to 4 t/ha with irrigation. In contrast, the average wheat yield in countries such as France is over 8 t/ha. Higher yields are due to improvements in genetics, as well as use of intensive farming techniques (use of fertilizers, chemical pest control, growth control to avoid lodging).[citation needed] [Conversion note: 1 bushel of wheat = 60 pounds (lb) ≈ 27.215 kg. 1 bushel of corn = 56 pounds ≈ 25.401 kg]\n\nIn industrialized agriculture, crop "improvement" has often reduced nutritional and other qualities of food plants to serve the interests of producers. After mechanical tomato-harvesters were developed in the early 1960s, agricultural scientists bred tomatoes that were harder and less nutritious (Friedland and Barton 1975). In fact, a major longitudinal study of nutrient levels in numerous vegetables showed significant declines in the last 50 years; garden vegetables in the U.S. today contain on average 38 percent less vitamin B2 and 15 percent less vitamin C (Davis and Riordan 2004).\n\nVery recently, genetic engineering has begun to be employed in some parts of the world to speed up the selection and breeding process. The most widely used modification is a herbicide resistance gene that allows plants to tolerate exposure to glyphosate, which is used to control weeds in the crop. A less frequently used but more controversial modification causes the plant to produce a toxin to reduce damage from insects (c.f. Starlink).\n\nAgriculture may often cause environmental problems because it changes natural environments and produces harmful by-products. Some of the negative effects are:\n\n    * Nitrogen and phosphorus surplus in rivers and lakes.\n    * Detrimental effects of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and other biocides.\n    * Conversion of natural ecosystems of all types into arable land.\n    * Consolidation of diverse biomass into a few species.\n    * Soil erosion\n    * Depletion of minerals in the soil\n    * Particulate matter, including ammonia and ammonium off-gasing from animal waste contributing to air pollution\n    * Weeds - feral plants and animals\n    * Odor from agricultural waste\n    * Soil salination .\n\nOthers are currently including the current global climate change
301358
Nearly all animals undergo some form of sexual reproduction. Adults are diploid or occasionally polyploid. They have a few specialized reproductive cells, which undergo meiosis to produce smaller motile spermatozoa or larger non-motile ova. These fuse to form zygotes, which develop into new individuals.\n\nMany animals are also capable of asexual reproduction. This may take place through parthenogenesis, where fertile eggs are produced without mating, or in some cases through fragmentation.\n\nA zygote initially develops into a hollow sphere, called a blastula, which undergoes rearrangement and differentiation. In sponges, blastula larvae swim to a new location and develop into a new sponge. In most other groups, the blastula undergoes more complicated rearrangement. It first invaginates to form a gastrula with a digestive chamber, and two separate germ layers - an external ectoderm and an internal endoderm. In most cases, a mesoderm also develops between them. These germ layers then differentiate to form tissues and organs.\n\nAnimals grow by indirectly using the energy of sunlight. Plants use this energy to turn air into simple sugars using a process known as photosynthesis. These sugars are then used as the building blocks which allow the plant to grow. When animals eat these plants (or eat other animals which have eaten plants), the sugars produced by the plant are used by the animal. They are either used directly to help the animal grow, or broken down, releasing stored solar energy, and giving the animal the energy required for motion. This process is known as glycolysis.
353324
With this method of selection the offspring from a crossing are planted at planting densities equal to commercial planting densities. During this period, which may include a number of generations, the level of homozygosity in the bulk population increases.\n\nThis method is simple and cheap and involves less work than pedigree selection in the earlier generations. It is necessary to plant large populations to ensure that the best segregates are selected when selection starts. Segregating generations are subjected to another single plant selection step. Fewer records are kept during earlier generations than with pedigree selection. This type of selection is especially carried out with crops which are usually planted at high planting densities, e.g. small grain crops.
211168
Because there isn't a natural process kicking out more of them. Photosynthesis actually synthesizes more of the biotic elements in plants that we find useful.\n\nThe difference is, as your own question alludes to, the same as that between new manufacturing and recycling.
1002548
Every living being is trying to reproduce and have successful, surviving, reproducing offspring.  In every reproduction there is a chance of mutation, that one of the genes will function differently.  Often these changes in function cause a defect or a disadvantage, and the creatures with these mutations will die out without reproducing.  However, if the different function results in a significant advantage (making better use of a current food source or enabling the usage of a new food source) than the offspring with that mutation will become more likely to survive and the mutation will become the norm until a new mutation replaces it or environmental conditions change.\n\nThe diversity of life on Earth stems from life forms mutating and making use of all the millions of possible food sources that exist.
567192
Actually if we grow a plant( especially the trees) from its seed it may take a long time to flower. So if we do budding or grafting or layering the plant part will behave like the mature plant and we will get quick yield. Through seeds the plant may not produce the same quality seedlings like that of mother plant. Most often the undesired character can appear. In order to produce plant that has all the characters of the mother plants these methods are essential. In some plants like roses it is very difficult to produce seeds and it is very difficult to germinate also. So in that case these techniques are essential. In some cases the plant may have triploid and tetraploids which often may not produce seeds at all. More over, seedless varieties are preferred as in case of banana mostly the edible varieties are triploids. In some plants we may require thousands of progenies at a time (orchids, bananas etc). Then we will go for tissue culture. In tuber crops, ginger, turmeric etc he main propagation is through the tubers. I hope it is clear now.
779930
Sexual reproduction in plants is described in Wikipedia as;\n\nIn flowering plants, a stamen produces gametes called pollen grains, which attach to a pistil, in which the female gametes (ovules) are located. Here, the female gamete is fertilized and develops into a seed. The ovary, which produced the gamete then grows into a fruit, which surrounds the seed(s). Plants may either self-pollinate or cross-pollinate.\n\nYou can also find out more here \nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_sexuality
362619
Anthropologically & Socialogically speaking Men want to impregnate many partners to spread their seed and perpetuate the species.  Men can produce many sprem quickly.  Women on the other hand produce eggs more slowly.  Women look for a high quality mate to insure the survival of their offspring.  It's overwhelmingly the same in the animal world.  That is not to say some men look for fewer partners, and some women may have multiple partners.  It doesn't mean anything is wrong with either of them.  It's just boils down to nature and our inate genetic programming.
901776
It is E\n\nThe reason: \na) Reproductive variations lead to the "better producer" making more offspring and thus leading to more chances for their offspring to reproduce.  For this one, think of gorillas...the dominant Male (silverback) will mate with the females so it is his offspring who carry the genetics into the next generation, and the other males in the group dont pass on their genes. \n\nb) There has to be some offspring that simply don't survive...this is the whole "don't interfere and let nature take its course" thing.  This means that after the "unhealthy" individuals die, the rest (on average) will be better suited to their environment.  Think of it like this... a  human family has three babies but one of them dies; the one that died may have had a defect that shouldn't have been passed on.  Since the parents had two other babies, they have replaced themselves in the population so there will not be a net loss of population when they eventually die. \n\nc) There has to be variations in the genetics of the offspring.  This is due to the fact that for us to become better suited to our environment, there has to be a change in our genetics to produce that change.  If we were exactly like our parents, no changes could occur.\n\nd) Inheritance is hugely important.  Think about it like this: If a beneficial change develops (such as opposable thumbs), what good would it be if it couldnt be passed on to the next generation?  There must be a mechanism to pass the benefit on.  \n\ne) Even though there have been many catastrophic events that have allowed for natural selection, it is not required.  A large eruption may cause the animals who can eat more diverse variety of plants to do better than ones that can't but they may be able to out-compete the other animals anyway.
479940
Most farmers prefer to deal in fresh semen, it is the easiest and least expensive method as the semen will survive for several days at room temperature and insemination can be preformed without a vet's assistance.  There are several drop points scattered around farming communities and when he farmer has a pig or a cow come into heat he simply orders the semen from the animal he wants (statistics of offspring are advertised) and picks it up from the nearest drop point. It is an excellent way for farmers to maintain quality stock without the expense of maintaining a lot of bulls and boars.
427248
plants on land have a harder time spreading out their young, look at pollen and seeds.  water plants just release their gametes and they float away