Problems in Breeding of Asexually Propagated Crops
It may appear that the breeding of asexually propagated crops is simple, but in actual fact it is not so. There are three major problems in breeding of such crops.
a) Reduced Flowering and Fertility:
Clonal crops grown for vegetative parts shows reduced flowering, some varieties do not flower at all E.g. Sugarcane, potato, sweet potato, etc. These crops also show considerable sterility due to polyploidy.
b) Difficulties in Genetic Analysis:
Genetic analysis in most of the crop is very difficult due to reduced flowering, sterility, and perennial cycle.
c) Perennial Life Cycle:
Perennial life cycle drastically increases the lime required for obtaining sexual progeny for the genetic analysis of clones.