APOMIXIS, OR ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION THROUGH SEEDS, RESULTS IN SEED FORMATION WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF MEIOSIS OR FERTILIZATION OF THE EGG. APOMICTIC HYBRIDS ARE TRUE-BREEDING BECAUSE SEED-DERIVED PROGENY OF AN APOMICTIC PLANT ARE GENETICALLY IDENTICAL TO THE MATERNAL PARENT, I.E., THEY ARE CLONAL IN ORIGIN. THE ADVANTAGE OF APOMIXIS LIES IN SEED PROPAGATION OF ELITE FOOD, FEED, AND BIOFUEL CROPS THAT ARE HETEROZYGOUS SUCH AS HYBRID CORN AND SWITCHGRASS OR SELF-POLLINATING CROPS FOR WHICH NO COMMERCIAL-SCALE HYBRID PRODUCTION SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE. WHILE HYBRID PLANTS OFTEN OUTPERFORM PARENTAL LINES IN GROWTH AND HIGHER YIELDS, PRODUCTION OF HYBRID SEED IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH CAREFULLY CONTROLLED, LABOR INTENSIVE CROSSES. ENGINEERING APOMIXIS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDUCIBLE TRANSGENIC SYSTEM FOR THE CREATION OF HAPLOID EMBRYOS WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE BREEDING AND SEED PRODUCTION OF CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES AND GLOBALLY. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AN APOMIXIS GENE ASGR-BBML (APOSPORY-SPECIFICGENOMIC REGION-BABYBOOM-LIKE) WHICH CAN INDUCE EMBRYO FORMATION WITHOUT FERTILIZATION (PARTHENOGENESIS) IN FOUR SEXUAL MONOCOT CROP SPECIES, MAIZE, MILLET, RICE AND SORGHUM. THE ABILITY OF ASGR-BBML TO INDUCE PARTHENOGENESIS/HAPLOID SEED PRODUCTION IN MULTIPLE SPECIES INDICATES THAT THE PATHWAY ACTIVATED BY ASGR-BBML WILL BE CONSERVED IN OTHER MONOCOTS. AS VARIABLE LEVELS OF TRANSGENE INHERITANCE AND PENETRANCE OF PARTHENOGENESIS/FUNCTIONAL HAPLOID SEED PRODUCTION WAS OBSERVED BOTH IN BACKCROSS DIPLOID MILLET AND RICE, FURTHER CHARACTERIZATION OF ASGR-BBML AND PROTEINS SIMILAR TO ASGR-BBML IDENTIFIED INSEXUAL PLANT SPECIES WILL HELP SUPPORT THE USE OF THIS GENE FOR EFFICIENT ENGINEERING APOMIXIS IN CROP PLANTS AND/OR FOR HAPLOID PRODUCTION IN MONOCOT SPECIES.