This document discusses asexual reproduction and clonal selection in plants. It defines asexual reproduction as multiplication without fusion of gametes. Clones are genetically identical progeny from a single plant produced through asexual reproduction. Clonal selection is used to improve asexually propagated crops by selecting superior clones over multiple years of testing. While clonal selection maintains desirable traits, it cannot improve genetic makeup without hybridization. Clonal degeneration may occur over time due to mutation or disease. The document provides examples of important clonal varieties developed in several crops through clonal selection.
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