Apomixis is considered a potentially revolutionary tool to generate high-quality food at a lower cost and shorter developmental time due to clonal seed production through apomeiosis and parthenogenesis. In the diplosporous type of apomixis, meiotic recombination and reduction are circumvented either by avoiding or failing meiosis or by a mitotic-like division. Here, we review the literature about diplospory, from early cytological studies dating back to the late 19th century to recent genetic findings. We discuss diplosporous developmental mechanisms, including their inheritance. Furthermore, we compare the strategies adopted to isolate the genes controlling diplospory with those to produce mutants forming unreduced gametes. Nowadays, the dramatically improved technologies of long-read sequencing and targeted CRISPR-Cas mutagenesis justify the expectation that natural diplospory genes will soon be identified. Their identification will answer questions such as how the apomictic phenotype can be superimposed upon the sexual pathway and how diplospory genes have evolved. This knowledge will contribute to the application of apomixis in agriculture.

The rise of data science in biology stimulates interdisciplinary collaborations to address fundamental questions. Here, we report the outcome of the first SINFONIA symposium focused on revealing the mechanisms governing plant reproductive development across biological scales. The intricate and dynamic target networks of known regulators of flower development remain poorly understood. To analyze development from the genome to the final floral organ morphology, high-resolution data that capture spatiotemporal regulatory activities are necessary and require advanced computational methods for analysis and modeling. Moreover, frameworks to share data, practices and approaches that facilitate the combination of varied expertise to advance the field are called for. Training young researchers in interdisciplinary approaches and science communication offers the opportunity to establish a collaborative mindset to shape future research.