One of the reasons we have increased our productivity in Agriculture in the
last century is finding a male sterile gene in grain crops. To get hybrid
vigor, the host plant can have a male sterile gene bred into it, therefore
it can't pollenate itself. The pollen of necessity comes from a donor which
is planted next to the seed producer. The production of cheap hybred seed
is made tremendously easier.
Wouldn't it be awesome to have a queen bred with drones which could
fertilize a worker egg, but wouldn't hatch drones?
Any research out there?
Tim Vaughan