Abstract: A method of producing hybrid plants involves inducing cross-pollination of self-pollinating species by selecting a female plant and a male plant having different genotypes, the female plant having a phenotype of sensitivity to a micronutrient deficiency, and the male plant having a phenotype of male fertility, growing the female plant to sexual maturity in a fertility-selective growth medium deficient for the micronutrient, to produce a plant having female fertility and male sterility, growing the male plant to sexual maturity to produce a plant having high male fertility, cross-pollinating the female plant with pollen from the male plant to produce cross-fertilization with essentially no self-fertilization, raising the female plant to produce hybrid seeds having genetic material from both parents, and harvesting the hybrid seeds.