Autoflowering plants begin flowering on their own clock, which gives the breeder a narrow window to apply silver treatment and collect pollen. Miss the timing and the plant is already too far along to reverse cleanly. Why this makes feminized autoflower seeds more expensive and sometimes less stable than photoperiod versions is explained at
https://queenfeminizedseeds.com, along with how breeders stagger plantings to hit the window. It also explains why auto lines from small breeders show more variation.