A farmer wants to propogate a good variety of a crops in a way which maintained al its desirable trait. Which of th efollowing methods should be used?
What methods?
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To propagate a good variety of crops while maintaining all its desirable traits, the method that should be used is clonal propagation or vegetative propagation. Clonal propagation involves using a part of the plant, such as cuttings, runners, or bulbs, to create new plants that are genetically identical to the parent plant.
This method is preferred when maintaining the desirable traits of the parent plant is crucial because it ensures that the exact genetic material of the desired variety is preserved. Unlike sexual reproduction, which involves the combination of genetic material from two plants and can result in variation, clonal propagation ensures consistency and uniformity in the offspring.
To perform clonal propagation, the farmer can follow these steps:
1. Select a healthy and vigorous plant from the desired variety that has all the desirable traits.
2. Take a cutting, which is a piece of the plant that has a stem, leaf, or root depending on the type of plant. Make sure the cutting is taken from disease-free and pest-free parts of the plant.
3. Prepare the cutting by removing any excess leaves or buds to reduce moisture loss.
4. Apply rooting hormone to the cut end of the cutting to stimulate root development.
5. Plant the cutting in a suitable growing medium such as perlite, vermiculite, or a mix of peat moss and sand.
6. Provide the cutting with appropriate environmental conditions, such as maintaining humidity, temperature, and light levels suitable for root development.
7. After a period of time, usually a few weeks to a couple of months, the cutting should develop roots and can be transplanted to a larger pot or directly into the field.
By using clonal propagation, the farmer can ensure that the propagated plants retain all the desirable traits of the parent plant, such as disease resistance, high yields, specific flavors, or other characteristics that make it a good variety.