Biology

Plant Propagation Techniques

591 Questions

Plant propagation techniques cover both natural and artificial methods of cultivating plants, including micropropagation, tissue culture, and layering. These botanical concepts evaluate how desirable characteristics are multiplied and transferred into new plants. Questions on this topic routinely feature in the biology segment of various state and central competitive exams.

Micropropagation methodsArtificial vegetative propagationPlant tissue cultureLayering techniquesMeristem differentiation

Plant Propagation Techniques Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is not true?

  1. An unorganised, undifferentiated mass of tissues formed under aseptic conditions is called plantlet.

  2. Mericloning is used in the mass production of certain plants.

  3. Seedless fruits like seedless oranges and grapes can be obtained by vegetative propagation.

  4. The plants raised through vegetative propagation from a single plant constitute a genetically uniform population.

  5. Air layering is used in plants having thick branches that cannot be bent easily.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

An unorganised, undifferentiated mass of tissues formed under aseptic conditions are called callus.

Multiple choice

Match the following plants with their modes of vegetative propagation.

 
(I) Bryophyllum
(i) Onion
(II) Strawberry
(ii) Couch grass
(III) Bulb
(iii) Leaves
(IV) Rhizome
(iv) Runner
(V) Tuber
(v) Artichoke

  1. I - (i), II - (iii), III - (ii), IV - (iv), V - (iv)

  2. I - (ii), II - (v), III - (i), IV - (iii), V - (iv)

  3. I - (iii), II - (iv), III - (i), IV - (ii), V - (v)

  4. I - (iv), II - (iii), III - (v), IV - (ii), V - (i)

  5. I - (v), II - (iv), III - (iii), IV - (ii), V - (i)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Bryophyllum     - Leaves Strawberry - Runner Bulb - Onion Rhizome - Couch grass Tuber - Artichoke

Multiple choice

Vegetative propagation is accomplished by the use of

  1. grafting and budding

  2. apomictic seed

  3. layers and cutting

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Vegetative propagation can be achieved through multiple methods: grafting and budding (joining plant parts), apomictic seeds (asexual seed production without fertilization), and layering and cutting (stem/leaf propagation. All these are valid vegetative propagation techniques.

Multiple choice

A radish-cabbage cross is a type of

  1. interspecific hybridisation

  2. intergeneric hybridisation

  3. cybridisation

  4. somatic hybridisation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Radish and cabbage belong to two different genera, so it is intergeneric hybridisation.

Multiple choice

F1 hybrids are always sterile in

  1. interspecific hybridisation

  2. intergeneric hybridisation

  3. somatic hybridisation

  4. cybridisation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

F1 hybrids are always sterile in intergeneric hybridisation.

Multiple choice

How is creation of new plants possible?

  1. Interspecific hybridisation

  2. Intergeneric hybridisation

  3. Cybridisation

  4. Somatic hybridisation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

New plant genus is produced by intergeneric hybridisation.

Multiple choice

Which part of a plant does not take part in vegetative propagation?

  1. Roots

  2. Stem

  3. Leaves

  4. Flowers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Flowers are reproductive structures involved in sexual reproduction (pollination, seed formation), not vegetative propagation. Vegetative propagation uses roots, stems, and leaves to grow new plants asexually from vegetative parts like tubers, runners, bulbs, or stem cuttings.

Multiple choice

'Disease-free plants' can be produced by which of the following methods?

  1. Grafting

  2. Layering

  3. Cutting

  4. Tissue culture
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Tissue culture can produce disease-free plants because it involves growing plants from small tissue samples (often meristem tissue) in sterile conditions. This allows pathogens to be eliminated or excluded. Grafting, layering, and cutting can transmit diseases from the parent plant to the new plant.

Multiple choice

An unorganized mass of cells that gives rise to whole new plant in tissue culture is termed as

  1. rootlet

  2. shootlet

  3. plantlet

  4. callus
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A callus is an unorganized, undifferentiated mass of plant cells that forms in tissue culture. Under appropriate conditions with plant growth hormones (auxins and cytokinins), the callus can regenerate into a complete new plant through organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis. Rootlets, shootlets, and plantlets are more organized, differentiated structures.

Multiple choice

Which of these in vitro methods is used by horticulturists for large scale commercial purpose?

  1. Tissue culture

  2. Natural selection

  3. Budding

  4. Spore formation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tissue culture is an in vitro (literally 'in glass' - outside living organism) technique where plant cells, tissues, or organs are grown in artificial nutrient medium. It allows mass production of genetically identical plants and is widely used commercially for ornamental plants, crop species, and disease-free plant propagation. Natural selection is not a technique, while budding and spore formation occur in vivo (within living organisms).

Multiple choice

'Ornamental plants' are propagated by which of the following techniques?

  1. Budding

  2. Fragmentation

  3. Tissue culture

  4. Regeneration
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Ornamental plants are typically propagated through tissue culture because it allows rapid mass production of genetically identical, disease-free plants with desirable traits. This in vitro technique is ideal for commercial propagation of high-value ornamental species. While budding is used in some horticultural contexts (mainly for trees), fragmentation and regeneration are not standard commercial propagation methods for ornamental plants.