Biology

Plant Propagation Techniques

660 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

In hydroponic process, the plant is grown in

  1. water and gravel

  2. water and soil

  3. water, nutrients and soil

  4. water and nutrients, without soil

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in water without soil, but nutrients are added in water.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is termed as ‘hydroponics’?

  1. Growth of aquatic plants

  2. Growth of floating aquatic plants

  3. Soilless cultivation of plants

  4. Growth of plants inside water
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Hydroponics is the soilless cultivation of plants where roots grow in nutrient-rich water solutions or inert media like perlite or rockwool. The term comes from Greek 'hydro' (water) and 'ponos' (labor). It's not about aquatic plants in general (options A, B, D) but rather a controlled agricultural technique for growing terrestrial plants without soil.

Multiple choice

Which of the following methods is commonly used to produce new rose plants?

  1. Grafting

  2. Cutting

  3. Tissue culture

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Cutting is a vegetative propagation method where a stem piece is placed in soil to grow roots. This technique is widely used for roses because it's simple and preserves the parent plant's characteristics. Grafting is also common but requires more skill, while tissue culture is mainly for commercial-scale production.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are false?

a. Heterophylly in cotton and coriander is an example of plasticity. b. Cells positioned away from root apical meristems differentiate as root-cap cells. c. The growth of the given system per unit time expressed as per unit initial parameter is called the absolute growth rate.

  1. Only a

  2. Only a and b

  3. Only b

  4. Only c

  5. Only b and c
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this statement is false. The growth of the given system per unit time expressed as per unit initial parameter is called the relative growth rate.

Multiple choice

Which part of the plant is involved in the vegetative propagation of Dalbergia sissoo?

  1. Flower bud

  2. Stem cutting

  3. Intact root

  4. Margin of intact leaf
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Dalbergia sissoo (Indian rosewood) can be propagated vegetatively through stem cuttings, root cuttings, and root suckers. Among the options, intact roots (option C) are correct because they produce root suckers that develop into new plants. Root cuttings are a common propagation method for this species. Options A, B, and D are incorrect - flower buds cannot vegetatively propagate, stem cuttings are not the primary method listed, and leaf margins are not used for Dalbergia propagation.

Multiple choice

Cell cultures of lithospermum eryghrohizon are being used commercially for preparing

  1. berberine

  2. plamitine

  3. shikonin

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

Lithospermum erythrorhizon (note spelling correction from 'eryghrohizon') cell cultures are commercially used to produce shikonin, a red naphthoquinone pigment with medicinal properties. Shikonin has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and is used in traditional medicine and cosmetics. Berberine comes from Berberis species, palmitine is also from Berberis, and plumbagin from Plumbago species.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

In vitro micropropagation has the advantages of

  1. range of variability.

  2. year round availability.

  3. small size of explant.

  4. production of disease free propagules.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1, 2 and 4 only

  2. 2, 3 and 4 only

  3. 1 and 3 only

  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In vitro micropropagation provides year-round availability (independent of seasons), uses very small explants (single cells or meristems), and produces disease-free plants through meristem culture and sterile conditions. However, it does NOT increase the range of variability - in fact, micropropagation produces genetically uniform clones (somaclonal variation is limited and not the primary purpose).