Artificial Hybridisation
Techniques like emasculation and bagging used in plant breeding programs to achieve desired crosses.
What is Artificial Hybridisation?
The removal of the anthers from a bisexual flower, usually before they mature and shed pollen, to prevent self-pollination.
Key points
- Understand the steps involved in artificial hybridisation.
- Explain the purpose of emasculation and bagging.
- Identify the importance of artificial hybridisation in plant breeding.
- Differentiate between natural and artificial pollination.
Common exam trap
Forgetting to emasculate bisexual flowers.
Definitions
- Term
Emasculation
- Meaning
The removal of the anthers from a bisexual flower, usually before they mature and shed pollen, to prevent self-pollination.
- Term
Bagging
- Meaning
Covering the emasculated flower or the stigma with a bag (usually of butter paper) to prevent contamination by unwanted pollen.
- Term
Artificial Pollination
- Meaning
The deliberate transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower by human intervention.
- Term
Hybrid
- Meaning
The offspring resulting from the cross-pollination of two different varieties or species.
Learning objectives
Understand the steps involved in artificial hybridisation.
Explain the purpose of emasculation and bagging.
Identify the importance of artificial hybridisation in plant breeding.
Differentiate between natural and artificial pollination.
Prerequisites
Understanding of flower structure (stamen, pistil, stigma, anther).
Knowledge of pollination types (self-pollination, cross-pollination).
Basic understanding of plant reproduction.
Common mistakes
Forgetting to emasculate bisexual flowers.
Not bagging the emasculated flower properly, leading to contamination.
Using immature or over-mature pollen for pollination.
Failure to re-bag after artificial pollination.
Keywords
plant breeding
cross-pollination
emasculation
bagging
stigma
anther
hybridisation
crop improvement
genetic manipulation
genetic engineering
Practice preview
In artificial hybridisation, after emasculation, the stigma is covered with a bag to prevent contamination by unwanted pollen. This process is known as:…
easy
Which of the following steps is crucial in artificial hybridisation to prevent self-pollination?…
easy
When is the best time to perform emasculation in a bisexual flower for artificial hybridisation?…
easy