Question

A piece of potato tuber will form a new plant if it has
A. Branches
B. Stored food
C. Roots
D. Scales/eyes

Answer 1

Hint: Axillary bud is present on the surface of the tuber which helps in the formation of a new plant. Axillary bud has another name which is given in the options.

Complete answer:
First of all, you should know what tuber is. Tubers are the underground modification of stem
consisting of axillary buds on its surface and this axillary bud are meristematic in nature which helps
in the growth of new plants. Tubers stores starch. The buds are also known as eye or scales and the
buds sprout and develop into a new plant.
Potato tubers need frequent irrigation i.e., the process where a controlled amount of water is
supplied to the plants at needed intervals and the first irrigation should be given immediately after
sowing and thereafter at one week intervals. After the formation of tubers, the frequency of
irrigation decreases.
If we look at options now:
-Option A is Branches. This option is incorrect as the axillary bud is responsible for the formation of
a new plant, not branches. Therefore, this option gets eliminated.
-Option B is Stored food. This option is incorrect as axillary bud is responsible for the formation of a
new plant not stored food. Therefore, this option gets eliminated.
-Option C is Roots. This option is incorrect as the axillary bud is responsible for the formation of a
new plant not Roots. Therefore, this option gets eliminated.
-Option D is Scales/Eyes. This option is correct since the axillary bud is responsible for the formation
of new plants and the bud is also known as scales/eyes due to which this option is correct and these
buds sprout, then develop into a new plant.
Thus, the correct answer is option D i.e., Scales/Eyes.

Note:
 Since tubers have axillary buds on its surface which are meristematic in nature and are also
responsible for the formation of new plants, thus the correct option would be axillary bud and this
option is not given. But in option D scales/eyes are given which is another name for axillary bud due
to which this option is the correct one.