Question

Hybrid seeds have to be produced every year because:
A. Hybrid plants will become sterile in the coming years.
B. They will show more heterosis in the coming years.
C. Hybrid vigour is not maintained beyond one generation as the segregation of genes begins in the second generation.
D. Hybrid seed industry tends to increase the cost of the seeds.

Answer 1

Hint: According to Mendel's Law of Segregation, allele pairs separate or segregate during gamete formation and randomly unite during fertilization. Only a few characters are passed down from generation to generation. Heterosis or hybrid vigour refers to this increased productivity or superiority over the parents. Heterosis is the F1 hybrid outperforming both parents in terms of yield or another characteristic.

Step by step solution:
The farmer's hybrid seeds will all produce similar plants, but the seeds of the next generation from those hybrids will not always have the desired characteristics. Since they are created by crossing two inbred strains, controlled hybrids have uniform features. Elite inbred strains with well-documented and consistent phenotypes (such as high crop yield) that are reasonably good for inbred plants are used.
Hybrids are chosen to enhance the characteristics of the resulting plants, such as yield, uniformity, colour, and disease resistance. The heterosis or combining of the potential of the parent plants is an essential factor. Crossing any two inbred strains may or may not produce superior offspring.
After the first generation, hybrid plants develop their unique properties while losing their hybrid nature. Each hybrid trait in the progeny will segregate and the hybrid characteristics will be lost. As a result, these hybrid seeds should be produced every year. If these hybrid plant seeds are sown, each plant in the progeny will segregate (according to Mendel's law) and lose its hybrid qualities.
Therefore, the hybrid seed needs to be produced every year in order to maintain heterosis.
Hence, The correct option is C.

Note: Industry of hybrid seeds is increasing its costs. These seeds are more vital and produce more. This could be advantageous to farmers. Better crop production allows them to earn more money. Hybrid seeds can produce more fruit in less time. Hybrid sterility is defined as the offspring of a successful primary cross, however, the secondary cross would fail. The offspring of an interspecific cross are frequently sterile; this hybrid sterility prevents gene transfer from one species to the other, thereby keeping both species distinct.