Question

Vegetative propagation by _______ occur in sweet potato
A. Root
B. Leaf
C. Stem
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: Vegetative propagation is a type of asexual reproduction which takes place only in plants and in this the new plant is grown from the fragments of the parent plants. Many plants naturally reproduce in this manner but it can also be produced by artificial means.

Complete answer:
Vegetative reproduction mainly takes place in the meristematic tissue which is present in the stem, leaves and the tips of the stem and roots and they contain undifferentiated cells. The meristematic tissue plays an important role in continuously dividing and allowing the vegetative propagation to take place. Vegetative propagation also allows plants to avoid the immature seedling phase and reach the mature phase faster. A major disadvantage of vegetative propagation is that it stops the genetic diversity of the species and due to which there is a reduction in the yield of crops.
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. It has large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots and is a root vegetable. The vegetative propagation in sweet potato can be performed by roots. Sweet potato is a modification of adventitious roots which grow from the nodes of a running stem and they are swollen irregularly due to the storage of food. They can give rise to adventitious buds which when separated they can give rise to new plants thus performing the function of vegetative propagation.
Hence, the correct answer is A. Root.

Note: Sweetpotato planting material is obtained from vine cuttings and the most common and important source is the storage of roots. Sweet potatoes have small eyes which give rise to scaly leaves and they develop into new plants.