Question

Which of the following characters are desirable in cereals?
(a) Disease resistance
(b) Dwarfness
(c) Profuse branching
(d) All o the above

Answer 1

Hint: Cereals are the grains that are mainly cultivated for edible purposes. Cereals belong to the family Poaceae that are rich in carbohydrates. Proteins are present in very less amounts. Calcium and vitamins are absent in cereals. The main cereals that are consumed all over the world are wheat, rice, barley, maize etc.

Complete answer:
Certain characters are desirable for crop varieties. Resistance to pests and diseases and improved nutritional quality is the common desirable character for all the crop varieties. But, some crops require a particular character for getting high yield and other benefits.
For fodder crops, the desirable characters are profuse branching and long height crops. As fodder crops are used to feed domesticated animals, the profuse branching and tallness provide easy cutting of leaves.
In the cereals, the main character that is desirable is dwarfness. This is because when the crop is small, the fewer nutrients are required by the plants. They require less energy for their growth and development. They use their energy for the production of a large number of grains. These grains contain a large number of nutrients.

Thus the answer of the above question is option (B) dwarfness as the dwarf crops use less nutrients and energy. This energy and nutrients are used to increase the yield of crops.

Note: The cereals form a large part of our food. Most of the body energy needs are fulfilled from the carbohydrates that are present in cereals. They are very important for us as they prevent cancer and color disorders. They also reduce blood sugar levels. They are used for feeding the domesticated animals that provide us with milk, egg and other products. Besides this, they are also used for other purposes. They are used for the production of glucose, adhesives and alcohols. Edible oils and corn syrup are also manufactured from the cereals.