Question

You have obtained a high yielding variety of tomato. Name and explain the procedure that ensures retention of the desired characteristics repeatedly in large populations of future generations of the tomato crop.

Answer 1

Hint: Tomatoes are widely cultivated throughout the world. It is a fleshy fruit with a short shelf life. Attempts have been by scientists to improve the characteristics of tomato from the beginning of plant tissue culture.

Complete answer:
Micropropagation is the procedure that ensures the retention of desired characteristics repeatedly in large populations of future generations of the tomato crop. Plant tissue culture is a technique in which plants are produced artificially from a mass of rapidly dividing cells called the explant. As they are produced vegetatively, they are genetically identical to the parent plant. Thus the yield and the characteristics will be similar to the original plant.
The procedure of micropropagation involves the selection and growing of the stock plant and selection and cutting of explant. The explant is then sterilized. It is placed on a sterile growth medium with optimum nutrient content at a suitable temperature and light intensity. Once the shoots have developed, they are transferred into the soil for the development of roots. A large number of offsprings can be produced from the parent plant. Thus a large population of desired characters can be obtained.

Note: This technique allows the production of many clones in less time. Thus it is a more efficient process than conventional methods. Large amounts of plants can be grown in small spaces. Increased yield and vigor are observed in this technique.