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Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the following statements: 1. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas. 2. Coffee, is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings only. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: coffee thrives in a hot, humid tropical climate with moderate temperatures and rainfall suited to plantation cultivation [1], while tea is grown in humid and sub-humid tropics and sub‑tropics on hilly terrain, making cultivation possible in both tropical and subtropical zones [2]. Statement 2 is incorrect: although coffee is commonly raised from seed, commercial coffee propagation also uses vegetative techniques (nursery/transplanting and other vegetative methods) rather than seeds exclusively. Tea is widely propagated vegetatively (stem cuttings, clonal and micropropagation) to preserve desired cultivar traits, but vegetative propagation methods are part of broader propagation practice and not the sole possible method [3].
Sources
- [1] https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/83801/1/Unit-5.pdf
- [2] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Tea > p. 34
- [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.5 Vegetative Propagation > p. 117
- [4] https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-81-322-1704-6.pdf