Question map
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding vegetative propagation of plants? 1. Vegetative propagation produces clonal population. 2. Vegetative propagation helps in eliminating the virus. 3. Vegetative propagation can be practiced most of the year. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The correct answer is option C (Statements 1 and 3 only).
**Statement 1 is correct:** Vegetative propagation produces plants that are genetically similar enough to the parent plant to have all its characteristics[1], meaning they form a clonal population of genetically identical individuals.
**Statement 2 is incorrect:** Vegetative propagation does **not** eliminate viruses. Since vegetative propagation uses parts of the parent plant (roots, stems, or leaves), any systemic viruses present in the parent will be transmitted to the offspring. The documents mention that tissue culture allows many plants to be grown from one parent in disease-free conditions[2], but this refers to controlled laboratory conditions with special techniques, not standard vegetative propagation methods.
**Statement 3 is correct:** Vegetative propagation can be achieved by layering, grafting, or rooting semi-hardwood cuttings[3], and these methods can generally be practiced throughout most of the year, unlike seed propagation which is often season-dependent. This makes vegetative propagation a flexible agricultural technique.
Sources- [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.5 Vegetative Propagation > p. 117
- [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > Tissue culture > p. 118
- [3] https://www.science.gov/topicpages/m/micropropagation+seed+propagation
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Does vegetative propagation of plants produce clonal populations (genetically identical offspring)?
- Statement 2: Can vegetative propagation of plants eliminate or remove systemic plant viruses from the propagated material?
- Statement 3: Can vegetative propagation of plants be practiced during most of the year (i.e., is it generally season-independent)?
- Explicitly states vegetative propagation produces plants 'genetically similar enough' to the parent and retains parental characteristics.
- Gives practical examples (banana, orange, rose, jasmine) where vegetative methods preserve parent traits.
- Identifies vegetative propagation as a form of asexual reproduction created from a single individual.
- Asexual reproduction from one parent is the conceptual basis for offspring being genetically similar/clone-like.
- Describes vegetative/ asexual means (rhizomes, corms, bulbs) producing offspring immediately adjacent to the parent.
- Supports the ecological implication of local, repeated propagation consistent with clonal spread.
- Describes tissue culture (a form of vegetative propagation) using growing-tip tissue and artificial media.
- Explicitly states that tissue culture allows many plants to be grown 'in disease-free conditions', implying removal/avoidance of pathogens in propagated material.
- Defines vegetative propagation methods (layering, grafting) and links them to practical propagation of crops and ornamentals.
- Provides context that vegetative methods produce clones from parent tissues, showing the pathway by which pathogens could be retained or, if combined with disease-free techniques, avoided.
- States that viruses infect plants and multiply within living cells, establishing relevance of viral pathogens to plant propagation.
- Helps connect the concept of plant viruses to the need for disease-free propagation methods like tissue culture.
- Explicitly states an in vitro regeneration protocol was 'season-independent'.
- Shows that micropropagation (in vitro vegetative propagation) can be performed irrespective of season for at least some species.
- States conventional vegetative methods (layering, grafting, rooting cuttings) are limited by the size of plants and time of the year.
- Indicates many standard, non–in vitro vegetative propagation methods are season-dependent.
Gives a general definition: many plants can reproduce when a part (leaf, stem, root) is planted in soil, implying vegetative propagation is a broadly applicable method across species.
A student could combine this generality with climate maps (tropical vs temperate) to ask whether broad applicability implies year-round practicability in different zones.
States vegetative methods (layering, grafting) are used commercially for many crops (sugarcane, roses, grapes, banana, orange, jasmine), showing these techniques are standard horticultural practices.
Use knowledge of the crop types (tropical vs temperate) and their growing seasons to infer that while methods are widely used, timing may depend on crop and local climate.
Explains seasonal cropping distinctions (rabi, zaid) and explicitly notes that in southern parts (tropical), 'temperature is high enough to grow tropical crops during any period in the year provided the soil moisture is available.'
A student could combine this with the definition of vegetative propagation to hypothesize that in tropical regions vegetative propagation may be more year-round than in temperate regions.
Gives a concrete example where planting of softwood grafts is usually timed to the monsoon season, showing some vegetative propagation techniques are seasonally scheduled for success.
Compare such crop-specific recommendations with local seasonal calendars to test whether propagation is typically tied to wet/dry or temperature seasons.
Shows a species-specific seasonal detail: sisal bulbils are collected from mid-February to mid-April, indicating that parts used for vegetative propagation may have optimal collection windows.
A student could survey propagation-material availability across species and seasons (using phenology calendars) to judge when vegetative propagation is practicable.
References define vegetative propagation as reproduction using plant parts (root/stem/leaf) and label it asexual, linking the process to single-parent reproduction.
High-yield basic biology: distinctions between sexual and asexual reproduction are frequently tested and underpin questions on inheritance, crop propagation and breeding. Master via NCERT examples and contrast with sexual reproduction to answer definition and implication questions.
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.5 Vegetative Propagation > p. 117
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 13: Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet > 13.5.1 Asexual reproduction > p. 220
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > What you have learnt > p. 126
Evidence explicitly says vegetatively propagated plants are 'genetically similar enough' to the parent and notes generation from a single individual.
Important for questions on genetics, variation and agricultural practices (why clones retain traits or why variation is limited). Learn the NCERT phrasing, implications for breeding and exceptions (role of mutation) to handle applied and conceptual UPSC questions.
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.5 Vegetative Propagation > p. 117
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > What you have learnt > p. 126
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 2: PLANT AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS > the contribution of charles Darwin > p. 3
Reference notes vegetatively reproducing plants (rhizomes, corms, bulbs) produce offspring adjacent to parents, limiting migration and dispersal.
Useful for linkage questions across ecology and reproduction—explains population spread, conservation and invasive potential. Helps answer integrated questions on biodiversity, migration and agricultural planting strategies; study examples and ecological consequences.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 2: PLANT AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS > Dispersal of plants in Migration > p. 5
Reference [7] links tissue culture (a vegetative propagation method) to producing plants in 'disease‑free conditions', directly relevant to removing pathogens from propagated material.
High-yield for questions on plant propagation, crop protection, and biotechnology: explains a lab technique that can produce pathogen-free clones. Connects to topics on asexual reproduction, agricultural practices and plant pathology. Prepare by understanding steps of meristem/tissue culture, its uses and limitations.
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > Tissue culture > p. 118
References [1] and [4] describe vegetative propagation methods and the production of genetically similar plants, which frames how pathogens present in parent tissues may be transmitted or managed.
Important for UPSC questions on agricultural practices and crop improvement: shows why vegetative propagation is used (rapid, identical offspring) and the implications for disease spread or containment. Study method types (cutting, grafting, layering, tissue culture) and policy/production implications.
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.5 Vegetative Propagation > p. 117
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > What you have learnt > p. 126
Reference [8] establishes that viruses infect plants and multiply inside cells; reference [9] on vascular tissue transport is relevant to systemic spread within plants.
Key for linking plant pathology to propagation techniques: knowing that viruses are intracellular and can move systemically explains why some propagation methods risk transferring infections. Useful for questions on biosecurity, crop disease management and technology adoption; revise basic virus biology and plant vascular transport.
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > Ever heard of ... > p. 17
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Life Processes > What you have learnt > p. 99
References define vegetative propagation and list methods/uses (e.g., layering, grafting) and examples (banana, rose, sugarcane), which is the core phenomenon under question.
High-yield for UPSC topics on crop husbandry and horticulture — understanding what vegetative propagation is, common methods and why it is used (earlier bearing, clonality, seedless crops) helps answer diverse questions on nursery practice, crop improvement and commercial horticulture. Prepare by learning method→purpose→examples and linking to economic uses.
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.5 Vegetative Propagation > p. 117
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 13: Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet > 13.5.1 Asexual reproduction > p. 220