Question

Outline three major steps in the process of artificial hybridisation.

Answer 1

1. Emasculation: It is the process of removing the anthers from the female parent plant’s bisexual flower bud before they dehisce (shed pollen). For unisexual (pistillate) blooms, it is not necessary.
2. Bagging: To stop undesired pollen from contaminating the stigma, cover the emasculated (or pistillate) flower with a butter-paper bag.
3. Rebagging: To stop additional contamination and to let the fruit grow, the flower is bagged once more once the stigma has matured and the desired pollen grains have been applied to it.