A farmer wants to produce a large number of genetically identical plants quickly. Suggest suitable reproduction methods and explain why they are effective.
The farmer should use asexual reproduction methods, specifically vegetative propagation techniques like cutting, grafting, layering, and tissue culture.
These methods are effective because they involve mitosis, a cell division that produces daughter cells identical to the parent cell. As a result, the offspring produced are genetically identical to the parent and are called clones.
Furthermore, asexual reproduction is a fast method that helps increase the population quickly. In particular, tissue culture allows for mass-produced healthy plantlets from the shoot tip, which eliminates virus-infected plants and ensures high yields, enabling farmers to cultivate desirable crops efficiently on a large scale.
Explanation
The textbook context explains that asexual reproduction involves mitosis, which ensures offspring are genetically identical clones to the parent, making it a fast way to increase population. Vegetative propagation methods like cutting, grafting, layering, and tissue culture are highlighted as efficient ways to propagate desirable crops on a large scale. Tissue culture is specifically noted for mass-producing healthy plantlets from the shoot tip (apical meristem) to eliminate viruses and ensure high yields.