Question

(a) How does a farmer use the dormancy of seeds to his advantages ?

(b) What advantages a seed provides to a plant ? [3]

Answer 1

(a) Dehydration and dormancy of seeds are crucial for storage of seeds which can be used as food throughout the year and also to raise crop in the next season which provides advantage to farmer in the agriculture. [0.5+0.5]

(b) Seeds offer several advantages to a plant which are:

(i) Seeds can survive without water and they are produced in large number so plants can multiply.

(ii) Seeds have better adaptive strategies for dispersal to new habitats and help the species to colonise in other areas.

(iii) Seeds show variations due to the genetic recombination as they are products of sexual reproduction.

(iv) They protect the young embryo.

(v) Provide noursihment for the developing seedling. [0.5mark each for each point, any four can be written]