Question

(a) Mutations are beneficial for plant breeding. Taking an example, justify the statement.

(b) Discuss briefly the technology that made us self-sufficient in food production.

Answer 1

Mutations are beneficial for plant breeding:

Mutations are induced in the genome of the plants to develop a new variety of desirable traits - disease resistance and good quality of yield.

Example : Rust resistance in dwarf mutants of rice.

Plant breeding:

Technology that made us self-sufficient in food production is plant breeding. Plant breeding is application of genetic principles to produce new plant varieties with desirable traits.

Importance of plant breeding:

Plant breeding is important to develop new improved high yield plant varieties with diseases, pests, and drought resistance.