Question

What is the purpose of bagging in case of artificial hybridisation?

• A. To allow the pollen of the same flower to land on the stigma
• B. To prevent contamination of stigma with unwanted pollen
• C. To speeden up the maturation of the flower
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is B To prevent contamination of stigma with unwanted pollen

In artificial hybridisation, desired pollen grains are used for pollination in order to develop plants with desirable characteristics.

Artificial hybridisation includes techniques like emasculation and bagging.

Emasculation is done to prevent self-pollination. Removal of anthers from the flower bud before the dehiscence of anther is called emasculation. Emasculation is necessary only when the plant considered as female parent produces bisexual flowers. Emasculation is followed by bagging.

In bagging technique, emasculated flowers are covered with a bag of butter paper. This is done to ensure that no unwanted pollen is able to land on the stigma and fertilize the egg cell.

After bagging, the desired pollen grains are dusted on the stigma after it attains its receptivity by removing the bag. After the pollen grains are dusted, the stigma is again bagged, this process is called rebagging.

Thus bagging and rebagging helps in protecting the stigma from getting contaminated by unwanted pollen grain during artificial hybridisation.