Explain the following terms :
(a) Inbreeding depression
(b) Interspecific hybridisation
(c) Biofortification
(d) Micropropagation
(e) Somaclones.

Explanation

(a) Inbreeding depression: Continued inbreeding especially close inbreeding reduces fertility and productivity is called inbreeding depression.
(b) Interspecific hybridisation : Male and female animals of two different related species are mated to combine desirable features.
(c) Biofortification: Breeding crops with higher levels of vitamins and minerals or higher protein and healthier fats to improve public health.
(d) Micropropagation : Method of producing thousands of plants through tissue culture.
(e) Somaciones : Plants grown from micro-propagation which are genetically identical to the original plant from which they were grown.
Detailed Answer:
(a) Inbreeding depression : Continued inbreeding leads to reduced fertility and even productivity which is known as inbreeding depression. In this condition, the selected animals of the breeding population should be mated with superior animals of the same breed.
(b) Interspecific hybridisation : In interspecific hybridization, male and female animals of two different species are mated. The progeny obtained from such a mating are usually different from both the parental species.
(c) Biofortification : Breeding crops with higher levels of vitamins and minerals or higher protein and healthier fats to improve public health.
(d) Micropropagation : Micropropagation is the tissue culture technique used for rapid vegetative multiplication of ornamental plants and fruit trees by using small sized explants. Because of the minute type of propagules in the culture, the propagation techniques is named as micropropagation.
(e) Somaclones : The genetically identical plants developed from any part of a plant by tissue culture/ micropropagation are called soma clones. The member of a single soma clone have the same genotype. This micropropagation is also known as soma clonal propagation.