Emasculation

Options

A. prevent self pollination in female parent
B. prevent cross pollination in female parent
C. prevent self pollination in male parent
D. prevent cross pollination in male parent

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Emasculation**: Emasculation is a technique used in plant breeding, specifically in the context of flowering plants. It involves the removal of the male reproductive parts (anthers) from a flower to prevent self-pollination.

2. **Purpose of Emasculation**: The primary purpose of emasculation is to ensure that the female parent plant does not self-pollinate. This is crucial when breeders want to control the genetic makeup of the offspring by facilitating cross-pollination with another selected male parent.

3. **Process of Emasculation**:
- Identify the flower that will serve as the female parent.
- Carefully remove the anthers before they release pollen. This is typically done when the flower is still in the bud stage to ensure that no pollen is shed.
- By removing the anthers, the flower is prevented from self-pollinating, allowing the breeder to introduce pollen from a different male parent.

4. **Importance in Breeding**: Emasculation is an essential step in hybridization. It allows for the production of hybrid seeds, which can lead to improved traits such as higher yield, disease resistance, and better fruit quality.

5. **Outcome**: By using emasculation, breeders can produce fruits with better quality and higher yield, as they can select the best male parent to cross with the emasculated female parent.