Meristem culture is practised in horticulture to get

Options

A. Somaclonal variation
B. Haploid
C. Virus free plants
D. Slow growing callus

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Meristem Culture**: Meristem culture is a technique used in horticulture where the meristematic tissue (specifically the shoot apex) is cultured to produce new plants.

2. **Identifying the Explant**: In meristem culture, the shoot apex is used as the explant. An explant is a piece of plant tissue that is used to grow new plants in tissue culture.

3. **Characteristics of Meristematic Cells**: The cells in the meristematic tissue have the unique ability to divide continuously. This characteristic is crucial for the regeneration of new plant tissues.

4. **Virus-Free Plants**: One of the significant advantages of using meristematic tissue is that it is typically free from viruses. Since the meristematic cells are actively dividing, they do not harbor viruses that may be present in other parts of the plant.

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the plants produced through meristem culture are virus-free. This makes meristem culture a valuable technique in horticulture for producing healthy plants.

6. **Final Answer**: The correct answer to the question is "virus-free plants."

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