(a) Define the term hybridization (b) State five aims of crop improvement. (c) Describe a monohybrid cross as explained by Mendel’s Law of segregation. Illustrate your answers with clearly labelled diagrams.
Explanation
(a) Hybridization is a method by which an offspring is produced through the crossing of two different plant varieties of the same species. It can also be defined as the development of plants by combining heritable qualities of one plant with that of another through the fertilization of female with male gametes.
(b) Aims of Crop improvement include: (i) to increase yield. (ii) to improve the quality of produce. (iii) to meet the needs of growers. (iv) to adapt to wide climatic conditions. (v) to increase resistance diseases. (vi) to improve harvesting qualities. (vii) to obtain uniformity of plant (viii) to improve the nutritional value of the produce. (ix) to meet the needs of processors/ industrialists.
(c)
Description of the genotypic and phenotypic ratios is a follows: (i) Phenotypic ratio = 3: 1 (ii) Genotypic ratio 1: 2 (iii) Segregation occurs in the F2 generation.