Question

A horticulturalist breeds orchids, trying to obtain a plant with a unique combination of desirable traits. After many years, she finally succeeds. To produce more plants like this one, she should crossbreed it with another plant or clone it. Why?

Short answer

Crossbreeding would produce more variations to the obtained desired orchid. Thus, the horticulturalists must clone it to get more similar orchids.

Step-by-step solution

Asexual reproduction

Asexual reproduction is where a single parent undergoes reproduction to produce daughter cells. The single parent passes their genes to the offspring that make their genetic constitution.

As a single parent is involved in asexual reproduction, it does not include the fusion of gametes and, thus, no mixing of genetic traits.As a result, offspring produced are genetically identical to each other and are referred to as clones.

Thus, clones can be obtained through asexual reproduction.

Meaning of Crossbreeding

A method is used by horticulturists where they mate or breed two individuals of different varieties or breeds to obtain offspring with desirable traits.This method is called crossbreeding, and the offspring produced through this method is called hybrid.

The hybrid obtained from crossbreeding possesses characteristics of both parents. Thus, crossbreeding is a method employed to produce an individual with desired traits.

Cloning of orchid with the combination of desirable traits

Horticulturists crossbred many generations of orchids to obtain hybrid (orchids) with a specific combination of traits. Once the mixture with the desirable quality is obtained, further crossbreeding the hybrid would introduce additional variations.

As a result, the hybrid produced would be different from the desired hybrid. Thus, horticulturists must clone the hybrid with desirable traits to make identical copies of the orchid.