With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:
- 1.A substantial saving in seed material is when ‘bud chip settlings’ are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
- 2.When direct planting of seeds is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded sets as compared to sets with many buds.
- 3.If bad weather conditions prevail when seeds are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large sets.
- 4.Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.3 only
- C.1 and 4 only
- D.2, 3 and 4 only
▶ Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: C. 1 and 4 only
Raising 'bud chip settlings' in nurseries and then transplanting them significantly reduces the amount of seed material needed per unit area compared to direct planting. Tissue culture techniques allow for the rapid multiplication of disease-free sugarcane planting material, enabling cultivation through settlings derived from such cultures, which is a modern trend. While single-budded sets can be efficient, claims about germination and survival under adverse conditions compared to larger sets require specific agro-climatic context and are not universally superior as stated in options 2 and 3.
Source: UPSC gs1 2020