Despite its name, Kentucky Bluegrass is a widespread turfgrass used for lawns throughout the United States. In some regions, strains have developed desirable disease-resistant properties. However, Kentucky Bluegrass typically develops by apomixis. Plant breeders say this creates both a challenge and an opportunity for engineering novel strains. Why?
A. If a seed develops by apomixis, it will be identical to its parent. Hybridization with another strain requires special techniques. However, once a hybrid strain is developed, apomixis ensures its reliable propagation.
B. In apomixis, new plants develop from underground horizontal stems. This allows for fast propagation of new strains, but all progeny are identical to the parent.
C. Plants that develop by apomixis are naturally tolerant of herbicides. As a result, herbicide tolerance genes cannot be used as selectable markers for a transgene, but herbicides can be used to keep the resulting culture pure.
D. Since the progeny of apomixis are triploid, hybrids have an imbalance of parental genes. However, this may be desirable if a higher proportion of one allele is beneficial.
Answer: A
You might also like to view...
Measuring its costs and benefits in terms of energy spent and/or gained, mutualism
A. is a lose-lose interaction. B. results in gain for both individuals. C. results in a gain for one individual and a loss for the other. D. results in a gain for one individual and neither a gain nor a loss for the other. E. none of these
A carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 20 or less in soil results in the loss of soluble nitrogen from the system.
Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
The most important factor for reproductive success of a male is ________
a. all of the choices b. the amount of food he can provide the female and young c. the quality of his female partners d. the number of eggs he can fertilize
Order ____ includes the turtles and tortoises
a. Crocodilia b. Squamata c. Testudines d. Saurischia e. Pterosauria