1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settings’ are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.

2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.

3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.

4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settings 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

3. Ans: c

Explanation:

Tissue culture 

The tissue culture technique in sugarcane can be used for rapid multiplication of newly developed high yielding, high sugar, disease resistant varieties and rejuvenation of outstanding varieties under cultivation. The vegetative propagation of sugarcane through seed cane cuttings is cumbersome requiring larger quantities of vegetative seed material and seed multiplication rate is too low, needing about ten years for a new variety to be released for cultivation and cover larger areas in the field subsequently. With tissue culture technique, it is possible to release a variety within five years and propagate it quickly in the field.  

Raising of seedlings through bud chip:

Transplanting of settlings raised in polybags offers great advantages in sugarcane seed production. Nursery raised from sugarcane bud chips and planting them in main field was found to be more economical than traditional methods.

Spaced transplanting technology: 

The technology consist of transplanting of nursery raised settlings. Settling are raised by planting of single bud set in nursery about one month before transplanting in the main field. About 2 tonnes of cane seed are required to obtain settlings for transplanting in one hectare of field

Hence, option c is correct.

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