Identify the plant in which emasculation is not required for artificial hybridization.
Identify the plant in which emasculation is not required for artificial hybridization.
Options
Official answer
Correct option: D — Papaya
Papaya is a dioecious plant, meaning it bears unisexual flowers on separate male and female plants.
- Since the female (pistillate) flower has no anthers, there is no self-pollen to remove.
- Emasculation (removal of anthers) is therefore not required; only bagging of the female flower is done before pollination.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: correct option D (Papaya).
- 2.No marks for reasoning alone if the option chosen is wrong; MCQ is scored on the correct choice.
Hint
Emasculation removes anthers — it is pointless where the female flower has none. Think of a dioecious plant.
Quick oral answer
Papaya is dioecious with unisexual female flowers that have no anthers, so there is nothing to emasculate — only bagging is needed for a controlled cross.
Common mistakes
- 1.Choosing Pea because it is a common breeding plant — but pea flowers are bisexual and DO require emasculation.
- 2.Assuming emasculation is always needed for hybridization; it is skipped when flowers are unisexual.
- 3.Confusing a unisexual plant with a unisexual flower — the deciding factor is absence of anthers in the female flower.
Analysis and explanation
Concept
Emasculation is the removal of anthers from a bisexual flower bud before the anthers dehisce, to prevent self-pollination during artificial hybridization. It is essential only when the flower is bisexual and could self-pollinate.
Why D is correct
- Papaya is dioecious with unisexual flowers on separate plants, so the female flower carries no anthers — emasculation is meaningless and unnecessary.
Why the distractors are wrong
- Rice and Wheat — both bear bisexual flowers; emasculation is needed to prevent self-pollination.
- Pea — a classic bisexual, self-pollinating flower (used by Mendel); emasculation is essential for controlled crosses.
Exam trap
Students confuse "unisexual plant" with "unisexual flower." The key is that a unisexual (female) flower has no stamens, so there are no anthers to emasculate.
Interesting facts
Papaya (Carica papaya) can be dioecious, monoecious, or hermaphrodite; commercial hybrid seed production exploits its dioecious nature.
In bisexual crops, emasculation is done in the bud stage, before anther dehiscence, so no self-pollen is shed.
Question details
Q1 of 37 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Biology
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
- Topic
- Emasculation in Artificial Hybridization
- Bloom's level
- understand
- Syllabus topic
- Unit VI: Reproduction — Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants: Artificial Hybridization (Emasculation and Bagging)
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Why is emasculation not needed in papaya?
Papaya is dioecious and bears unisexual flowers on separate plants. The female flower has no stamens or anthers, so there is no risk of self-pollination and nothing to emasculate; only bagging is performed.
What is the purpose of emasculation in plant breeding?
Emasculation removes the anthers from a bisexual flower bud before they mature, preventing self-pollination so that the breeder can carry out a controlled cross with pollen of a chosen male parent.