Question

As a senior biology student you have been asked to demonstrate to the students of secondary level in your school, the procedure (s) that shall ensure cross – pollination in a hermaphrodite flower. List the different steps that you would suggest and provide reasons for each of the item.

Answer 1

Cross-pollination of a hermaphrodite flower (flower bearing both stamen and pistil) can be achieved by

(1) Emasculation: The anther is removed from one of the flowers.

(2) Bagging: The emasculated flower is covered by a bag so as not to allow contamination of the stigma by unwanted pollen grains. When the stigma of the bagged flower becomes receptive, the pollen grains collected from the other flower are dusted onto the stigma and then the flower is rebagged.