Artificial Hybridization in Plants - Emasculation and Bagging: Process, Steps

Artificial Hybridization Plants: Procedures, Steps and FAQ

Edited By Irshad Anwar | Updated on Jul 02, 2025 05:11 PM IST

Artificial hybridisation is the plant breeding method of combining two different varieties of plants to create plants that possess the desired features. It helps to combine the best traits of both parents by manually transferring selected pollen. It is one of the basic concepts for plant reproduction included in the Class 12 chapter on Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants.

This Story also Contains

What is Artificial Hybridisation?
Importance of Artificial Hybridisation in Plants
The Process of Artificial Hybridisation
Techniques Used in Artificial Hybridisation
Examples of Artificial Hybridisation in Plants
MCQs on Artificial Hybridisation
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Artificial Hybridization Plants: Procedures, Steps and FAQ

Artificial Hybridization in Plants - Emasculation and Bagging: Process, Steps

It involves controlled pollination steps, which give offspring specific genes that have traits like better adaptability and disease resistance. This process is of great importance in increasing agricultural productivity and in developing more resistant and productive varieties of plants. This article includes Artificial Hybridisation, its importance with the Process of Artificial Hybridisation in Biology

What is Artificial Hybridisation?

Artificial Hybridisation can be defined as crossing plants intentionally for the creation of hybrids with specific desired traits. This technique has been used by plant breeders to enhance attributes like yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to the environment. In artificial hybridisation, the male and female plants that are desirable are selected, and the pollen is utilised for fertilising the ovules of another plant. This technique enables desirable traits from the parent plants to be hybridised into a new plant species that might prove to be more vigorous than either of its parents in angiosperms.

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Importance of Artificial Hybridisation in Plants

Artificial hybridisation revolutionised agriculture and horticulture as it brought fresh plant species that exhibit increased production and resistance. Some of the advantages include:

High productivity: Hybrids tend to be more productive than their parental lines. This is meant to achieve high productivity, which increases food production.

Resistance to diseases: Most hybrids are bred with resistance to particular pests and diseases. This thus reduces the use of chemicals and makes farming sustainable.

Environmental adaptability: It would now be easy to produce varieties for different climates and soils by choosing such plants that excel in certain conditions.

The Process of Artificial Hybridisation

The steps of artificial hybridization include the choice of parent plants, emasculation, and pollination. Emasculation refers to the removal of the bilobed anthers from the flower of the female parent to prevent self-pollination. However, the process may be totally omitted for cases where the plant species lacks clear male and female reproductive organs. After emasculation, the structure of pollen grain from the male parent is inserted into the stigma of the female parent. This is to ensure that only the desired traits will be expressed in the resulting hybrid. It includes steps as given below:

Selection of Parent Plants: Choose male and female plants with desirable traits.
Emasculation: Remove anthers from the female flower to prevent self-pollination.
Bagging: Cover the emasculated flower to avoid unwanted pollen contamination.
Collection of Pollen: Collect mature pollen from the selected male parent.
Pollination: Transfer pollen to the stigma of the emasculated female flower.
Rebagging: Cover the flower again to protect the pollinated stigma.
Tagging: Label the flower with parent names, date, and cross details.

Techniques Used in Artificial Hybridisation

Artificial hybridisation applies various techniques in its execution. These methods improve fertilization chances and protect the process from contamination. Some of these are as follows;

Controlled Pollination: It involves the covering of flowers with bags that prevent unwanted pollen from contaminating the process of cross-pollination.

Plant Hormones: Hormones can be applied to cause the formation of the ovule and increase the chances of fertilization.

Tissue culture: Advanced tissue cultures can also be applied for hybridisation as it allows the development of plants from tissues taken in controlled artificial conditions.

Examples of Artificial Hybridisation in Plants

Artificial hybridisation is widely used to improve crop yield, quality, and resistance. It is also applied in ornamental plants to create new colors and shapes. Among the key crops that have been artificially hybridised are:

Hybrid Maize: Hybrid maize strains develop much more yield and are very sensitive to environmental stress.

Hybrid Rice: Hybrid rice cultivation has amplified the production and food security of most nations.

Flowering Plants: Even decorative flowers like roses and chrysanthemums have produced abnormal shades of colours as well as shapes due to human hybridisation.

MCQs on Artificial Hybridisation

Question 1: While planning for an artificial hybridization program involving dioecious plants, which of the following steps would not be relevant?

Bagging of the female flower
A dusting of pollen on the stigma
Emasculation
Collection of pollen

Answer: Male and female reproductive organs are found on distinct plants in dioecious plants which means that each plant only produces one type of flower—not both.
Emasculation or the removal of male reproductive organs is irrelevant in artificial hybridization programs involving dioecious plants because the male and female organs are already present on different plants. Removing male components from the same plant is not necessary.

Hence, the correct answer is option 3) Emasculation.

Question 2: Assertion: Emasculation is necessary for artificial hybridization when the female parent bears bisexual flowers.

Reason: Emasculation involves the removal of anthers to prevent contamination with unwanted pollen.

Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
Both the assertion and reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
The assertion is false, but the reason is true.

Answer: The assertion states that emasculation is necessary for artificial hybridization when the female parent bears bisexual flowers. Emasculation involves removing anthers from the flower bud of the female parent-bearing bisexual flowers to prevent contamination with unwanted pollen.

The reason correctly explains the assertion by stating that emasculation is performed to prevent contamination with unwanted pollen. It provides a logical explanation for why emasculation is necessary in the given scenario.

Hence, the correct answer is Option (1) Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.

Question 3: Why is emasculation performed in artificial hybridization?

To increase the chances of successful pollination.
To prevent unwanted self-pollination.
To enhance the genetic diversity of the resulting hybrid.
To promote the growth of male reproductive organs in plants.

Answer: Emasculation is the removal of the male reproductive organs of a plant, such as the stamens, to prevent self-pollination and promote controlled pollination. In artificial hybridization, emasculation is performed to prevent unwanted self-pollination and ensure that only the desired pollen is used for controlled pollination. This helps in creating new plant varieties with desired traits by controlling the pollination process. Emasculation is a common practice in plant breeding, especially in crops where self-pollination is common, such as tomatoes and peas.

Hence, the correct answer is option 2)To prevent unwanted self-pollination.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is artificial hybridization?

Artificial hybridisation is the plant breeding method of combining two different varieties of plants to create plants that possess the desired features.

2. What distinguishes the two types of Artificial hybridisation—natural and artificial?

Natural hybridisation occurs without human help, when plants crossbreed on their own. Artificial hybridisation is done by humans, where desired plants are manually crossed to produce specific traits.

3. What are emasculation and bagging?

Emasculation is the removal of stamens or anthers without harming the female reproductive organs from a flower before they dehisce or destroy the pollen grains. Bagging is the process of enclosing the emasculated flower in a bag to prevent pollination by unintended pollen.

4. What use does artificial hybridisation serve?

Artificial hybridisation is used to combine desirable traits from two different plants, such as higher yield, disease resistance, or better quality. It helps in crop improvement and developing new, better plant varieties.

5. Who was the first to artificially cross-breed fruit crops?

Thomas Fairchild hybridized the Dianthus barbatus and the Dianthus caryophyllus to produce the Fairchild's mule, the first artificial hybrid.

6. Can artificial hybridization occur between any two plant species?

Not all plant species can be successfully hybridized. Successful hybridization typically requires genetic compatibility between the parent species. Crosses between closely related species are more likely to succeed than those between distantly related species. Some interspecific crosses may require special techniques like embryo rescue.

7. What is the difference between intraspecific and interspecific hybridization?

Intraspecific hybridization involves crossing two varieties or cultivars within the same species. Interspecific hybridization, on the other hand, involves crossing plants from two different species. Interspecific crosses are often more challenging but can lead to more dramatic new traits.

8. How long does it take to see results from artificial hybridization?

The time to see results varies depending on the plant species. It typically takes one growing season to produce hybrid seeds, and another season to grow and evaluate the hybrid plants. However, developing a stable, commercially viable hybrid variety can take several years of repeated crossing and selection.

9. What is heterosis or hybrid vigor, and how does it relate to artificial hybridization?

Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is the phenomenon where hybrid offspring exhibit superior traits compared to either parent. This can include increased yield, faster growth, or better stress tolerance. Artificial hybridization is often used to deliberately create hybrids that exhibit heterosis for desirable traits.

10. How do plant breeders maintain hybrid lines?

Maintaining hybrid lines often involves preserving the parent lines and repeating the hybridization process for each generation of seed production. This is because many hybrids do not breed true in subsequent generations due to genetic segregation. Breeders must carefully maintain pure parent lines to consistently produce the desired hybrid.

11. How does artificial hybridization contribute to crop improvement?

Artificial hybridization is a key tool in crop improvement, allowing breeders to combine desirable traits from different varieties or species. This can lead to crops with higher yield, better nutritional content, improved disease resistance, enhanced environmental adaptability, and other beneficial characteristics.

12. What role does artificial hybridization play in developing disease-resistant plant varieties?

Artificial hybridization is crucial in developing disease-resistant varieties. Breeders cross susceptible high-yielding varieties with resistant varieties or wild relatives. Through successive generations of crossing and selection, they develop new varieties that combine disease resistance with other desirable traits.

13. How does artificial hybridization contribute to the development of climate-resilient crops?

Artificial hybridization allows breeders to combine traits for climate resilience, such as drought tolerance, heat resistance, or flood tolerance, from diverse genetic sources. By crossing adapted local varieties with those possessing specific resilience traits, breeders can develop new varieties better suited to changing climate conditions.

14. How does artificial hybridization contribute to genetic diversity in crops?

While artificial hybridization can potentially narrow genetic diversity by focusing on specific traits, it can also increase diversity by combining genes from different varieties or even species. Breeders often work to maintain a balance, introducing new genetic material while developing improved varieties.

15. What is the importance of maintaining pure lines in artificial hybridization programs?

Pure lines are crucial for consistent hybrid production. They ensure that each time a specific cross is made, the resulting hybrids have predictable characteristics. Maintaining pure lines involves careful isolation, self-pollination (for self-compatible species), and rigorous selection to preserve desired traits and genetic uniformity.

16. How does artificial hybridization differ from natural pollination?

Artificial hybridization involves human intervention to control the breeding process, while natural pollination occurs spontaneously in nature. In artificial hybridization, breeders select specific parent plants, manually transfer pollen, and often employ techniques to prevent self-pollination or unwanted cross-pollination.

17. Why is emasculation necessary in artificial hybridization?

Emasculation, or the removal of male reproductive parts (anthers) from the female parent plant, is necessary to prevent self-pollination. This ensures that the resulting offspring are true hybrids, carrying genetic material from both chosen parents.

18. What tools are commonly used in artificial hybridization?

Common tools used in artificial hybridization include forceps for emasculation, small brushes or cotton swabs for pollen transfer, magnifying glasses for precision work, scissors for removing flower parts, and bags or tags for isolating and labeling pollinated flowers.

19. What is the significance of timing in artificial hybridization?

Timing is crucial in artificial hybridization. The female flower must be emasculated before its anthers release pollen, and pollination must occur when the stigma is receptive. This often requires careful monitoring of flower development and knowledge of the specific plant's reproductive cycle.

20. How do plant breeders choose parent plants for hybridization?

Plant breeders select parent plants based on desired traits they want to combine in the offspring. They consider factors such as disease resistance, yield potential, growth habits, and specific qualities like fruit size or flower color. Parents are chosen to complement each other's strengths and compensate for weaknesses.

21. What are the main steps involved in artificial hybridization?

The main steps in artificial hybridization are: 1) Selecting parent plants, 2) Emasculating the female parent, 3) Collecting pollen from the male parent, 4) Transferring pollen to the stigma of the female parent, 5) Bagging the pollinated flower, and 6) Monitoring seed development and harvesting.

22. What is the purpose of bagging flowers in artificial hybridization?

Bagging flowers serves two main purposes: 1) It prevents contamination from unwanted pollen sources, ensuring the purity of the hybrid cross, and 2) It creates a controlled environment that can enhance pollination success by maintaining optimal humidity and temperature conditions.

23. What are some challenges in artificial hybridization?

Challenges in artificial hybridization include timing pollination correctly, preventing contamination from unwanted pollen, overcoming genetic incompatibilities between species, dealing with sterility in some hybrids, and the time and resources required for multiple generations of breeding and selection.

24. How does artificial hybridization differ in self-pollinating and cross-pollinating plants?

In self-pollinating plants, artificial hybridization requires more careful emasculation to prevent self-fertilization. Cross-pollinating plants may naturally have mechanisms to prevent self-pollination, making the process easier. However, isolating flowers from other pollen sources is crucial in both cases to ensure controlled crosses.

25. How does polyploidy affect artificial hybridization?

Polyploidy, the presence of multiple sets of chromosomes, can both complicate and enhance artificial hybridization. It can create barriers to crossing between plants with different ploidy levels but can also lead to new possibilities for creating fertile hybrids between species that are normally incompatible.

26. What is the importance of record-keeping in artificial hybridization programs?

Accurate record-keeping is crucial in artificial hybridization. It helps track parentage, cross dates, success rates, and observed traits in offspring. Good records allow breeders to replicate successful crosses, avoid repeating unsuccessful ones, and maintain the integrity of breeding lines over multiple generations.

27. What is the difference between F1 hybrids and later generations in artificial hybridization?

F1 hybrids are the first generation offspring from a cross between two distinct parents. They often show hybrid vigor and uniformity. Later generations (F2, F3, etc.) typically show more variation due to genetic segregation, which can be useful for selecting new stable lines but may not retain the uniformity of F1 hybrids.

28. What is the concept of heterotic groups in artificial hybridization?

Heterotic groups are genetically distinct populations of plants that, when crossed, tend to produce offspring with high heterosis. Identifying and maintaining these groups is crucial in hybrid breeding programs, especially for crops like corn, where specific combinations of inbred lines consistently produce high-performing hybrids.

29. What is the significance of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in artificial hybridization?

Cytoplasmic male sterility, a condition where plants produce non-functional pollen, is valuable in hybrid seed production. It eliminates the need for manual emasculation, making large-scale hybrid seed production more efficient. CMS lines are often used as female parents in crossing schemes.

30. How does artificial hybridization relate to the concept of heterosis or hybrid vigor?

Artificial hybridization is often used to deliberately create hybrids that exhibit heterosis. By crossing genetically diverse parents, breeders can produce offspring that outperform both parents in traits like yield, growth rate, or stress tolerance. Understanding and predicting heterosis is a key goal in many hybridization programs.

31. What is the concept of combining ability in artificial hybridization?

Combining ability refers to the capacity of a parent to transmit desirable traits to its offspring when crossed with another parent. General combining ability (GCA) indicates a parent's average performance in hybrid combinations, while specific combining ability (SCA) refers to instances where certain combinations perform exceptionally well.

32. What are some common misconceptions about artificial hybridization in plants?

Common misconceptions include confusing hybridization with genetic modification, believing all hybrids are sterile, thinking hybridization always produces superior plants, and assuming hybrids are unnatural. In reality, hybridization is a natural process that humans have refined for agricultural and horticultural purposes.

33. What is test crossing in the context of artificial hybridization?

Test crossing involves crossing a plant of unknown genotype with a plant of known genotype (usually homozygous recessive). This technique is used to determine whether a plant with a dominant phenotype is homozygous or heterozygous for a particular trait, which is valuable information for breeding programs.

34. What ethical considerations are associated with artificial hybridization in plants?

Ethical considerations include the potential environmental impact of new hybrids, concerns about genetic diversity in crop populations, intellectual property rights for new varieties, and the socioeconomic implications of hybrid seeds that may not breed true, potentially affecting farmers' practices.

35. How does artificial hybridization impact plant biodiversity?

Artificial hybridization can both increase and decrease biodiversity. It can create new genetic combinations, potentially increasing diversity. However, if a few high-performing hybrids dominate agricultural systems, it may lead to a reduction in the variety of cultivars grown, potentially narrowing the genetic base of crop species.

36. What is artificial hybridization in plants?

Artificial hybridization in plants is the process of manually cross-pollinating two different plant varieties or species to create offspring with desired traits. This technique is used by plant breeders to develop new cultivars with improved characteristics such as disease resistance, higher yield, or better flavor.

37. How does artificial hybridization relate to genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?

Artificial hybridization is a traditional breeding method that doesn't involve direct genetic modification. However, it can be used in conjunction with genetic modification techniques. For example, hybridization can be used to introduce GMO traits into different varieties after the initial genetic modification is created.

38. What is the role of artificial hybridization in ornamental plant breeding?

In ornamental plant breeding, artificial hybridization is used to create new flower colors, shapes, sizes, and plant architectures. It allows breeders to combine aesthetic traits with practical characteristics like disease resistance, longer bloom periods, or better adaptability to different growing conditions.

39. What is the role of artificial hybridization in preserving rare or endangered plant species?

Artificial hybridization can be used to preserve genetic diversity in rare species by creating hybrids with closely related, more common species. This can help maintain genes from endangered plants in cultivation. However, it's used cautiously to avoid genetic contamination of wild populations.

40. How does artificial hybridization contribute to the development of biofortified crops?

Artificial hybridization is key in developing biofortified crops with enhanced nutritional content. Breeders cross varieties with high levels of desired nutrients (like vitamin A in golden rice) with high-yielding varieties. Through selection and further crossing, they develop new varieties that combine improved nutrition with agronomic performance.

41. How do breeders prevent unwanted pollination after artificial hybridization?

To prevent unwanted pollination, breeders typically cover the pollinated flower with a bag made of paper, mesh, or other materials. This protects the flower from wind-borne pollen or insect pollinators that could introduce genetic material from unintended sources.

42. What is the role of genetic markers in artificial hybridization?

Genetic markers are used to identify specific genes or traits in parent plants and their offspring. They help breeders track the inheritance of desired traits, making the selection process more efficient. Markers can also be used to confirm successful hybridization and assess genetic diversity in breeding populations.

43. What is embryo rescue, and when is it used in artificial hybridization?

Embryo rescue is a technique used when hybrid embryos fail to develop naturally after fertilization. It involves removing the embryo from the seed and culturing it in vitro. This method is often necessary in wide crosses between distantly related species where normal seed development is impaired.

44. How do environmental factors influence the success of artificial hybridization?

Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light can affect pollen viability, stigma receptivity, and overall plant health. Optimal conditions vary by species, and breeders must often control these factors to maximize hybridization success, sometimes using greenhouses or growth chambers.

45. How do plant breeders deal with incompatibility barriers in artificial hybridization?

Breeders use various techniques to overcome incompatibility barriers, including: using bridge species for step-wise crosses, embryo rescue, chromosome doubling to match ploidy levels, and in some cases, using biotechnology to transfer specific genes without full hybridization.

46. How has technology improved artificial hybridization techniques?

Technology has enhanced artificial hybridization through improved microscopy for precise emasculation, climate-controlled growth facilities, molecular markers for trait selection, and data management systems for tracking crosses and progeny. Advanced imaging techniques can also help in assessing pollen viability and stigma receptivity.

47. How do breeders assess the success of an artificial hybridization cross?

Breeders assess hybridization success through various means: seed set rate, germination rate of hybrid seeds, phenotypic evaluation of hybrid plants, genetic analysis to confirm hybridity, and performance trials to evaluate traits like yield, disease resistance, and quality characteristics in comparison to parent lines.

48. How do breeders manage the trade-offs between different traits in artificial hybridization?

Managing trait trade-offs involves careful parent selection and multi-generation breeding strategies. Breeders may use techniques like recurrent selection or backcrossing to incrementally improve multiple traits. They also use quantitative genetics and statistical tools to understand and optimize the balance between different characteristics.

49. How do breeders handle self-incompatibility in artificial hybridization?

For self-incompatible plants, breeders may use techniques like bud pollination (pollinating before the flower fully opens), heat treatments to overcome incompatibility, or chemical treatments to inhibit the self-incompatibility response. In some cases, they may also use compatible closely related species as bridge crosses.

50. What is the importance of phenotyping in artificial hybridization programs?

Phenotyping, the process of measuring and analyzing observable plant traits, is crucial in hybridization programs. It allows breeders to assess the expression of desired traits in hybrid offspring, select the best performing plants for further breeding, and understand the genetic basis of complex traits.

51. How does artificial hybridization contribute to the concept of ideotype breeding?

Ideotype breeding involves defining and creating an ideal plant type with a set of desirable traits. Artificial hybridization is a key tool in this approach, allowing breeders to combine traits from different sources to match the ideotype. It often involves multiple rounds of crossing and selection to approach the ideal plant model.

52. What is the role of artificial hybridization in developing seedless fruits?

Artificial hybridization is used to create seedless fruits through techniques like triploid breeding. This often involves crossing a diploid plant with a tetraploid to produce sterile triploid offspring. The resulting plants produce fruit without viable seeds, as seen in seedless watermelons and bananas.

53. How does artificial hybridization interact with modern genomic tools in plant breeding?

Modern genomic tools complement artificial hybridization by providing detailed genetic information about parent plants and offspring. Techniques like marker-assisted selection allow breeders to more efficiently select plants carrying desired genes. Genomic prediction models can also help predict the performance of specific hybrid combinations.

54. What are some limitations of artificial hybridization in plant breeding?

Limitations include genetic incompatibility between species, the time-consuming nature of the process, the potential for unintended traits in offspring, the need for continuous maintenance of parent lines, and the fact that some desirable traits may be difficult to combine due to genetic linkage or complex inheritance patterns.

55. How does artificial hybridization contribute to the development of new plant varieties for organic farming?

Artificial hybridization helps develop varieties suited for organic farming by combining traits like natural pest resistance, efficient nutrient use