A gardener wants to grow new rose plants quickly from cuttings. Explain how the gardener could use rooting powders to achieve this, and why this method produces plants that are genetically identical to the parent plant.

Edexcel GCSE Biology (1BI0) — 6.3 Plant hormones · Explain · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

A gardener has a prize-winning rose plant and wants to produce several new plants with exactly the same characteristics as quickly as possible.

Model answer (4 marks)

Rooting powders contain auxins, which stimulate root formation in the cutting. By dipping the cut end of the rose stem in the powder the auxin promotes rapid root growth, allowing many new plants to be produced quickly from a single cutting. Because the new plants arise from a piece of the parent plant and no fertilisation occurs, they are clones – genetically identical to the original rose.

Examiner tips

  • Mention auxins and their role in root induction
  • Explain that cuttings are asexual and give a short reason for genetic identity
  • Show the link between rapid cloning and the use of rooting powder

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to name auxins as the active component
  • Confusing rooting powder with a growth medium
  • Claiming the plants are genetically identical because they are the same species rather than because they are clones

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Rooting powders contain auxins
  2. Auxins stimulate root growth in the cutting
  3. This allows rapid cloning / production of multiple new plants from cuttings
  4. The new plants are genetically identical because cuttings are produced by asexual reproduction / no fertilisation occurs, so all genetic material comes from the parent

Key terms in this question

rooting powders

Related

More Plant hormones questions

▶ Try answering this question with AI marking (free) →