Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other one labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A) : In banana the fruits are parthenocarpy, produced without fertilization.
Reason (R) : Male and female flower open at different time in a day.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.

• A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
• B. Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A).
• C. (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.
• D. (A) is false but (R) is correct.

Hint:

To verify Assertion-Reason questions of this type, read them with "because" in between:
"Bananas are parthenocarpic because their male and female flowers open at different times."
This is logically incorrect. The true cause of parthenocarpy is triploidy-induced sterility and high natural hormone levels.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Parthenocarpy refers to the development of fruit without pollination or fertilization, resulting in seedless fruits.
In commercial banana cultivation, seedlessness is a critical quality parameter.
Dichogamy is a phenomenon where male and female reproductive organs mature at different times, preventing self-pollination.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate both statements systematically:
Assertion (A) states that the fruits in banana are parthenocarpic and produced without fertilization.
This statement is correct.
Commercial edible bananas (primarily triploid cultivars like Cavendish, Grand Naine, and Robusta) develop seedless fruits through vegetative parthenocarpy.
The ovary wall expands to form the fleshy pulp triggered by high endogenous auxin levels, completely bypassing the need for pollination and fertilization.
Reason (R) states that male and female flowers in banana open at different times in a day.
This statement is also correct.
Bananas possess a monoecious inflorescence where female flowers occupy the basal nodes and open first, while male flowers are situated at the terminal end and open much later.
This temporal separation of floral maturity (dichogamy/protogyny) promotes cross-pollination in wild, fertile species.
However, this is not the explanation for parthenocarpy.
The parthenocarpic nature of commercial bananas is due to their triploid genome (\(3N = 33\)) and specific genetic factors, which cause meiotic irregularities and render them highly sterile.
Since both statements are correct individually but (R) is not the causal reason for (A), Option (B) is the correct choice.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (B).