Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Selecting and breeding high-quality cultivars is essential to improve fruit yields and quality in horticulture.
Guava (*Psidium guajava*) is a prominent fruit crop in India with several commercially cultivated varieties.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate both statements:
- Statement (I): Arka Mridula is a prominent guava variety developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) in Bengaluru.
The fruit produces smooth, round, yellowish-white skin with soft, sweet, white pulp (flesh) containing very few soft seeds.
Therefore, Statement (I) is true.
- Statement (II): Arka Mridula was developed through open-pollinated seedling selection from the famous commercial cultivar Allahabad Safeda.
The selection was made to combine the high quality of Allahabad Safeda with softer seeds and a more compact growth habit.
Therefore, Statement (II) is also true.
Both statements are correct.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are true, corresponding to option (A).