Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the following statements:
- Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas.
- Coffee is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct
- Coffee requires a warm and humid climate with temperatures typically between 15 and 28 degrees Celsius and is grown in tropical regions with well-distributed rainfall. Tea, although also preferring humid conditions, can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical regions, including higher latitudes with cooler temperatures.
Statement 2 is incorrect
- Propagation: Coffee is generally propagated by seeds. It is also widely propagated through vegetative means, including stem cuttings, grafting, budding, and tissue culture (somatic embryogenesis). These methods are often preferred for specific hybrid varieties to ensure they inherit identical traits from the parent plant. Tea, however, can be propagated both by seeds and vegetative methods such as stem cuttings and clonal propagation.
