Final Answer:
Mendel was able to produce hybrids in pea plants by using a technique called cross-pollination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gregor Mendel conducted groundbreaking experiments with pea plants in the mid-19th century, pioneering the study of genetics. To achieve hybridization, Mendel employed the technique of cross-pollination. Cross-pollination involves transferring pollen from the male reproductive organ (anther) of one pea plant to the female reproductive organ (stigma) of another. This method allows for the combination of genetic material from two distinct parent plants, leading to the development of hybrids in the offspring.
Mendel meticulously controlled the pollination process to ensure the accuracy of his observations. He removed the anthers from some pea plants to prevent self-pollination, ensuring that the plants would only receive pollen from others.
By carefully selecting parent plants with specific traits and controlling the cross-pollination, Mendel could study the inheritance patterns of traits in subsequent generations. This meticulous approach laid the foundation for his groundbreaking laws of inheritance, which revolutionized our understanding of how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
In summary, cross-pollination was Mendel's key technique in creating hybrids, allowing him to unravel the principles of heredity and establish the fundamental laws of genetics.