Final answer:
Natural methods of asexual reproduction include spore formation and fragmentation, while artificial methods are techniques like grafting, cutting, layering, and micropropagation. These artificial methods are practiced by humans to produce genetically identical plants that reach maturity quickly and retain desirable traits from the parent plant.
Step-by-step explanation:
Describe Natural and Artificial Methods of Asexual Reproduction in Plants
Answering the student's question, the correct natural and artificial methods of asexual reproduction in plants are:
Natural methods are strategies plants have inherently developed to self-propagate, such as through the use of spores, which require little energy to produce and can grow into new plants without fertilization, or fragmentation, where a part of a plant breaks off and grows into a new individual. Budding and fragmentation are examples of these natural mechanisms.
Artificial methods are those facilitated by humans to propagate plants. These include grafting, which is taking a branch or bud from one plant and attaching it to another, and micropropagation, which involves growing plants from cells or tissues in a laboratory setting under controlled conditions. Cutting and layering are also forms of artificial asexual reproduction where parts of the plant like stems or leaves are used to grow new plants.
Asexual reproduction in plants is advantageous as it allows the resulting plants to reach maturity faster and they tend to be genetically identical to the parent, which is desirable for maintaining certain plant traits, such as in crop production.