Final answer:
A karyotype can be useful in identifying genetic diseases, determining chromosomal abnormalities in leukemia, assessing the ploidy of crops, and confirming deletions on specific chromosomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The karyotype is a useful tool in all of the given situations. It can be used to identify genetic diseases caused by single nucleotide substitutions in genes, such as in option a). It can also identify specific forms of leukemia caused by reciprocal translocations between chromosomes, as described in option b).
In option c), a karyotype can help the banana farmer determine whether the crops are triploid or tetraploid by analyzing the number of chromosomes in the cells.
Additionally, a karyotype can be informative in option d) where a mother gives birth to a child with a syndrome that may be caused by a deletion on a specific chromosome. The karyotype can confirm the presence of the deletion.
Therefore, a karyotype can be useful in all of these situations.