Final answer:
Micropropagation is advantageous for producing large numbers of virus-free clones that are genetically uniform, ensuring the propagation of rare species and maintaining desirable traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The advantage of micropropagation by plant tissue culture is that it can produce virus-free clones. Unlike asexual reproduction which may propagate existing viral diseases in cuttings but not through seeds, micropropagation allows rare or endangered species to be grown in large numbers under controlled laboratory conditions. This ensures that the propagated plants are disease-free, genetically uniform, and quickly produced.
Another significant advantage of micropropagation is its ability to mass-produce plants that don't produce viable seeds, such as sterile hybrids or those with desirable traits like disease resistance that growers wish to maintain. The plants cultivated through this method are genetically identical to the original, ensuring consistency in the population.