Question

seedlings are held by the first true leaves instead of the stem when transplanting because______.
a. the stem may be bruised in handling and cause death of the plant
b. there are no cotyledons to grasp
c. the stems are too slippery, and seedlings are dropped and lost
d. this bruises the leaves, which causes better growth

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option a: Stems are delicate; bruising them can harm the plant, so holding by leaves (sturdier) avoids stem damage.
• Option b: Cotyledons (seed leaves) exist in seedlings, so this is incorrect.
• Option c: Stems aren't too slippery to hold; the issue is stem damage, not slipperiness.
• Option d: Bruising leaves doesn't promote growth; it's harmful.

So the correct reason is about avoiding stem bruising.

Answer:

a. the stem may be bruised in handling and cause death of the plant