A vegetatively propagated citrus plant will produce fruits earlier than the one established from seeds because

Answer Details

A vegetatively propagated citrus plant will produce fruits earlier than the one established from seeds because it is more advanced at the time of establishment. Vegetative propagation involves taking a cutting or a bud from an already established citrus tree and growing it into a new tree. This method ensures that the new tree is genetically identical to the parent tree and has the same desirable traits, such as early fruit production. In contrast, growing citrus trees from seeds involves genetic variation and takes a longer time to produce fruits. It may take up to six years for a seed-grown citrus tree to produce fruits, whereas a vegetatively propagated tree may produce fruits within two to three years after planting. Therefore, vegetatively propagated citrus plants have a head start in terms of growth and development, and are able to produce fruits earlier than seed-grown trees. It has nothing to do with gummosis disease, insect pests, or wind pollination.