Step 1: Emasculation.
In artificial hybridisation, the first step is emasculation. In this process, the anthers (male reproductive parts) are carefully removed from the flower of the plant chosen as the female parent. This is done before the anthers mature to prevent self-pollination.
Step 2: Bagging.
After emasculation, the flower is immediately covered with a butter paper or plastic bag. This step is called bagging. It prevents the stigma from receiving unwanted pollen grains from other plants.
Step 3: Artificial pollination.
When the stigma becomes receptive, pollen grains collected from the desired male parent are manually transferred onto the stigma of the emasculated flower. After pollination, the flower is again rebagged to ensure that only the selected pollen fertilizes the ovule.
Final Answer:
The three major steps in artificial hybridisation are:
1. Emasculation
2. Bagging
3. Artificial pollination