Cuttings can be stored briefly in a refrigerator before planting because stored food in the plant is utilized more slowly under cold conditions.

• A. They dry out quickly
• B. Stored food in the plant is utilized more slowly under cold conditions
• C. They become dormant
• D. They sprout roots in cold storage

Answer: (B)

Cooling slows the cutting’s metabolism, so its stored food reserves are used more slowly. When cuttings are kept in a refrigerator, respiration and other cellular activities decrease, meaning sugars and starches aren’t burned up as quickly. That helps the plant material stay viable for a short period until you plant it, reducing stress from energy depletion and water loss. The choice that states stored food is utilized more slowly under cold conditions directly explains why refrigeration helps, making it the best fit. The other ideas don’t match the main reason: cold storage doesn’t primarily cause rapid drying, dormancy isn’t the main effect here, and rooting roots are not typically induced by cold storage.