Assertion : Removal of shoot tips (decapitation) usually results in the growth of lateral buds. It is widely applied in tea plantations, hedge-making.

Reason : The growing apical bud inhibits the growth of the lateral (axillary) buds.

Assertion and reason both are true and the reason is correct explanation of assertion.

Assertion is accurate. The practice of removing the shoot tips, known as decapitation or pruning, is commonly used in horticulture and agriculture, including tea plantations and hedge-making. When we cut off the apical or terminal bud (the growing tip) of a plant, it removes the source of apical dominance, which is the hormonal signal produced by the apical bud that inhibits the growth of lateral (axillary) buds. Without this inhibition, the lateral buds are released from dormancy and start to grow, resulting in bushier and more compact growth.

Reason is also correct. The apical bud, which is the bud located at the tip of a shoot or branch, produces a hormone called auxin. Auxin inhibits the growth of lateral buds further down the stem, preventing them from developing into branches. When you remove the apical bud through decapitation, you remove the source of auxin, allowing the lateral buds to grow and develop into branches.

Decapitation or the removal of shoot tips is a widely used technique in horticulture and agriculture to promote branching and bushier growth by eliminating apical dominance, which is the inhibition of lateral bud growth by the apical bud.