Plant propagation methods : types, features etc.

1. PROPAGATION
METHODS
1

2. CUTTING
 It is the process of propagating plants by use of vegetative parts that when
placed under suitable conditions will develop into complete plants.
 Parts used are detached from parent plant before they have an opportunity to
develop roots.
 It is a cheap and convenient mode of propagation.
 Used extensively in propagation of ornamental plants, including deciduous
types, broad-leaved evergreens and coniferous forms.
 Some fruits, such as grapes and figs have been propagated in this manner
since ancient times and have considerable progress in rooting of other fruit
plants.
 Commonly used asexual propagation method.
2

3. CUTTING CONT…
 Plant parts used in making cuttings fall into four groups:
1. Roots
2. Leaves
3. Stems
4. Modified stems( tubers, rhizomes and similar structures).
 Theoretically, all plants that have primary meristems are capable of being
propagated by cuttings.
 All plants cannot profitably be increased by this means.
 Only practical experience has made it possible to distinguish between
species that can be propagated from cuttings and those that cannot. 3

4. 4

5. CUTTING MEDIA
 Cuttings are ordinarily placed in media which will provide support and
environmental conditions necessary for development of roots and /or stems.
 Such media should hold moisture but allow for good aeration.
 It should be free of organic materials which would support disease or
bacteria.
 Clean, sharp sand is more commonly used for cuttings than any other
material.
 The sand should be changed frequently or sterilized from time to time to
increase the safety from disease.
 Dead leaves and cuttings should be removed frequently.
5

6. CUTTING MEDIA CONT…
 Peat has been widely used for some plants, particularly in the propagation of
high-bush blueberry.
 Combinations of peat and sand are frequently better than either alone.
 Vermiculite is also widely used material for propagation. It is practically
sterile and holds a large amount of moisture.
 Sphagnum moss, which is essentially sterile, is a satisfactory rooting
medium for some cuttings.
 The material in propagation bench is not expected to provide nutrients
elements and is simply used to hold cutting physically.
 It supply moisture and oxygen while roots are developed from stored food
in cutting itself. All cutting media should be moist but not waterlogged. 6

7. CUTTING BEDS
 Greenhouse benches, cold frames, flats and large pots used to hold the
rooting media.
 Four-six inches of material is frequently used.
 It should be thoroughly wet and firmly packed.
 Holes in the bottom boards or space between boards or cement slabs will
take care of drainage.
 Cutting beds are frequently placed over steam pipes so that bottom heat may
be supplied to promote development of roots.
 The temperature affecting the tops may held low to discourage excessive
top growth.
 Top of cutting area may enclosed with glass or polythene.
7

8. CUTTING BEDS CONT…
 Glass or polythene maintain humidity.
 This is important for softwood cutting where active foliage is involved.
 A fine mist spray is used to keep foliage of cuttings continually moist.
 Under such conditions, full light, permitting a high rate of photosynthesis,
may speed up rooting.
 While, this extremely high humidity would seem favourable to disease
development.
 Cutting beds are usually faced north or are shaded to help and maintain a
more even temperature, day and night.
8

9. A) ROOT CUTTINGS
 Plants that naturally produce suckers (shoots) freely can be propagated
easily by root cuttings.
 Some species of plants that root rarely or not at all from stem cuttings can
be reproduced by means of root cuttings.
Eg:Persimmon, pear, pecan, apple and plum are of this class.
Sweet potato, horse-radish, blackberries and raspberries are propagated
commercially by root cuttings.
 Root cuttings are not satisfactory for the reproduction of a variety.
 There are numerous variations in the technique of making root cuttings.
 Sections of root about ¼ inch in diameter and from 2-6 inches in length are
generally used from which propagation is done.
9

10. 10

11. ROOT CUTTINGS CONT…
 They can be taken in the fall or early winter and stored in sawdust or sand in
a cool, damp place to allow for the formation of callus tissue.
 Cuttings may be taken in early spring also without any preliminary
treatment directly in the field.
 They are usually planted horizontally in the field or in special beds, 1-3
inches deep. Before planting, water the medium and leave it to drain.
 One or more shoots develop from adventitious buds on the roots.
 New roots form on portion of this new shoot below soil level.
 These rooted shoots are taken off to start new plants.
 Two or more sets of rooted shoot may develop from same tuber.
11

12. B) LEAVES CUTTING
 Many plants with thick or fleshy leaves can be propagated by leaf cuttings.
 Thin-textured leaves usually dry up before rooting can take place.
 In some cases, leaf is detached from parent plant and planted vertically in a
suitable medium with a petiole and about one-half of leaf covered.
 Adventitious roots and shoots both develop at base, usually from petiole.
Eg: lemon
 Other method, the leaf is placed flat on sand in a propagating bed.
 Cut transversely across center vein.
 Cover lightly with sand.
 Adventitious shoots will develop where veins are severed.
 Adventitious roots will develop from base of new shoots.
Eg: Bryophyllum
12

13. 13

14. LEAVES CUTTINGS CONT…
 Leaves of snake plant( Sansevieria) when cut into several segments and
planted separately, with basal portion of each inserted into rooting medium,
will develop into new plants.
 In general, roots will develop more readily than shoots.
 Many plants, such as rubber plant, will form roots, but rarely tops from leaf
cuttings.
 In Peperomia, root is formed from cutting of entire leaf and half of petiole,
is latter being inserted in the sand.
 The leaf of rubber plant ( Ficus elastica) will root but does not produce a
plant unless a portion of stem is attached.
14

15. Types of leaf cuttings:
1. Partial leaf cuttings and full leaf cuttings:
 These are herbaceous cuttings which involve either a piece of leaf or an
entire leaf. Eg: Peperomea, Sansivieria.
2. Leaf vein cuttings:
 Cutting is made at several points through leaf veins.
 The leaf is placed face down on propagation medium.
 Plantlets grow from cut points which touch medium.
3. Leaf bud cuttings:
 These are short pieces of stem with an attached leaf and a bud in leaf axil.
 This method is useful when source of cutting is limited.
15

16. C) STEM CUTTINGS
 These are made from herbaceous plants, such as those frequently grown in
greenhouses and from woody plants, grown in open.
 Cuttings of woody plants may be classified based on stage of growth of
wood used as:
1.semihardwood or softwood
2.hardwood
a) Stem-tip cuttings or terminal cuttings
 Tip of stem is cut out and used to produce new plant.
 Cutting must be about 8cm long and must have leaves.
 Cut may be made at node or internode of stem.
 Produce more plants than stem-section cuttings.
16

17. 1. Herbaceous cuttings
 These are made mostly of greenhouse plants that are
herbaceous type.
 Cuttings of such material are soft, tender and succulent; they
require special attention to temperature and moisture to
prevent wilting.
 Under favourable conditions, they root satisfactorily in a
relatively short time. Eg: Geranium, Alternanthera, Tomato
and Sweet potato.
17

18. 18

19. STEM CUTTING CONT…
 A portion of stem, normally including a growing tip is used.
 Basal leaves are removed so that they will not rot in propagating media.
 Leaves are left on top.
 It reduce the number or size of leaves on cutting to reduce transpiration.
 Cuttings are normally spaced from 1-2 inches.
 The sand or other rooting media is pressed firmly about base of cuttings and
watered thoroughly to ensure close contact.
 The rooting area or media should be kept 5 to 10 degree warmer than the air
temperature to induce more rapid rooting.
 A media temperature of 65 to 70 degree F is good for rapid root
development on many plants.
19

20. b) Stem- section cuttings
 Piece of stem is used for planting.
 Each piece must contain at least one bud.
 Success of this method depends on site of cutting, age of parent plant etc.
 At least one node must be present in each cutting.
 When cuttings are planted in soil, roots grow from their lower end and
shoots sprout from their upper end.
 Rooting can be stimulated by application of IAA, IBA and NAA
20

21. STEM CUTTING CONT…
1. Semi hardwood cuttings
 Stem cuttings of trees and shrubs that are made from current season shoots
are known as semi hardwood or softwood cuttings.
 They are made 3 or 6 inches long.
 Cuttings that are made so as to include terminals of growing shoots are
generally preferred.
 Those made from parts below terminal are satisfactory.
 The leaves are removed from basal portion, but those near terminal are left.
 Softwood cuttings are succulent and tender so that it should be handled to
prevent wilting after they are cut and before they are planted.
 Ideal time of cutting is during cool part of day, preferably early morning,
while the material is turgid.
21

22. STEM CUTTING CONT…
 It should be then wrapped in moist cloth or moss until planted.
 Such cuttings are usually started in specially prepared beds in a greenhouse,
hotbed or cold frame.
 Cool temperature, shade and a high humidity as well as bottom heat are
essential for its growth.
 Manure is frequently used for this purpose.
 On a small scale, cuttings may be planted in shallow boxes or flats placed in
a shaded location.
 The cuttings and adjacent areas are sprayed with water several times a day
to keep cuttings from wilting.
22

23. STEM CUTTING CONT…
2. Hardwood cuttings
 These are made from a wide variety of plants, including deciduous types,
conifers and broad-leaved evergreens.
a) Cuttings of deciduous plants:
 They are taken during dormant season.
 Those of some plants are taken in the fall, packed in moist insulating
material.
 It is stored at a temperature of 40 degree F or less.
 These cuttings are usually placed in bed about midwinter.
 While in storage, they may form callus at each end which is not essential for
rooting.
23

24. STEM CUTTING CONT…
 Deciduous cuttings may be made from 4-12 inches long, depending on kind
of plant.
 Usually one year old wood is used, but older wood also may be rooted.
 Usually a top cut is made above a node and lower cut is made below a node.
 Rooting is determined partly by type of soil in which they are planted.
 Sandy loam soil ie, well drained is preferred.
 In order to ensure good aeration, cuttings are frequently placed on high
beds.
Eg: Grape, fig and rose.
24

25. STEM CUTTING CONT…
b) Hardwood cuttings of conifers:
 It include cuttings made from mature wood of conifers.
 Cuttings of such plants are made 4-6inches long with foliage removed from
lower portion of stem.
 As cuttings form roots, new shoots also form and this top growth indicate
that cutting is ready to be moved.
 Customary procedure is to pot the rooted plants and grow them in pots for
one season before moving them to field.
25

26. STEM CUTTING CONT…
c) Several broad-leaved evergreen cuttings:
 Plants are grown from hardwood cuttings.
 They are made 4-7 inches long with five to six nodes from mature terminal
growth.
 Leaves are removed from lower part of stem but two or more are left at the
top.
 Cutting material should be obtained from healthy, vigorous growing trees.
Eg: Citrus, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon.
26

27. LAYERING
 Stems that form roots while still attached to parent plant are called layers
and this practice based on phenomenon is called as layerage.
 The rooting medium is usually soil, although other materials are used.
 It is a method of inducing rooting.
 A layer is supported by parent plant indefinitely and it develop roots.
 Many plants produce natural layers freely and thus provide source of new
plants.
27

28.  These layers are produced by either runners or upright canes that by
arching, come in contact with ground and develop roots.
 Layering do not require close attention as to watering, humidity and
temperature that cuttings require.
 It is a slow method of propagation and produce limited number of
new plants. Eg: Chrysanthemum, Roses.
28

29. a) Simple layers:
 Branches that form roots at one point only are called simple layers.
 Such layers are made by bending branches to ground and covering the
portion just below tip with 3-6 inches of soil.
 Usually carried out in early spring before growth has started.
 Tip of shoot is left exposed, to form leaves and carry on normal life.
 Portion of stem to be covered is cut in a slanting manner and is watered to
induce rooting.
 Girdling or nicking causes accumulation of auxins to induce quick rooting.
 Adventitious roots sprout from covered part. When sufficiently rooted, layer
is cut away from parent and planted elsewhere.
Eg: Young berry, Black berry, Rose, Rhododendron, Raspberry.
29

30. 30

31. b) Compound layers:
 Long shoots that are alternately covered and exposed over their entire length
are called compound layers.
 Lower branch is bent to ground, notched at different points and notched
points touching ground is covered with soil.
 They form roots at each point where they are covered and develop new
shoots from portion they are not covered.
 When roots are fully formed, each part is cut away and planted somewhere
to grow independently.
 The time of year for making and harvesting compound layers is influenced
by several factors.
 Normally they are made in late winter and early spring.
 . Eg: Young berry, Muscadine grape, Rose. 31

32. 32

33. c) Trench or continuous layerage:
 This method consists in covering a branch for its entire length, thus securing
plants from all buds.
 Especially adapted to propagation of plum.
 Here, a branch is bent to ground, placed straight in a shallow trench.
 It is then covered with soil.
 Roots and shoots sprout from all its nodes.
 Each plantlet is then cut away, planted somewhere and allowed to grow
independently.
 Usually done with plants having long and flexible branches.
33

34. 34

35. TRENCH LAYERING CONT…
 If plants are covered too deeply, the buds will not grow.
 If covering is not deep enough, shoot will not be etiolated.
35

36. d) Mound or Stool layerage:
 It involves less trouble and expense than trench layering.
 A stock bed is established by setting young plants 2 feet apart in rows 3and
half feet apart.
 The plants are headed back before growth starts and are allowed to grow for
one season.
 The following winter, plants are cut back within 2 inches of ground level
with result that many new shoots arise from base during following season.
 Mounding should be done with moist soil, which is placed from center
outward in order to bend shoots out and give them better spacing.
 This spacing give better rooting especially with vigorous shoots.
 The tips of young shoots should never be covered, since it cause decay.
36

37. 37

38. MOUND LAYERING CONT…
 In case of apples, they root freely from new shoots, the stools are allowed to
remain uncovered during early part of growing season. It results in greater
number of shoots.
 When plums are being grown, procedure is modified and plants mounded
before new shoots appear. It results in fewer new shoots.
 After plants have been mounded by either method, they are allowed to grow
during rest of season and roots will be formed along covered portions of
stems on new shoots.
 In early winter, the rooted shoots are removed and planted in nursery row.
38

39. 39

40. e) Air layerage:
 It is a method used to root branches of stiff-growing plants that do not
sprout or sucker readily.
 Also known as Chinese layerage and Pot layerage.
 This procedure injure stem by notching or girdling using knife and then
enclose this portion of stem in suitable medium for rooting and is covered
with polythene sheet.
 In greenhouse, a bunch of sphagnum moss is kept around stem at desired
place and keep this moss damp by sprinkling water when plant are watered.
40

41. 41

42. AIR LAYERAGE CONT…
 Roots usually start growing from above the girdle wound.
 When good number of roots are formed, branch is cut off and planted
elsewhere.
 Commonly used for propagation of plants whose woody branches rarely
branch.
 Layering is also used as a preliminary treatment for rooting of cuttings.
 It also helps in etiolation of stem to induce rooting by cuttings.
Eg: Mangifera, Guava, Ixora, Ficus
42

43. AIR LAYERAGE CONT…
 The polythene is sealed at top to prevent rainwater from entering and
bottom is also sealed, not so tight that any excess moisture will not drain
out.
 After roots have formed in this layer, stem is cut off below roots and new
plant is potted or planted outdoors.
 With some plants, air layers are only successful method of propagation.
 But, a period of two or three years is sometimes necessary.
43

44. GRAFTING
 It is an art of inserting a part of one plant into another plant in such a way
that the two will unite and continue their growth.
 Whether a plant part of some size or single bud is used.
 Basic requirement is a top (scion) and root (stock).
 Scion and stock are brought into close contact so that the callus cells
produced from cambium tissue of each may intermingle.
a) Cleft graft:
 Oldest and simplest method of grafting.
 This is done during latter part of dormant season just before active growth
starts in springtime.
 Found in top-working large trees.
44

45. CLEFT GRAFT CONT…
 With a sharp saw, limbs are cut off squarely at place where they are straight
and free from side branches.
 Limbs should be cut off at places that when grafts are inserted, they will
develop into a symmetrical top of good conformation.
 The end of stub is then split with cleft iron and is ready for insertion of
scion.
 Scions are prepared by cutting the end in a wedge shape, with one edge of
wedge slightly thinner than other.
 Cut is made to leave a vigorous bud just above top of wedge and on same
side as thick edge of wedge.
 Cuts forming sides of wedges should be long. 45

46. 46

47. CLEFT GRAFT CONT…
 They are best made with a single full stroke of sharp knife, and each cut
should be a perfect plane.
 Here, scions will fit into cleft of stock .
 Two or three good buds on scions above the stock are sufficient.
 Cut on upper end of scion should be made 1/8 inch above a bud.
 One scion is enough for each stock less than 1 inch in diameter but usually
two scions in larger stocks-one in each side of cleft.
 The thick edge of wedge of scion should be toward outside.
 The end of stub and entire length of split are covered with grafting wax.
 When two scions grow in one stock, weaker one is kept headed back for a
year or two and is finally cut off entirely .
 Two scions form a weak, narrow ‘v’ shape if both grows in one stock.
47

48. b) Whip graft/ Tongue graft
 Popular method of propagation and is the means whereby many different
kinds of plants are reproduced.
 Used on stocks that are relatively small; those larger than ¾ inch in diameter
cannot be whip-grafted because of difficulty involved in making cuts
properly.
 Top of stock is cut off with a diagonal cut that should be about 1 ¼ inches
long and ½ inch stock.
 This cut should be proportionally longer on larger stock and shorter on
smaller stock.
 Scion, which is cut to a length of 5 or 6 inches is cut across lower end in a
similar way to stock.
48

49. WHIP GRAFT CONT…
 Cut on stock should be made upward and cut on scion should be made
downward.
 Each of these surfaces should be smooth and nearly plane as possible.
 A second cut is required on both stock and scion.
 This cut forms tongue.
 When prepared, stock and scion are fitted together, the two tongues
interlocking.
 It is not customary to apply wax to whip grafts.
 They are commonly wrapped securely with waxed string.
 Cotton twine may be used, but requires tying whereas end of waxed string is
held in place by wax.
49

50. WHIP GRAFT CONT…
 Waxed tape, masking tape and nursery tape are becoming popular as
wrapping materials for whip grafts because they discourage formation of
callus knots.
 Whip grafting is done in nursery, or stocks may be dug and grafted indoor.
 Such latter practice is known as bench grafting.
50

51. 51

52. c)Veneer graft:
 Use chiefly in propagating coniferous ever-green plants that are
difficult to graft.
 Also used in herbaceous greenhouse plants.
 A long sloping cut is made in top or side of stock and in it, scion
which has been cut wedge-shaped on lower end is inserted.
 When side cuts are made, top of stock remains intact until union is
established, after which it is removed.
52

53. 53

54. d) Approach grafting/ inarching:
 Special form of grafting in which scion unites with stock while it is still
attached to parent plant.
 It is necessary that plants to be used for stocks and a source of scions, grow
close together.
 Stock may be moved in a clay-pot or it may be transplanted bare-rooted.
 On both scion and stock, a long cut is made through cambium and slightly
into wood.
 Cut surfaces are brought together and stock and scion are tied firmly and
waxed.
 After two have united, scion in some cases is severed below union and stock
above that point, resulting in a new plant.
54

55. 55

56. BUDDING
 It is a form of graftage in which only buds at one node of a scion are
inserted in a stock.
 Buds are cut from scions in a way to have relatively small amount of bark
surrounding them.
 Buds are usually placed on stock at internodes.
 Basic technique is, exposing cambial cells of stock and placing the cambial
cells of bud over them.
a) Shield or T budding:
 Most widely used method of budding.
 Known as shield because bud, when cut from bud stick, resembles a shield
in shape and as T budding because two cuts made on stock intersect to form
a T.
56

57. T BUDDING CONT…
 A perpendicular cut 1 inch long or less is made on smooth portion of stock.
 Then a horizontal cut is made across top at right angles to it.
 These two cuts extend only through bark and should not go into wood.
 The bud is cut by starting ½ inch below it and cutting upward and obliquely
inward to a point about ½ inch above bud.
 Knife is then withdrawn and a horizontal cut through bark only is made ½
inch above bud.
 Bud is gently removed from bud stick without wood adhering; this practice-
flipping or popping the bud.
 Pointed lower portion of bark is inserted underneath the two flaps of T cut
on stock, which may loosened with knife. 57

58. T BUDDING CONT…
 Bud is then pushed downward until top of it is well below horizontal cut on
stock.
 When bark of stock slips readily, bud can be pushed into place with little
difficulty. Eg: roses, peaches, apples, citruses.
58

59. b) Patch budding:
 It is a popular form of budding in propagation of species that are rather
difficult to propagate.
 It consist of removing a square or rectangular piece of bark from stock and
inserting in its place , a bud of a desired variety on a similarly shaped piece
of bark.
 Two parallel cuts, ¾ or 7/8 inch apart, are made on stock with a two-bladed
budding knife.
 Cuts should be perpendicular to stock and should be about 1 inch long.
 With a sharp pocket knife, 2 longitudinal cuts are made.
 It should be ¾ or 7/8 inch apart and each should intersect 2 horizontal cuts,
resulting in square or rectangular patch.
59

60. PATCH BUDDING CONT…
 Similar cuts are made above, below, and on each side of bud on bud stick
with same tools that were used on stock.
 Care must be exercised in removing bud from bud wood inorder to avoid
splitting of bark beneath bud.
 Bark should be lifted carefully on one side, or both side and bud loosened
by lateral twist.
 Bud is held in place on scion while patch of stock is flipped off, and bud is
then quickly transferred to its place.
 Bud should fit snugly in its new location should be tied immediately using
cotton twine and waxed tape.
60

61. 61

62. MICROPROPAGATION
 It is the rapid vegetative propagation of plants under in vitro conditions high
light intensity controlled temperature and a defined nutrient medium.
 Technique has been applied to number of commercial vegetatively
propagated plant species.
 Plants can be produced both asexually ie, via vegetative parts multiplication
or sexually ie, seed production.
Stages-
 Selection of explant
 Culture initiation and establishment
 Shoot multiplication
 Rooting of shoots
 Transfer of plantlets in greenhouse environment.
62

63. MERITS
 Usually one cutting produce one plant and one seed produce one seedling.
But one explant can produce infinite number of plants.
 Tissue culture requires minimal amount of plant material to start with.
 Tissue culture provides grower with several opportunities to realize saving
time and space.
 Disease transmitted from parent to off springs can be eliminated through
micro propagation technique.
 External contamination such as bacteria, fungi and insects are removed
when cleaning of explants.
63

64. MERITS OF MICRO PROPAGATION
 This technique has been applied commercially to eliminate wide spectrum
of viruses from lilies, dahlias, citrus, potatoes and straw berries.
 Tissue culture is not limited by time of year or weather.
 Working conditions in lab are ideal and conductive to year around
production scheduling, a situation that promotes maximum labour
efficiency.
 It saves an enormous amount of daily care required by cuttings and
seedlings.
 The availability of healthy planting material is a limiting factor. Most of
them can be propagated through seed or vegetative propagules like bulbs,
suckers, corms and runners. 64

65. MERITS OF MICROPROPAGATION
 Micro propagation holds promise for rapid propagation and dissemination.
 Easy exchange of plant material between different regions.
 In vitro plantlets can be stored for several years and thus conservated for a
long duration.
 Recalcitrant crops, which cannot be propagated through traditional methods,
can be propagated through micro propogation.
65

66. DEMERITS
 Micro propagation requires trained manpower, sophisticated facilities and
expensive materials which make it a pricey technique.
 Contamination is the major problem of micro propagation. The cultures
grown in labs are very sensitive to any microorganisms.
 The source can be water, media, chemical components used for cultures.
The most dangerous contaminant is mycoplasma that live inside cell.
 Some forms of cultures have problem of pronounced variability. When
plants are propagated through shoot tip cultures, genetic variability is low.
66

67.  Genetic variability is observed when they are grown using
adventitious shoots.
 Some plants are difficult to maintain by micro propagation because
they start releasing growth inhibitory substances in medium. These
compounds turn medium into dark colour and inhibit growth of
tissues.
 When cultures undergo repeated cycles of in vitro shoot
multiplication, they develop water soaked, translucent leaves.
67

68.  THANK YOU
68