Vegetative propagation is a form of asexual reproduction used by plants. It involves propagating new plants from fragments of the parent plant, such as through cuttings, runners, or bulbs. Some key advantages of vegetative propagation include that it allows for the rapid production of genetically identical plants, guarantees the transmission of desired characteristics to offspring, and is useful for commercial agriculture and horticulture as it can mass produce desirable varieties of crops or ornamental plants. However, it provides no genetic variation and thus plants may be more susceptible to diseases and pests in changing environments.

1. Unit 1 October 11, 2021

2. CAPE Syllabus
1.8. discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
asexual reproduction. Explanation of the term asexual
reproduction. Relate binary fission, budding, asexual
spore formation, fragmentation to asexual reproduction
in plants, for example, ginger, meristems, hormone
stimulation, details of the processes involved in tissue
culture and the production of cuttings.

3. Asexual Reproduction:
requires only 1 parent and the offspring are an exact
copy of the parent- mitosis [barring mutation]-a clone
Organisms that reproduce asexually cannot develop much
variety, because they are “copying” the original organism
exactly.
CXC STUDY GUIDE pages 144 - 147

4. Reproduction:
The Continuity of Life
Reproduction
Sexual
Reproduction
Asexual
Reproduction

5. Reproduction
• Asexual Reproduction
– Offspring’s genes all come from the same parent without
the fusion of egg and sperm
• Sexual Reproduction
– fusion of two haploid gametes (sperm and egg) to form
a diploid zygote

6. What is sexual reproduction?
• Requiring 2 parents
– male and female (egg & sperm)
• The egg and sperm join (zygote) to form an entirely
new organism
• Offspring are different from the parent organism
because

7. Sexual Reproduction
• Sexual reproduction produces a greater chance of
variation within a species than asexual
reproduction would.
• This variation improves the chances that a species
will adapt to a changed environment and survive.

8. Sexual vs. Asexual Reproduction
• Asexual reproduction results in offspring that are
genetically identical to the parent organism.
• Sexual reproduction results in offspring that are
genetically different from the parent organisms.

9. Advantages of Sexual Reproduction
• Increases genetic variability
• advantageous when environmental conditions are
unstable or change often

10. Advantages of Asexual Reproduction
• no mate
• quick
• favored in stable, favorable environments

11. Sexual Reproduction Asexual Reproduction
Definition •Involves sex cells and fertilisation
•Cross pollination ensures variation 
ADAPTABILITY
•Does not involve sex cells and fertilisation
•Only one parent plant
Advantages • Offspring are not genetically identical to one
another
• There is variation in the offspring .These
Increases genetic variability
• More resistant to disease
• advantageous when environmental conditions
are unstable or change often
• Seeds Dispersal reduces competition
• Seeds can remain dormant and survive
unfavourable conditions
•Offspring have no variation – therefore
predictable offspring e.g. can be advantage
in commercial horticulture
• no search for mate therefore Rapid
Growth & quick Production of crop
• No GAMETES formed
THEREFORE No outside agents
needed for meeting of gametes
Disadvantages • search for mate therefore energy & time
lost to ensure the meeting of gametes &
facilitate their fusion, THEN Slow growth of
young plants to maturity SLOW Production of
crop
• Depends on outside agents for seed
Dispersal
• Wasteful e.g. petals, pollen, fruit
•Offspring are genetically identical to one
another All plants are of same species
susceptible to disease
• many offspring  Overcrowding and
competition
•Offspring are genetically identical to one
another ONLY favored in stable, favorable
environments

12. June 2017 P2
6. (a) Giving examples, discuss TWO
advantages of vegetative propagation of plants.
[5]

13. Comparison of reproduction by seed (sexual)
and by vegetative propagation (asexual)

15. CAPE SYLLABUS
Methods of asexual reproduction in Living organisms
 Binary fission = the MITOTIC separation of the parent into two or more offspring of equal size
e.g. Amoeba
 Budding :
- unicellular via mitosis  smaller daughter cell & larger parent cell e.g. Yeast
- multicellular via via mitosis & specialization e.g.Hydra
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS
 Fragmentation = the breaking of the body into several pieces, some or all of which
develop into new adults e.g. spirogyra
 Spore Formation = pin mould spores finds a suitable substrate and sends out its feeding
structures, or hyphae/ mycelium / rhizoids , which secrete digestive enzymes to break
down complex food molecules = extracellular digestion, before they absorb nutrients from
the digested bread to produce energy for frequent mitotic division to produce many
smaller identical cells called SPORES, then the cycle starts again .
 Use of cuttings = Parts of a plant (usually shoots) removed from plant allowed to form
new roots and leaves . The stem cuttings are rooted in water/ well-watered compost, using
rooting powder. e.g. ginger plants
 Tissue culture = e.g. ginger plants New plants are grown from small pieces of plant tissue
(explant) – preformed meristems at tips of root & shoot where mitosis takes place very rapidly

16. Binary fission = the MITOTIC
separation of the parent into two
or more offspring of equal size
with similar genotype
e.g. Amoeba

20. Binary Fission
Organism splits
directly into 2 equal-
sized offspring.
Each with a copy of
the parents
genetics
information.
Ex. Amoeba
PMA
T
A B

21. Yeast - budding
Budding – unicellular = mitosis
Offspring begins as a small
outgrowth from the parent.
Bud eventually breaks off and
becomes an organism of its own .
In yeasts the cell does not divide
equally in two halves =
asymmetrical ; instead, there is a
large mother cell and a smaller
daughter cell.
mother
cell
daughter
cell

24. Budding - Multicellular Hydra
via mitosis & specialization
• New Organisms Arise
as an Outgrowth from
the Parent Organism
• Seen Mostly in Marine
Animals
– Examples Include;
Hydra,

27. June 2012 P2
6. (a) (i) Distinguish between ‘binary
fission’ and ‘budding’. [4]
(ii) Discuss ONE advantage and ONE
disadvantage of asexual reproduction.
[4]

28. Vegetative reproduction in
Spirogyra happens through
fragmentation of the filaments.
Fragmentation happens in
different ways. In case of
mechanical injuries, the
spirogyra filament breaks into
fragments, and each fragment
develops into a new filament. In
some cases, the middle
lamellae of the end walls of the
cells dissolve, thereby causing
breakage of the filament. This
happens when the temperature
and the pH of the water
changes.

31. JUNE 2016 P2
6. (a) Spore production is one type of asexual
reproduction seen in fungi.
(i) Using an example with which you are familiar, give
an account of the process involved in this type of
asexual reproduction. [5]
(ii) Fungi can also produce offspring by sexual
reproduction. Discuss the conditions under which
asexual reproduction is more advantageous then
sexual reproduction. [3]

34. Asexual Reproduction in Plants
• new plants are cloned from parts of the adult
plant. It can be natural or artificial.
Form of Vegetative Reproduction
• cuttings
What happens?
• Part of the plant becomes separated from the
parent plant and its meristematic cells divide
by mitosis to produce new cells which become
specialized to grow into a new plant
• As a result the offspring are genetically
identical to the parent

35. Plant cuttings
Some plants can grow from cutting them up and
replanting them.

36. Cuttings
• Parts of a plant (usually
shoots) removed from plant
allowed to form new roots
and leaves
• rooted in water, well-watered
compost, and rooting
powder/auxin
• e.g. busy lizzie, geranium

37. STEPS in the propagation of ginger from CUTTINGS
Cut the rhizome 2-3 weeks before planting into parts as like
potatoes.
Each part that is cut off to be set must hold at least one bud,
Cutting size can vary from 1– 3 inches depending on your
preference.
Point the growth buds skyward in the rooting medium
The major problem in propagation if that the root does not
grow fast  rooting hormone – auxin is used to overcome this
limitation

38. Micropropagation / Tissue
Culture using ginger

39. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGGZT1AqxG0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA45CUWPppc

40. Commercial aspects
Artificial propagation has allowed us to adapt and
improve plants for our own use.
Some of the benefits include:
•Quick production of large numbers of genetically
identical plants.
•Specific varieties, desired features or consistent
quality can be produced especially in fruit, flowers.

43. June 2014 P2
6. (a) (i) Explain why vegetative propagation is
NOT considered a form of sexual
reproduction. Include in your explanation a
brief definition of ‘vegetative propagation’. [3
marks]
(ii) Comment on why vegetative propagation is
especially beneficial to agriculturists and
horticulturists. Limit your commentary to
FOUR main points. [4 marks]