December 27, 2007

Asexual Plant Propagation

When the production of plants takes place without any genetic material being involved in this process, it is called as the asexual plant propagation of plants. The plant that is born out of this process looks exactly like the parent plant. This kind of asexual plant propagation has been taking place since a very long time. There are various methods that are used in this process. Divisions, cuttings, grafting, tissue culture, layering and budding are some of these techniques.

When the suckers are cut or broken up into segments, then it is called as division. A bud and some roots should be there in each segment. The replanting of these segments gives birth to new plants. The parent plant and the new plant are exactly alike. Another method is cutting. Here, a piece is removed from the parent plant. The parts or tissues of this piece then grow again. Plants that are asexually propagated by the process of cutting are the herbaceous plants and the woody ones. Each part of a plant has tissues that can lead to further growth. Hence, plant propagation is possible through cutting. Even under this process, there are other methods involved. It could involve stem cutting, leaf cutting, root cutting, softwood and hardwood cutting.

Two different plants belonging to the same species can be joined together. This is called as grafting. You can use the branch or bud to join it to the Understock of the particular plant. The layers of the segments will grow together in the same alignment. There are certain plants which can graft on their own. Ivy is one such plant. Two branches that have been in close contact for a very long time, become naturally grafted. Size and shape can be kept under control through grafting. Plant cells can be manipulated to produce a new plant. This is referred to as tissue culture. Budding is a form of grafting. But it involves fewer hassles. A latent bud that had just developed recently is made use of in this method.

Roots can be formed on shoots of the parent plant. This is called layering. When the new plant takes root, then the stem is cut. But this method is chosen only after the others have failed. Thus, this should make the concept of Asexual Plant Propagation crystal clear.

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