Propagation Methods in Plants

Plant Propagation:
Definition: Plant propagation can be defined as controlled reproduction of a plant by a man in
order to perpetuate a selected individuals, or group of individuals which is having specific
values to him.

There are Two Method of Propagation:

• 1. Sexual Propagation
• 2. Asexual Propagation

Sexual Propagation in Plants

• Multiplication of plants by using seed is called as sexual propagation.

Advantages:
1. The plant raised by seed is planted lived.
2. They are hardy with deep root system. So they are vigorous in growth.
3. The possibility is there to obtain change in seedling, the performance of which are better
than their parents. E.g. mango variety.
4. The polyembryony.
The phenomenon of propagation of more than one seedling from a single seed, produce
true to type, nuclear embryonic seedling which could be used as rootstock for uniform
performance.
E.g. Mango, varieties. It is also common in citrus and jamun.
5. Seed propagation is necessary when vegetative propagation is unsuccessful or expenses e.g.
papaya, coconut and Areca nut.
7. Roots stocks are usually raised by seed e.g.
8. When seedling is required in large number, seed propagation is the only easy mean e.g. Dry
land fruit, and Forest spp.

Disadvantages:

1. When progenies are not true type and so they become inferior because in the commercial
orchard, it is necessary to have uniform quality, growth and yielding capacities.
2. Choice tree or any hybrid trees cannot be perpetuated true to type by seed. (except in
Apomixes )
3. Seedling has a long juvenile period. In crops like citrus, coca, and rubber. The seeds must be
sown afresh. i.e. immediately after extraction. Many varieties are seedless.
4. Seeds loose its viability in short period

Seed Germination and Seed Propagation:

Seed propagation is necessary in the following cases:

 i) Where vegetative propagation is unsuccessful or difficult or expensive.
 ii) It is necessary for raising rootstock for grafting and budding.
 In all such cases rootstock plants have to be raised through seeds mostly

Seed Formation and Maturity:

• Seed develops along with the fruit and reaches, full size and maturity when the fruit ripens.
Hence seed should be extracted only from ripe fruit. Seeds gathered from immature fruit may
not germinate to under favorable conditions and may loose viability more quickly than fully
matured seeds
Dormancy:

• It is term used to describe a seed that will not germinate because of any condition associated
either with the seed itself or with existing environmental factors such as temperature and
moisture.
• Some seeds may even germinate within the fruit, e.g. Jack, avocado, chowchow, papaya,
called as Viviparous germination.

Seed viability and longevity:

• Viability means the presence of life in the seed. Longevity refers to the length of time that
seeds will retain their viability viability. Some seeds are short lived. (Citrus).

Pre – germination Seed Treatment:

1.Chemical (Acid scarification):

The purpose is to modify hard or important or impermeable seed covering generally soaking
seed in concentrated sulphuric acid is an effective method. The time of treatment may vary
from 10 minutes to 6 hour according to species. After treatment seeds are thoroughly washed
in clean water to make them free of acid and then re sown immediately. i.e. the seeds of ber,
cotton, Asparagus are treated with 50% concentrated H2so4. The seeds are soaked in acid for 3
to 5 minutes.

2.Mechanical(Scarification):

• Seeds of a few species with impermeable seed coat. i.e. hard seed coat can be rendered
permeable to water and gases their germination is greatly improved by mechanical scarification
in taking care that seeds should be injured not be injured heavily. This can be achieved by

3. Seedling (Boiled Water Treatment):

• Pouring boiling water over seeds and getting it to cool gradually for about 12 to 24 Hour to
soften dry and hard shelled seeds. E.g. Coffee, This will hasten the process of germination.

4. Soaking in Water:

• The purpose of soaking seeds in water is to modify hard seed coats, to remove inhibitors to
soften seed and to reduce the time of germination. The time of soaking seeds in cold water
depend upon the hardness of the seed coat. E. g peas, beans, acassia tree etc.

5. Stratification (Moist Chilling):

• Seed of many woody trees or shrubs are exposed to low temperature to bring about prompt
and uniform germination. Stratification. Stratification has some benefit in softening the seed
coats. The seeds are arranged in alternate layers of sand in shallow boxes for pits or trenches.
This condition helps in rapid germination peach cherry, plum, oat, grapes.
Asexual Propagation in Plants

• Asexual propagation or vegetative propagation refers to the multiplication or perpetuation of

any plant from any vegetative parts as plant other then the seed.

Advantages of Vegetative Propagation:

1. The progenies are true to type like mother plant.

2. Vegetative propagation is the only alternate where no seed is formed or germination of seed
is very slow or no viable seed is formed. (e.g. Banana, Pine apple and roses, seedless grape ).
3. Certain rootstock has the capacity of resisting or tolerating the adverse environment factors
such as frost and adverse soil factors like salinity or alkalinity. E.g. frost resistance, foncirus
trifoliate (Trifoliate orange ). Rangpur lime.
4. The ability of certain rootstock to resistant pest and diseases can be advantageously
expected. An apple when grafted on rootstock like Merton 778,793 is resistant for wholly aphid.
5. Vegative propagated plants are generally dwarfed in nature than the seedlings. Dwarf trees
facilitate pruning spraying and harvesting easy seedling. Dwarf trees facilate pruning, spraying
and harvesting easy and more number of plants can be accommodated in a unit area.
6. To replant an undesirable existing tree either with reference to its quality or susceptibility to
pests and diseases. The defect can be overcome easily by vegetative propagation through
grafting or budding of desirable scion to the existence tree by top working technique.
7. Many plants are propagated by vegetative means because of the speedy easy of
multiplication.
8. Novelty can be developed by grafting or budding on single plant many varieties. E.g. Roses.
9. To convert inferior varieties in superior, side grafting in mango.

Disadvantages:

1. Plant is not vigorous and long lived.

2. No new varieties are evolved or developed.
3. These methods are expensive and labourious and time consuming.

Plant Propagation by Cottage Definition:

“Cottage is a method of asexual propagation in which a portion of any Vegegative part such as
stem, leaf or root is cut from the parent plant and is placed under favorable environmental
condition to form roots and shoots, thus producing a new independent plant.”

A. Stem Cutting:
• This is the most important type of cutting and can be divide into three types based on
the nature of the wood used in marketing the cutting.
i) Hard wood cutting
ii) ii) Semi- hard wood cutting
iii) iii) Soft- wood cutting. In propagated by stem cuttings, segment of shoots
containg lateral or terminal buds handled under proper condition to develop
adventitious roots and form independent palnts.

Plant Propagation by Layering

Definition:
• Layering is the development of roots on a stem while it is still attached to the parent
plant. The rooted stem is stem is then detached to become a new plant growing on its own
roots. Thus rooted stem stem is known as layer.
Root Formation During Layering is Stimulated by Various Stem Treatments:

1. Bending of shoots to a sharp V shape.

2. Giving a cut or incision of the lower surface of the shoot.
3. Girdling/ by removing a ring of bark or by wrapping copper wire around stem.

Methods:
A) Simple Layering or Tongue Layering:

• In this method a branch is bent to the ground and some portion of it, is covered by soil leaving
the terminal and of the branch exposed. Root initiation takes place at the buried portion. After
the root initiation. i.e. after allowing sufficient time the layer is separated from the mother
plant by cutting the layered shoot. E.g. Guava, jasmine, etc.

C) Mound Stool Layering:

• In this method a plant is cut back at the ground during the dormant season, and soil is
covered at the base of the newly developing shoots. After allowing sufficient time for root
initiation, the rooted shoots are separated and taken as individual layers.
D) Air Layering:

• In air layering, roots, from on an aerial shoots. The rooting medium will be tied to the shoots for
getting root initiation. Best rooting medium for air layering is sphagnum- moss as it holds large amounts
of water so as to supply moisture to the layered shoot till proper root initiation takes place,
(Pomegranate , fig )

Grafting

Definition:

• Grafting and budding is a art joining two different plant parts together, in such a manner that they
unites and continues their growth as simple plant. In case of building single bud is inserted in to the
stock, where as in grafting a bud stick consisting two or more buds is inserted in to the stock.

• Stock is a lower portion of the graft union, where as, scion is the upper portion a place at which both
unites is termed as scion or graft union.

Graft Incompatibility:

• The ability of two different plants when grafted together to produce a successful union and also to
develop satiory into one composted plant is termed as ‘Compatibility’. The inability of two different
plants to do so when grafted together as often defined as ‘incompatibility” of graft

Symptoms of Incompatibility:

Graft union malformation resulting incompatibility usually expresses the following external symptoms
viz.

1. Failure to from a successful graft or bud union with a high percentage of success.

2. Yellowing of leaves in the latter part of the growing season followed by early defoliation accompanied
by decline in vegetative growth. Appearance of shoot dies back and general in health of the tree.

3. Premature death of the trees which may live only a year or two in the nursery.

4. Marked difference in the growth rate or vigour of scion and stock.

5. over growth at, above or below the graft union. Incompatibility has been ensured in swat oranges. Cv.
Mosabi when grafted on trifoliate orange. (Citrus maxima).
 Methods of Grafting

• There are several techniques of grafting followed in different plants, suitable in different situation.
Adoption of any suitable technique facilities, sources available etc.

A. Scion Attached Methods:

• These are the methods of grafting where in the scion is kept attached to the mother plant till the graft
union takes place and then the graft is separated in stage taking cuts on scion below the graft union and
on root stock above the graft union. This principle is followed in following methods:

i) Simple approach or inarching.

ii) Saddle grafting.
iii) Tongue grafting.
B) Scion Detached Methods:

These are the grafting methods where in the scion is first detached from mother plan then inserted in to
root stock so as the union takes place and combination continues to grow.

These methods are:

a. Wedge grafting.
b. Saddle grafting.
c. Whip and tongue grafting.
d. Whip grafting.
e. Softwood grafting.
f. Stone grafting.

C) Methods of Grafting on Established Trees:

• Methods which can be successfully adopted to convert the inferior established plants in to the
superior or desired one. These are

 i) Side grafting
 ii) Crown grafting
 iii) Top working.

Budding
• Budding is the vegetative method of plant propagation and can be defined as “ an art of
insertion of a single mature bud in to the stem of the rootstock in such way that the union takes
place and the combination continues to grow. It is grafting of a single individual bud instead of
whole bud stick on scion as in done in case of grafting.
• There are several techniques or methods of insertion of bud in to the root stock. The adoption
of any of the methods like grafting depends upon the plants to be budded, situation, facilities
and source available etc.

Different Techniques of Methods of Budding:

I) Shield Budding:
• This is the methods of budding in which a single bud with a little wood or without
wood is taken but from the scion plant and is given a shape of ‘shield ‘before it is
inserted into the root stock. It is done in following three ways: shield budding by ‘ T’
methods

B) Shield Budding by ‘I’ Method:

• It is adopted where a great deal of rains occur. Water running down the stem of the root
stock. After in case of the ‘ T’ cut soaks under the bud and causes decay of the shield piece of
bud. Under such condition and ‘inverted’ T budding may give better results, since it is more
likely to the below the bark inform running water. The technique required in this method is
same as that in T method except that the incision on the stock has the transceivers ( cross ) is
taken on root stock and it is bent so that the bark become loose. Then the bud is inserted and
tied firmly with sutali. Union takes place within two to three weeks.

C) Simple Shield Budding by Insertion Method:

• A simple length wise incision ( cut ) is taken on root stock and it is bent so that the bark
become loose. Then the bud is inserted and tied firmly with sutali. Union takes place within two
to three weeks.

II) Patch Budding: (Mango):

• Patch budding is somewhat slower and more difficult to perform than T budding. But is widely
and successfully used on the plants which got thick bark. The patch of bark is removed from the
stem of the root stock. Then the patch of bud of exactly the same size is removed from the bud
stock taken from desired tree and fitted on the root stock exposed area. Polythene film is tied
to protect same. Separating and October are considerable to rather most suitable months for
patch budding in mango.
 III. Flute Budding:

• This method makes use of the ring of tissues adjoin the bud relatively thick barked tree
thicker than 1 cm. and in active stage of are commonly budded by this method. It is successfully
used in Cashew nut trees.
• On the bark of root stock two horizontal cuts about ‘1 ½ to 2’ apart are made to the extent of
about 3/ 4 of the diameter of the stem. Vertical cuts connecting the horizontals cuts at both the
ends are mode and semi circular bark is removed. The scion is prepared by repeating the same
methods on the bud stack and the bud accompanying with flute of bark is placed against the
corresponding cut portion of the stock. After this typing is attended in usual ways. All other
operation are also similar to those in shield budding.

III) Ring Budding:

• The nature and method rendered its usefulness only to small stocks of not more than ¾ to 1
diameter. This is more or less an extension of flute method. Budding operation is performed
when the plant is in sap flowing condition. A complete (1 ½ to 2) ring of bark is removed around
the stem of the stock in order to from matrix. A complete ring of bark of the same with a
prominent, plumy, healthy bud is removed from bud stick when placed on stock; it extends all
around the stock. After placing the ring in position typing is done in usual manner, failure of the
bud to unite, result in loss of terminal portion of stock above the ringed portion.