2010 ALE Review – Crop Science| 86
PLANT PROPAGATION
By
Nemesio V. Tamayo, Ph.D.
A. Seed Propagation
Seed propagation is sometimes termed as sexual propagation. Papaya and coconut
are mainly propagated by seeds.
Advantages: Seed propagation also offers a very good opportunity to produce new hybrids
or varieties. Seed propagation is an easy and cheap method of multiplying plants.
Disadvantages. For fruits and plantation crops, it takes time to flower and bear fruits for
the first time (longer juvenile period) and fruits tend to grow taller. It does not retain the
characteristics of the mother plant.
Apomixis or apomictic seeds- seed development without the benefit of sexual fusion
of the egg and the sperm cells. The resulting plants are of the same characteristics as the
mother plant. Apomictic seeds maybe poly and monoembyonic seeds, example: mangosteen
Seed germination is the resumption of active growth by the embryo culminating in
the development of a young plant from the seed.
Factors that affect germination. 1. Water- essential in the first phase of
germination; for softening the seedcoat, dissolve nutrients in the endosperm making them
available to the embryo and growth begins; 2. Light- can stimulate germination of some
seeds;. 3. Oxygen- for respiration (breaking down the food stored in seeds). This is one
reason for using light or well aerated growing medium; 4. Temperature- trigger the
reaction within the seeds (chemical).
Types of germination. 1. Epigeal- type of germination when the cotyledon comes
above the ground; 2. Hypogeal- type of germination when the cotyledon remains below the
ground.
Seed dormancy- inability of the viable seeds to germinate even the most favorable
environmental condition are provided .
Causes of seed dormancy 1. Physical- hard seedcoat, mucilages or waxy material
around the seeds Ex: Sacrotesta in papaya; 2. physiological- inhibitor ; 3. light
sensitivity; 4. embryo dormancy. After ripening- refers to changes in the seeds during
storage as a result of which germination is improved.
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Hastening seed germination. 1) Scarification-is any treatment that removes the
seedcoat or alters it, making it more permeable to water , Ex; chico, pili, ampalaya This is
done mechanically or soaking in water , solvents or acids). 2) Stratification- is the
placement of seeds between layers of either moist sand, soil, or sawdust at high or low
temperatures so the action of water and high or low temperature will soften the seed coat.
Ex; abaca seeds.
Kinds of true botanical seeds. 1) Orthodox seed- Seed of some plants that could
be kept viable for longer periods, provided they are dried properly. 2) Recalcitrant seed-
Seeds of plants that could not be kept for along time. It cannot withstand drying and should
not permit to dry out before planting.
B. Vegetative Propagation
Vegetative propagation- involves the use of vegetative parts of the plant like the
roots, stem , and, to increase the number of the plants of the same kind. It is also called
asexual propagation, since no union of the male and female gametes is involved.
Advantages
1. The resulting plant posses characteristics as the mother plant.
2. Use in plants where seed propagation is impossible or difficult.
3. The trees are usually smaller and bear fruits earlier than those grown from seeds.
Disadvantage
For artificial vegetative propagation, a seedling is indispensable.
B.1 Conventional vegetative method of propagation (natural vegetative propagation)
a. Separation- is propagation using naturally detachable organs such as corms and
bulbs( whole planlets). It also applies to the process of separating a clump into several
portions, each with a root system.
Specialized organs used for propagation by separation.
Runners- a stem that grows horizontally along the ground. Example: strawberry.
Slips-leafy shoots originating from auxiliary buds borne at the base of a plant or fruit such
as in cabbage and pineapple.
Suckers-a new or secondary shoot that grows up beside the old plant. Example:
pineapple, banana, anthurium
Crown- a shoot formed on top of a fruit, like pineapple.
Bulb- is composed of shortened branches that later develop with thickened petioles.
Example :onion
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Bulblets- small bulbs produced at the base of the mother plant. Example: multiplier
onion
Bulbils-aerial plantlets formed on the axil of the leaves or flower stalk. Example: Agave
Plantlets or Offset-a short lateral branch which develops from the crown and terminates
into a rosette of leaves; bulblets grown to full size. Example: dendrobium,
phalaenopsis.
b. Division- is a method of asexual propagation wherein specialized or modified
stems and roots are cut into pieces or sections with at least one bud or eye per section. The
structures used for propagation by separation section of the following are used for division;
corm, tuber, rhizome corms of abaca and banana that are cut are variously referred as bits,
seed bits or seed pieces.
Corms- is stem structure containing nodes and internodes and a few rudimentary leaves..
Example: abaca , banana, gabi or taro
Cormels- small corms
Tuber- an enlarged underground stem serving as storage organ of starch or related
materials. Example: potato
Rhizome-a horizontal stem that grows at or below the surface of the ground.
B.2 Artificial vegetative propagation
1. Cuttage- or use of cuttings is the method of artificial vegetative propagation involving
regeneration of a several plant part from the parent plant.
Types of cuttings
a) Leaf cuttings
a.1 leaf cuttings of plants with parallel veins Ex: Sanseviera sp. (snake/sword plant)
a.2 leaf cuttings with thick fleshy leaves Example: begonia
a.3 leaf cuttings from the entire leaf, the leaf blade only Example: Peperomia sp.
a.4 Leaf cuttings from species bearing foliar embryos on the serrations of their leaf
margins Example: kalanchoe and cactus.
b) Leaf bud cuttings- This type of cuttings consist of leaf blade, petilole and short
piece of the stem with axillary bud Example: black pepper, sampaguita.
c) Stem cuttings- type of cuttings which are commonly used.
c.1 hardwood cuttings- from mature wood from few year old stem Example:
poinsettia, bougainvilla, grape, sineguelas
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c.2 semi-hardwood cuttings- cuttings from partially mature wood, with or without
terminals. Example: gumamela, rose, poinsettia, bougainvilla, grapes citrus
c.3 herbaceous stem cutting. This type is treated like softwood cutting.
Example :cucharita
Requirement to have success rooting a) proper temperature (not higher than 27˚C
b) a very humid atmosphere (85-100% RH) c) ample light d) moist, clean, well aerated and
well drained rooting medium, e) oxygen
2. Grafting- is the process of joining together a rootstock and a scion until they unite
permanently. The rootstock is the plant, usually a seedling, in which the scion is
inserted. The scion is any plant part, usually a stem, taken from the desired plant.
Types of grafting
1. cleft grafting 4. side grafting
2. saddle grafting 5. approach grafting or inarching
3. splice grafting
3. Budding- a specialized type of grafting in which a single detached bud is used as scion
and placed in a stock plant (rootstock) also bud grafting.
.
Types of budding
1. shield budding 2. patch budding 3. chip budding
4. Layering- a method of vegetative propagation wherein plants are allowed to regenerate
other parts while still attached to the parent plant.
5. Marcotting- the process of inducing the branch or twig to produce roots while still
attached to the parent plant. It is also called air layering.
