WELCOME

Dr. Ankit Singh Bhadauria

Assistant Professor
Horticulture
SAAST, CSJMU, Kanpur
 Contents
Introduction Asexual
Propagation

*
• Cutting
Propagation • Layering
*

*
• Grafting

*
• Budding
advantages *
• Micropropagation

Conclusion
DisAdvantages

Sexual References
Propagation
 Introduction
• In nature, plants multiply naturally to perpetuate
themselves.
• The art of propagation is as old as civilization of human
being. Since the time of Rigveda (1400 B.C.),plant
propagation has been one of the fundamental
agricultural operations.
• Now-a-days, the propagation process has got
commercial popularity and this practice has been
totally modernized.
• In modern horticulture trade, plant propagation is
highly profitable business.
 Propagation
Propagation is an art of multiplication of
plants(Chadha,2002).
Types Of Propagation:
1. Sexual Propagation/ Seed Propagation
2. Asexual Propagation/ Vegetative
Propagation
 Sexual Propagation
• Sexual Propagation is the raising of plants by means
of seeds which is formed due to the fusion of male
and female gametes within the ovule of a
flower(Tripathi,2016).

• Seed propagation is usually done in fruits like: Guava,

Kagzi-lime, Karonda, Jamun, Papaya & Phalsa.

• Seed may be defined as “a fertilized ovule consisting

of intact embryo, stored food and seed coat which is
viable and has got the capacity to
germinate”(Sharma et al.,2018).
 Advantages of Sexual
Propagation
• Propagation by seed is easier and cheaper.
• Hybrids are developed only through sexual method of
propagation.
• Seedling trees are hardier and long-lived.
• Some plants propagate only by means of seeds. Eg:-
Papaya, Phalsa and coconut.
• For asexual propagation root stocks are raised by seeds.
• Seeds, if stored properly can be kept for longer duration of
time.
Disadvantages of Sexual
Propagation
• Seedling takes longer time to bear the first crop.
• Plants produced are not true to types to the mother
plants.
• Seed propagation excludes benefits of rootstock.
• Seedling raised plants are generally tall and
spreading type.
• Seed propagation is not possible in some plants like
banana and pineapple.
 Asexual Propagation
• Asexual propagation involves regeneration of new
plants from the cell, tissue or any vegetative organs
viz., leaf, stem, root etc. of the mother plant (Singh
et al., 2005) or use of apomictic seeds e.g. citrus,
mango, apple. ( Shukla et al.,2004).

• It is possible because all the living cells of a plant

have a capacity to regenerate into a full plant under
favourable environmental conditions. This capacity
of plant cell is called totipotency ( Sharma,2005).
Advantages of Asexual Propagation

• Asexually propagated plants are true to type to

their mother plants.
• Bears flowers and fruits in early age.
• Smaller in stature.
• Some seedless fruit plants propagate only by
asexual means. E.g.- banana, pineapple.
• Novel plants can be created.
• Benefits of rootstock and scion are exploited.
• Repairs damaged portion of plants.
Disadvantages of Asexual
Propagation
• No new varieties or hybrid can be evolved by this
method of propagation.
• Vegetative propagation is sometimes more
expensive than seed propagation.
• Vegetative propagated plants are comparatively
short lived .
ASEXUAL PROPAGATION
 Cutting
It refers to separating a portion of stem, root or leaf and
placing it under favourable conditions to induce roots
(Singh,2015) .

1. Stem Cutting-
A portion of the stem that contains a terminal bud or
lateral buds is cut and placed in growing media to produce
roots.
 Hard wood cutting- grape, fig, pomegranate,
mulberry.
 Semi-Hard wood cutting- lemon, mango, guava.
 Soft Wood cutting- citrus, apple, peach, guava.
 Hard wood cutting-
• One year old mature shoots are selected.
• The length of cutting should be 20-25 cm
having at least 2-3 buds.
• The lower cut is made round just below the
node and the upper cut is given about 1-2 cm
above the upper node in slanting manner.
• Planting of cutting is done just before the
commencement of monsoon.
Semi-Hard wood cutting-
• Cuttings are taken from partially mature
woody shoot.
• The cuttings are made 15-20 cm long.
• For better results apply 1000-5000 ppm IBA
solution.
• Prepared in rainy season .
 Soft Wood cutting-
• Cuttings are taken from soft
succulent shoot.
• The length of cutting should be 10-15
cm.
• Preferably practiced in Mist chamber.
• Some leaves at proximal portion of
cutting may be retained.
• In deciduous plants, cutting should
be taken in dormant season and in
evergreen in rainy season.
• 500-1000 ppm IBA solution may be
used for better rooting.
 2. Leaf-bud Cuttings
• It consists of a leaf blade, petiole and a short
piece of stem with the attached axillary bud.
• High humidity is essential and bottom heat is
desirable for rapid rooting.
• E.g.- blackberry, raspberry, lemon, camellia.
 3. Root Cutting
• It involves the use of roots to reproduce plants.
• Time for taking root cutting is December for temperate
fruits and July- August for sub tropical fruits.
• Slanting cut is prepared on the proximal end and a round
cut is made on the distal end of the cutting. It helps in
maintaining polarity.
• E.g.- apple, peach, pear, guava, blackberry, raspberry.
 Layering
• The process of including branch and twig to
produce roots while still attached to the parent
plant.
• The types are:-
– Simple Layering
– Tip Layering
– Air Layering
– Trench Layering
– Mound Layering
– Serpentine Layering
 Types of layering
1. Simple Layering-
• Low flexible one year old shoots
which bend freely are selected.
• Remove a ring of bark at 20-25 cm
away from the growing tip and this
wounded portion is then buried in
the soil.
• Ideal time- Early spring or rainy
season.
• Roots are developed in 4-5
months.
• E.g.- guava, lime, lemon.
 2. Tip Layering
• The tip of the current season shoot is placed 5-7 cm
below the soil for rooting.
• Time taken for development of roots may be 2-3
months.
• E.g.- blackberries and raspberries.
 3. Air Layering
• Also called Chinese layering or
Gootee.
• Ideal time :– July-August.
• Previous season shoot of pencil
thickness is selected.
• A girdle is made on the selected
shoot by removing 2.5-3 cm bark.
• Girdle portion is then covered by
using moist sphagnum moss
grass and then wrapped with
transparent polythene tape.
• Rooting appears in 2-3 months.
• E.g.- litchi, guava, jackfruit, lime.
 4. Trench Layering
• This method is also known as Etiolation method of
layering because there is complete covering of
branch under the soil.
• Selected branch is bent to the ground and buried
completely in shallow trench.
• Plants form at each node on covered branch.
• E.g.- apple, pear, cherry.
 5. Mound Layering
• Also known as Stooling.
• In this method the plant is headed
back to 5-7.5 cm above the ground
level during dormant season.
• As the season progresses, new
shoots emerge out from the base of
the plant.
• These shoots are girdled at the base
and it is covered with soil to height
of about 15-20 cm.
• After 1 year, the shoots are rooted
and removed from the parent plant.
• E.g.- guava, apple, pear.
 6. Serpentine Layering
• This method is practiced in
plants having long soft
shoots which bend easily.
• The shoots are covered and
exposed alternately along
the length.
• Adventitious roots and new
shoots are formed from the
nodes buried into the soil.
• E.g.- muscadine grape.
 Grafting
• Grafting is an asexual propagation method in which
parts of two different plants are joined so that they
continue their growth as one plant.(Muthukumar and
Selvakumar, 2017).
• Stock- The plant part which will give rise
to the root system and into which a bud
or shoot is set .
• Scion- The desired variety which is
grafted or budded on a stock plant and
forms the shoot system.
• Interstock- That plant part which is
placed in between stock and scion to tide
over the problem of incompatibility.
 Types of Grafting
1. Inarching :
• Grafting by means of
uniting a growing branch
to a stock without Scion
separating the branch
from its parent stock.
• Both the scion and the Root stock

stock should be of pencil

thickness.
• Ideal time- July-August.
• E.g.- mango, jackfruit,
sapota, loquat.
 2. Veneer Grafting:
• A shallow downward and inward cut of about 3-4 cm
length is made 15 cm above the ground on rootstock.
• A long cut is made on one side of the scion.
• Then scion is placed into the rootstock and tied with
300 gauge polythene tape.
•E.g.- mango.
• Ideal time- August- September
 3. Cleft Grafting:
• Also called Wedge grafting .
• It is a method for top working in
order to change varieties.
• Wedge shaped incision of about
5 cm length is prepared on the
stub of the plant.
• Similar matching incision is
prepared on lower portion of
scion.
• The scion is inserted in root
stock firmly and waxed.
• E.g.- mango, hazelnut,
pecannut, apple.
 4. Splice Grafting:
• A plant graft made by cutting
both stock and scion across
obliquely, fitting the cut
surfaces so that the
cambiums are in contact, and
tying.
• Also called Whip graft.
• In splice grafting, both the
stock and scion must be of
the same diameter.
• It is highly successful due to
considerable cambial contact.
• E.g.- walnut, pecannut,
hazelnut.
 5. Tongue Grafting:
• Diagonal cuts on stock and scion showing the position
of tongue are made.
• Complete graft is wrapped with grafting tape.
• It is done in apple, apricot, peach and pear.
• It is done during Feb-March.
 6. Bridge Grafting:
• It is a form of repair grafting.
• This method is practiced in
plants in which scion is
healthy and some portion of
rootstock near collar region is
diseased or damaged.
• The damaged portion of the
rootstock is scratched and
incision is made on top and
bottom portion of healthy
portion of stock.
• The scion of suitable length is
inserted into incision and fixed
using nail and then sealed.
 7. Epicotyl Grafting:
• Also known as Stone grafting.
• Epicotyl portion of rootstock seedling is replaced by a
young shoot tip.
• Conducted with 2-3 months old scion on 7-10 days old
germinated seedlings(Singh,2015).
• Ideal time- rainy season.
• E.g.- mango.
 8. Soft-wood Grafting:
• This is very successful method of in-situ grafting.
• The grafting is done in the permanent site of planting in
the field itself.
• 3-5 month old scion shoot are grafted on 1 year old
rootstock.
• Ideal time:- July-August.
• E.g.- mango, cashew, tamarind.
 Budding
It is an art of insertion of a single mature bud into
the stem of the rootstock in such a way that union
takes place and the combination continue to grow.

1.Patch Budding
•This method is used in plants
which have thick bark.
•Method of bud grafting in
which a patch of bark with a bud
is inserted into a similar
depatched rootstock.
•E.g.- jackfruit, aonla, jamun.
 2. Forkert Budding
• A form of patch budding in which
the patch of bark in the rootstock
is retained.
• Incisions are made on the bark of
the rootstock in the shape of “Π”
and pulled downward as a flap
which is then used to cover the
inserted bud patch. This flap is
later removed to expose the bud.
• Both Patch and Forkert methods
of budding follows the same
procedure in the preparation of a
bud patch(Ben and Bareja,2011).
• E.g.- mango, jackfruit, cashew.
 3. T- Budding/Shield Budding
• In this method boat shaped bud of 2.5-3 cm
length is used for budding.
• The budding is made at 10-25 cm height on
rootstock.
• If T- shape incision is made for inserting bud
on rootstock, it is termed as T- budding. E.g.-
rose, apple, pear, peach.
• Sometimes, inverted T-shape incision is T- Budding
made to insert bud, it is termed as Inverted
T- budding. It is widely used in high rainfall
areas. E.g.- chestnut

Inverted T-Budding
 4. Ring Budding/Annular Budding

• The scion branch of

the same thickness as
of stock is selected.
• A complete ring of the
scion with a healthy
bud is removed from
the branch.
• After placing the ring
on stock, tying is done
properly.
• E.g.- ber, peach,
mulberry.
 5. Modified Ring Budding
• In this method instead
of taking complete ring
of bark containing bud,
the scion is taken out
from the scion shoot by
giving a vertical slit in
the bark.
• E.g.- ber, guava.
 6. Chip Budding
• This method is practiced during the period when there is lack of
sap flow( Feb- March) and bud does not slip out easily from the
bark.
• The bud is taken out from scion shoot along with wood and
similar size incision is made on the root stock. The bud is placed
on the rootstock and it is wrapped with polythene tape.
• Species whose bark does not slip easily without tearing may be
propagated more successfully by chip budding. (Bilderback et al.,
2014)
• E.g.- grapes, apple, pear.
 Specialized Organs in
Propagation

1. Suckers- Plants
arising from
adventitious buds on
the roots or
underground parts of
some trees like guava,
pomegranate, banana
and pineapple
(Singh,2005).
2. Off- Shoot- It is a lateral
shoot or branch that develops
from the base of the main
stem and it is generally
shortened and thickened of
rosette like appearance. It is
common in date palm and
pineapple.

3. Runners- It is a stem that

develops from the axil of the
leaves at the crown of a plant,
grows horizontally along the
ground and forms a new plant
at the nodes. Eg:- Strawberry.
4.Rhizome- It is a
specialized underground
stem which grows
horizontally at or just
bellow the ground surface
as in banana.

5. Slip- Slips are the

shoots just arising below
the crown but above the
ground. E.g.- Pineapple.
 Micropropagation
• “Micropropagation is also known as Tissue culture, Mass
propagation, In vitro culture and Cloning.”
• It refers to growth of living plant tissues in a suitable culture
medium under in-vitro conditions.
• The plant part which is used for regeneration is called Explant.
• This explant may be :-
- Organ (Organ Culture)
- Tissue (Tissue Culture)
- Protoplast (Protoplast Culture)
- Callus (Callus Culture)
- Embryo (Embryo culture)
- Meristem (Meristem culture)
- Cell (Cell culture)
Steps involved in
Micropropagation
Advantages of Micropropagation

• A large number of plantlets are obtained within a

short period at a small space from a single explant.
• Plants are obtained throughout the year under
controlled conditions, independent of seasons.
• It helps to eliminate plant diseases through careful
stock selection and sterile techniques.
• Sterile plants or plants which cannot maintain
their characters by sexual reproduction are
multiplied by this method.
 Conclusion
• Propagation by seeds is the major method by which
plants reproduce in nature and one of the most
efficient and widely used propagation methods for
cultivated crops.
• However, vegetative propagation plays a major role in
commercial propagation of fruit crops and adopted by
farmers and nurserymen on large scale.
• Now-a-days, there lies a huge scope in commercial
propagation of fruit crops and the growers can earn
immense incentives by producing export quality fruits.
• With the advances made in the tissue culture
technology, it is now possible to regenerate fruit
plants in the laboratory.