Plant Propagation

Commercially important plants are often deliberately propagated by asexual means in order to keep particularly desirable traits (e.g., flower color, flavor, resistance to disease etc.). Grafting is widely used to propagate a desired variety of shrub or tree.

All apple varieties, rose varieties, for example, are propagated this way. Apple seeds are planted only for the root and stem system that grows from them. After a year's growth, most of the stem is removed and a twig (scion) taken from a mature plant of the desired variety is inserted in a notch in the cut stump (the stock).

So long as the cambiums of scion and stock are united and precautions are taken to prevent infection and drying out, the scion will grow. It will get all its water and minerals from the root system of the stock. However, the fruit that it will eventually produce will be identical (assuming that it is raised under similar environmental conditions) to the fruit of the tree from which the scion was taken. Cuttings may be taken from the parent and rooted. The same method of grafting is applicable in the case of rubber plantations.

Tags: Bio Genetics, Bio Genetics, Plant Propagation

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