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HANNAH MEI MANUEL

JEIANNE CAMILLE BIMMULOG
CHRISTINE HERNAEZ
RUE ENOCH BARICAUA
LOUIS REYES
CLIFFORD DELLAS
I. Introduction

New plants can also be produced using parts of the old plants instead of growing them
from seeds. We call this type of reproduction asexual or vegetative reproduction. The
resulting plants through this manner are genetically identical to the plants that produced
them (Herren, 2012). Asexual or vegetative propagation is considered the best way to
maintain some species, particularly an individual that best represents that species (Relf,
2008).

The major methods of asexual or vegetative propagation are cuttings, layering, division,
and budding/grafting. Cuttings involve rooting a severed piece of the parent plant.
Layering involves rooting a part of the parent and then cutting it off. Budding and grafting
involve joining two plant parts from different varieties. (Relf, 2008)

The production of plants by vegetative or asexual means offer the following

advantages to producers:

1. Superior plants can be reproduced without losing the desirable qualities that
make them superior because the plants have the same genetic makeup as the
parent plants.
2. Plants produced through an extensive process of crossing which cannot
reproduce sexually can be propagated by asexual or vegetative means.
3. Vegetative or asexual reproduction offers a faster way of producing higher
quality plants.
4. Vegetative or asexual reproduction enables producers to grow seedless
plants.

II. Specific Learning Outcomes/Objectives

At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
1. familiarize themselves with the asexual methods of propagating plants,
2. explain the concepts and principles behind asexual plant propagation;
3. enumerate and explain the functions of asexually propagating plants;
4. give examples of local plants that can be asexually propagated using cuttings,
layering, division, and separation;
5. demonstrate the methods of cutting, layering, division, and separation on
appropriate and available local plants; and
appreciate the importance of asexual plant propagation methods
III. Pre-Lab Questions

1. Explain the role of meristematic tissues in asexual plant propagation.

Cells within meristematic tissue are self-renewing, meaning that every time they
divide, one new cell remains meristematic, while the second heads off to become
a programmed or specialized mature cell.
Additionally, all cells within meristematic tissue are living, while other plant tissue
can be made of both living and dead cells.
Primary meristematic tissue helps the plant increase in length or vertical growth,
meaning it helps the plant grow up toward the sun and down into the
soil. Secondary meristematic tissue helps the plant increase the girth or lateral
growth of its stems, branches, and roots. Secondary meristematic growth is also
responsible for producing the bark on woody trees.

2. Why is the plant hormone auxin important in the asexual propagation of plants?
The development and differentiation of vascular tissues during plant growth is
finely regulated by almost every known phytohormone. Nevertheless, auxin
appears to be the primary regulator of vascular cell differentiation and
patterning with other hormones interacting with the auxin biosynthesis,
transport and/or signalling pathways to fine-tune this process.
Since successful grafting depends on reconnection of the vascular tissues during
tissue reunion, it should be unsurprising that the same hormones and genes
that regulate vascular formation in developing organs would also regulate
vascular tissue regeneration at the graft junction.

IV. Materials
Parent plants
Sharp blade/knife
Bleach
Distilled water
Rooting hormone (any brand from a reputable provider)
100-ml beaker
500-ml beaker
Grafting tape
V. Procedure
A. Cuttings

Many types of plants, both woody and herbaceous, are frequently

propagated by cuttings. A cutting is a vegetative plant part which is severed or cut
off from the parent plant in order to regenerate itself, thereby forming a whole
new plant.

Procedure:

1. Take cuttings with a sharp blade to reduce injury to the parent plant. (Tip: Dip
the cutting tool in rubbing alcohol or a mixture of one part bleach to nine parts
water to prevent transmitting diseases from infected plant parts to healthy
ones.)

2. Remove flowers and flower buds to allow the cutting to use its energy and
stored carbohydrates for root and shoot formation rather than fruit and seed
production. With large-leaved cuttings and limited space in the propagation
container, trimming up to half the leaf length can improve efficiency, as well
as light and air circulation for all the cuttings.

3. To hasten rooting, increase the number of roots, or to obtain uniform rooting

(except on soft, fleshy stems), use a rooting hormone, preferably one
containing a fungicide. (Tip: Prevent possible contamination of the entire
supply of rooting hormone by putting some hormone in a separate container
for dipping cuttings. Discard this hormone after all the cuttings are treated.)

4. Place stem and leaf cuttings in bright, indirect light. Root cuttings can be kept
in the dark until new shoots appear.

B. Layering

Stems still attached to their parent plants may form roots where they
touch a rooting medium. Severed from the parent plant, the rooted stem becomes
a new plant. This method of vegetative propagation, called layering, promotes a
high success rate because it prevents the water stress and carbohydrate shortage
that plague cuttings.

Some plants layer themselves naturally, but sometimes plant propagators assist
the process. Layering may be enhanced by wounding one side of the stem or by
bending it very sharply. The rooting medium should always provide aeration and
a constant supply of moisture.

For this part of the laboratory activity, perform only one among the
following types of layering.

Types of Layering:

1. Tip layering Procedure:

a. Dig a hole 3 to 4 inches deep.

b. Insert the shoot tip and cover it

with soil. (The tip grows downward
first, then bends sharply and grows upward. Roots form at the
bend, and the recurved tip becomes a new plant.)

c. Remove the tip layer and plant it.

2. Simple layering

a. Bend the stem to the ground.

b. Cover part of it with soil, leaving

the last 6 to 12 inches exposed.

c. Bend the tip into a vertical position and stake in place. (The sharp
bend will often induce rooting, but wounding the lower side of the
branch or loosening the bark by twisting the stem may help.)

3. Compound layering
a.Bend the stem to the rooting medium as for simple
layering, but alternately cover and expose stem
sections.
 b. Wound the lower side of the stem sections to be covered.

4. Mound (stool) layering

a. Cut the plant back to 1 inch above the ground in the

dormant season.

b. Mound soil over the

emerging shoots in the spring to enhance their
rooting.
5. Air layering
a. Slit the stem just below a node.

b. Pry the slit open with a toothpick.

c. Surround the wound with wet unmilled sphagnum moss.

d. Wrap plastic or foil around the sphagnum moss and tie in place.

e. When roots pervade the moss, cut the plant off below the root ball.

C. Division

Division entails cutting of the plant part into sections and growing a new
plant for each section (Herren, 2012). Propagation from the following plant parts
can be considered a modification of layering, as the new plants form before they
are detached from their parent plants.

For this part of the laboratory activity, perform division for both plant
parts.

a. Stolons and runners

A stolon is a horizontal, often fleshy stem that can root, then produce new
shoots
 where it touches the medium. A runner is a slender stem
that originates in a leaf axil and grows along the ground
or downward from a hanging basket, producing a new
plant at its tip. Plants that produce stolons or runners are
propagated by severing the new plants from their parent
stems. Plantlets at the tips of runners may be rooted
while still attached to the parent, or detached and placed in a rooting medium.
b. Offsets

Plants with a rosetted stem often

reproduce by forming new shoots at their
base or in leaf axils. Sever the new shoots from
the parent plant after they have developed
their own root system. Unrooted offsets of
some species may be removed and placed in a
rooting medium. Some of these must be cut off, while others may be simply lifted
off the parent stem.

D. Separation

Separation is a term applied to a form of propagation by which plants that

produce bulbs or corms multiply Relf et al, 2008). In separation, the plant parts
are simply pulled apart because the plant naturally separates the parts for the
production of new plants (Herren, 2012).

a. Bulbs

There are two kinds of bulb – tunicate

and non-tunicate. Tunicate bulbs have dry
outer layers of membranes that are the result
of previous year’s growth and are made up of
layers of leaf-like membranes. Bulblets form
around the originally planted bulb. On the
other hand, non-tunicate bulbs have layers of
scales on them that is why they are also called
scaly-type bulbs. A new plant can be grown from
each of these scales. (Herren, 2012)

Procedure:

i. Separate the bulb clumps every 3 to 5 years for largest

blooms and to increase bulb population.

ii. Dig up the clump after the leaves have withered.

iii. Gently pull the bulbs apart and replant them immediately
so their roots can begin to develop. (Small, new bulbs may
not flower for
2 or 3 years, but large ones should bloom the first year.)
b. Corms

Corms are underground stems which may

also be used in propagating new plants.
Corms differ from bulbs by having nodes
and inner nodes. Corms are solid unlike
bulbs. (Herren, 2012)

Procedure:

i. A large new corm forms on top of the old corm, and tiny
cormels form around the large corm. ii. After the leaves
wither, dig up the corms and allow them to dry in indirect light for
2 or 3 weeks.

iii. Remove the cormels, then gently separate the new corm from
the old corm. iv. Dust all new corms with a fungicide and store in a
cool place until planting time.

c. Crowns
Procedure:
 i. Plants with more than one rooted crown may be divided
and the crowns planted separately.

ii. If the stems are not joined, gently pull the plants apart.

iii. If the crowns are united by horizontal stems, cut the stems

and roots with a sharp knife to minimize injury. iv. Divisions of

some outdoor plants should be dusted with a fungicide before
they are replanted.
E. Grafting
Grafting describes any of a number of techniques in which a section of a
stem with leaf buds is inserted into the stock of a tree. Aside from being used in
the reproduction of an original cultivar, it is also used to repair injured fruit trees
or for topworking an established tree to one or more different cultivars.
Topworking is the operation of cutting back the branches and top of an
established tree and budding or grafting part of another tree on it. Grafting are of
different types - whip graft, cleft graft, modified cleft graft, and side graft (Hertz,
2016).

Nurseries often use the budding method to produce fruit trees. Budding is
a form of grafting in which a single bud is used as the scion instead of a section of
the stem. It is the most commonly used method for fruit tree production in the
nursery, but can also be used for topworking (Hertz, 2016).

Bud Grafting Procedure:

 a. Look for a plump, healthy looking bud from the outside/sunny side of
the tree that is not dry and shrivelled or with obvious damage to
create your scion.

b. Using a grafting knife, cut a small slit into the bark ½ an inch
underneath the bud and slowly pull the knife upwards taking in the
cambium layer and outer bark without cutting into the heartwood, or
inner part of the branch. End the slice ½ an inch above the bud, so it
comes away neatly.

c. Cut a 1 inch vertical slit into the branch where the bud will be placed,
cutting only into the bark layer. At the top of this incision, cut a cross-
wise slit, creating a T-shape.

d. Then, gently lifting the corners where they meet, slide in the scion
bud with the growing tip pointing upwards, ensuring that the
cambium layers on each are touching.

e. Wrap the join in grafting tape to keep dry and in the following spring
prune off the tip of the branch as soon as the grafted bud begins to
grow.

VI. Post-Lab Questions

1. Enumerate and explain the advantages of asexual plant propagation.

a. Rapid Populating
Asexual reproduction gives the ability to produce large quantities of of
offspring. This helps to fill up niche’s quickly and prevent intruders and
competition from invading.

b. No Mates Required
Finding a mate can be very difficult for organisms that are in desolate
environments, like the deep ocean. Asexual reproduction takes the need to find
a mate away, allowing these organisms to multiply.

c. In Case of Emergency
In dire situations, plants and organisms can keep themselves alive and produce
others to help them without the help of a mate, or other reproductive source.
Plants are a great example of this. If no pollinator is available to pollinate, then
they can clone by asexual reproduction.

d. No True Investment
Asexual reproducers do not have to carry their offspring for a long amount of
time and produce more than one at a time. This makes it a quick and
inexpensive process for them in the terms of time.

2. Describe the procedure involved in propagating plants by cutting, layering,

division, separation, and grafting.

Cutting - a portion of the stem containing nodes and internodes is placed in

moist soil and allowed to root. In some species, stems can start producing a
root even when placed only in water
Layering - a method in which a stem attached to the plant is bent and covered
with soil. A portion of the bark or outermost covering of the stem is removed
and covered with moss, which is then taped.
Separation - In separation, the new shoot is just removed (detached) from the
parent for planting. Bulbs of daffodils, tulips and lilies can be separated in this
way. Some bulbs also produce smaller bulbs called bulblets that attach to the
base of the parent bulb. They can also be separated for propagation.
Division - dig up the parent plant and the entire plant will come out of the
ground in one large clump. Place this clump on a hard surface and just cut it
into several pieces using a large knife or even a spade. Each division should
have at least two or three sprouts or eyes. This is much easier to determine in
early spring once the eyes have begun to develop, but the leaves have not yet
developed. Then replant each division.
 Grafting - two plant species are used; part of the stem of the desirable plant is
grafted onto a rooted plant called the stock. The part that is grafted or attached
is called the scion. Both are cut at an oblique angle (any angle other than a right
angle), placed in close contact with each other, and are then held together

References:

M. McGroarty. 2015. Propagation by Division. Retrieved from

http://freeplants.com/division.htm on October 10, 2018.

Asexual Reproduction. Retrieved from

http://eschooltoday.com/science/asexual-reproduction/vegetative-
propagation-by-separation-and-division.html on October 10, 2018

3. Compare and contrast the following pairs of words:

a. stolon – offset
Stolon is a shoot that grows along the ground and produces roots at its nodes; a
runner while offset is a short prostrate shoot that takes root and produces a
tuft of leaves
b. bulb – corm
Bulbs are usually round or egg-shaped with a pointy end, which goes up; the
basal plate goes down. Bulbs produce offspring bulbs from the inside of the old
bulb and also bulbils (tiny pre-bulbs) from the basal plate. Corms are modified
stems with a basal plate, but they are solid, not made up of scales.
c. tunicate bulb – non-tunicate bulb
A tunicate bulb has a paper-like covering or tunic that protects the scales from
drying and from mechanical injury. Non-tunicate bulbs consist of separate
"scales" attached at the basal plate, and are generally easily damaged and must
be handled more carefully than tunicate bulbs.
d. tip layering – air layering
In tip-layering, you insert the tip of a current season’s shoot and cover it with
soil. The tip grows downward first, then bends sharply and grows upward.
Roots form at the bend. The re-curved tip becomes a new plant. Meanwhile,
air-layering is a method of propagating new trees and shrubs from stems still
attached to the parent plant. The stem is wrapped with damp moss to
encourage roots to form.
 e. cutting – grafting
In cutting, a portion of the stem containing nodes and internodes is placed in
moist soil and allowed to root. In some species, stems can start producing a
root even when placed only in water. In grafting, two plant species are used;
part of the stem of the desirable plant is grafted onto a rooted plant called the
stock. The part that is grafted or attached is called the scion. Both are cut at an
oblique angle (any angle other than a right angle), placed in close contact with
each other, and are then held together.

VII. References

Herren, R. V. 2012. The Science of Agriculture: A Biological Approach. 4th ed. New York: Delmar
Cengage Learning.

Hertz, L. B. 2016. Grafting and budding fruit trees. Retrieved from

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/fruit/grafting-and-budding-fruit-trees/ on
March 20, 2016.

Relf, P. D. and E. Ball. 2009. Propagation by Cuttings, Layering and Division. Retrieved from www.
ext.vt.edu on March 20, 2016.

The Urban Orchard Project. How to graft fruit trees. Retrieved from
http://www.theurbanorchardproject.org/guides-and-advice/how-graft-fruit-trees on March 20,
2016.