✂️ Vegetative Propagation — Cutting, Layering, Grafting, Budding
Vegetative Propagation — Cutting, Layering, Grafting, Budding.
Vegetative propagation is essential in horticulture for multiplying elite plants quickly while preserving varietal traits and achieving early bearing in orchard crops.
Cutting
A cutting is a detached vegetative portion of a plant that is induced to form roots and shoots under favourable conditions.
Types of Cuttings
| Type | Part Used | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Stem cutting | Hardwood, semi-hardwood, softwood | Grape, Rose, Bougainvillea, Fig |
| Root cutting | Root pieces | Breadfruit, Blackberry |
| Leaf cutting | Leaf or leaf-bud | Begonia, Sanseveria |
Factors Affecting Rooting
- IBA (Indole Butyric Acid) at 1000-3000 ppm promotes rooting.
- Use of mist chambers maintains humidity and prevents wilting.
- Season: Rainy season is best for most tropical cuttings.
Layering
Layering involves inducing root formation on a stem while it is still attached to the parent plant. After rooting, the layer is separated.
Types of Layering
- Simple layering: Low-growing branch bent to soil (Jasmine)
- Air layering (Goottee): Moist sphagnum moss wrapped around girdled stem (Litchi, Guava, Sapota)
- Mound layering: Soil mounded around base of shoots (Apple rootstocks)
- Serpentine layering: Vine woven through soil at intervals (Clematis)
Grafting
Grafting is the art of joining two plant parts, the scion and rootstock, so they unite and grow as one plant.
Common Grafting Methods
| Method | Technique | Crops |
|---|---|---|
| Veneer grafting | Side graft on rootstock | Mango, Cashew |
| Softwood grafting | Young scion on young rootstock | Mango, Sapota |
| Cleft grafting | Scion wedge in rootstock split | Apple, Pear, Pecan |
| Approach grafting | Both stock and scion on own roots | Mango (old method), Sapota |
| Epicotyl grafting | Graft on germinated seedling | Mango, Cashew |
Budding
Budding is a form of grafting where a single bud with a small piece of bark is used as the scion.
Types of Budding
- T-budding (Shield budding): Most common method for Rose and Citrus
- Patch budding: Rectangular bark patch transferred (Rubber, Walnut)
- Chip budding: Small chip of wood with bud (Apple, Pear)
- Forkert budding: Modified patch method (Rubber, Avocado)
Advantages of Vegetative Propagation
- Maintains genetic identity and trueness-to-type
- Early bearing compared to seedling plants
- Produces uniform orchards for commercial management
- Combines rootstock traits (disease resistance, dwarfing) with scion quality
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Method | Core Idea | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting | Detached plant part roots independently | Grapes, ornamentals |
| Layering | Rooting while attached to mother plant | Litchi, guava, sapota |
| Grafting | Join scion + rootstock | Mango, apple, citrus |
| Budding | Use a single bud as scion | Citrus, rose, apple |
| Key advantage | Clonal multiplication with early bearing | Commercial orchards |
References
2 sources • [1] [2]
References
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