Vegetative Propagation: Vegetative propagation is the formation of new plants from vegetative parts of the plant such as roots, stems and leaves. It is an asexual method of reproduction which involves a single parent and does not require the formation and fusion of gametes. Hence the offspring produced are morphologically and genetically identical to the parent plant. This process is very unique to plants and helps in reproduction of plants without the formation of flowers or seeds.

Vegetative propagation is an asexual method of plant reproduction that occurs in its leaves, roots and stem. This can occur through fragmentation and regeneration of specific vegetative parts of plants.

There are 2 means by which a plant can asexually reproduce from its vegetative parts:

• Fragmentation (specific parts of a plant break either accidentally or naturally and the detached part itself grows into a new plant).
• Regeneration (the tissues of plants are physiologically renewed or repaired and replaced with new healthy cells).

Natural Vegetative Propagation

Natural vegetative propagation happens when plants grow and develop naturally without human intervention. An important ability that is key to enabling natural vegetative propagation in plants is the ability to develop adventitious roots. The vegetative plant structures arising from the stem are known as rhizomes, bulbs, runners, tubers, etc. The plants propagated vegetatively are given below:

• Stem: Runners grow horizontally above the ground. The buds are formed at the nodes of the runners.
• Roots: New plants emerge out of swollen, modified roots known as tubers. Buds are formed at the base of the stem.
• Leaves: Leaves of a few plants get detached from the parent plant and develop into new plants.
• Bulbs: Bulbs have an underground stem to which the leaves are attached. These leaves are capable of storing food. The centre of the bulb contains an apical bud that produces leaves and flowers. Shoots are developed from the lateral buds.

Artificial Vegetative Propagation

As the name says, artificial vegetative propagation is simply defined as genetically modifying and growing a plant inside a clinical setup. This involves scholars and scientists preparing tests and solutions to carry out the process of plant vegetative propagation artificially inside laboratories. This procedure is possible in 4 different ways:

• Tissue Culture: When natural conditions are not comfortable for a plant to grow, then this method is highly useful. With the help of a technician, the respective parts of a plant are segregated and cultured in a clinic. This way, one can develop rare and extinct cases of plant species effectively. Potatoes and sugarcane are produced through tissue culture propagation.

• Grafting: This is an artificial method of propagation, wherein a plant is first rooted deep into the ground. The cut part from another plant is attached and connected to the stem of the former. The tissues of both the rooted plant and the graft get interlinked and produce a new plant variant. Apples and pears grow by this means.

• Cutting: A part of the plant is cut and rooted in the soil, most commonly the leaf or stem.  A new plant will develop from these cut roots, which is called the adventitious roots. Sometimes hormones (growth promoters) are injected into the contents for nurturing and inducing quick plant development. Roses grow in this method.

• Layering: The layer is the part that will produce new plants. This layer is formed when the plant’s stem is bent downward and buried into the soil. The plant’s shoot tip will be under the ground. The covering soil helps in the growth of adventitious roots, thus forming plant variants. Honeysuckle, boxwood, wax myrtle are some of the examples of layering propagation. 

The Process of Vegetative Propagation

Vegetative reproduction involves vegetative or non-sexual plant structures, whereas sexual propagation is accomplished through gamete production and subsequent fertilization. In non-vascular plants such as mosses and liverworts, vegetative reproductive structures include gemmae and spores. In vascular plants, vegetative reproductive structures include roots, stems, and leaves.

Vegetative propagation is made possible by meristem tissue, commonly found within stems and leaves as well as the tips of roots, that contains undifferentiated cells. These cells actively divide by mitosis to allow widespread and rapid primary plant growth. Specialized, permanent plant tissue systems also originate from meristem tissue. It is the ability of meristem tissue to continually divide that allows for plant regeneration required by vegetative propagation.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of vegetative propagation are:

a) The plants cultivated are genetically identical to their parents.
b) Plants can be cultivated faster as compared to growing them from seeds.

The disadvantages of vegetative propagation are:

a) Vegetative propagated plants are short-lived, small compared to seed propagated plants
b) No new varieties can be produced
c) Skilled persons are required and often expensive compared to seed propagation
d) More susceptible to diseases as the entire plant may get affected as there is no genetic variation

Can grafting be carried out in monocots?

Grafting is a technique of forming a superior composite plant by joining the shoot system of a superior high yielding variety with the stronger and efficient root system of generally a local variety. 

It disrupts the vascular system and require regeneration of the vascular system to maintain proper transportation of food and water in plants. Monocots do not possess vascular cambium which is a lateral meristematic tissue that can divide and produce secondary xylem and secondary phloem in plants. In the absence of vascular cambium, regeneration of tissues in monocots is impossible which in turn makes grafting impossible.

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By Team Learning Mantras