Natural Cloning in Plants and Horticulture

Natural Cloning in Plants

• Natural clones are genetically identical copies of a parent plant, produced asexually via mitosis (cell division).
• Examples include strawberries, elm trees, potatoes, onions, and bamboo.
• Strawberries produce new plants from stems growing in the soil.
• Elm trees extend roots to create new plants.
• Potatoes sprout tubers from their skins.
• Onions and bamboo also reproduce through natural cloning.

Horticulture Applications of Cloning

• Horticulturists use natural clones to propagate desirable plant traits, e.g., a strawberry with a specific flavor profile.
• This allows for widespread reproduction of plants with those desired qualities.

Disadvantages of Cloning

• Low genetic biodiversity in cloned populations makes them vulnerable to environmental changes or diseases.
• The elm tree population faced significant decline due to disease, which exemplifies this vulnerability.

Cloning by Cuttings

• Cuttings, a technique that involves humans, are another way to achieve cloning.
• A healthy shoot from a parent plant is cut.
• The stem is cut at an angle to maximize surface area for root development.
• The cut end is dipped in rooting powders/plant hormones.
• The cutting is then placed in soil or compost and kept moist.

Cloning by Grafting

• Grafting involves joining a shoot of one plant (scion) to the stem or root of another (rootstock).
• It involves careful cutting angles to increase the area for adhesion.
• Rootstock with strong roots is often used for strength and growth.
• The scion plant is selected for its desirable traits (e.g. fruit taste).

Advantages of Cloning

• Cloning can be used to create seedless fruits (e.g. seedless grapes)
• It enables propagation of plants with desired traits (e.g. juicy strawberries, red color).