Plant Reproduction: Vegetative Propagation Quiz

Vegetative Propagation

• Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants, where plants reproduce through their vegetative parts such as leaves, stem, or roots.
• This method allows for the maintenance of desirable traits, such as flower color, flavor, or resistance to diseases, from generation to generation.
• Plant growers can produce plants in a shorter period through vegetative propagation.

Natural Vegetative Propagation

• Natural vegetative propagation is the natural process of growing plants from stem, roots, or leaves.
• Rhizomes are underground stems that grow horizontally near the soil surface, producing roots and buds at the nodes, which grow into new plants.
• Bulbs are short, underground stems that contain stored food, and produce shoots and grow new plants, which develop new bulbs (e.g. onion, garlic, tulip, tiger lily, and gradiola).
• Roots can be used for vegetative propagation, as seen in crops like camote (sweet potato), carrot, radish, and turnip, which have enlarged food storage in their roots.
• Corms are underground stems with scaly leaves and a thick stem base containing stored food, which grow new plants from the base of the stem.
• Tubers are enlarged underground stems with "eyes" where buds develop, producing stems and roots that grow into new plants.
• Leaves can be used for vegetative propagation, as seen in katakataka plants, which grow small plants called plantlets on the edge of their leaves.
• Stems can be used for vegetative propagation, as seen in runners (stolons) that grow horizontally above the ground, producing roots and leaves that develop into new plants (e.g. strawberry, mint, Bermuda grass).
• Suckers are new shoots that grow from the main stem of the plant, producing new plants (e.g. banana and pineapple plants).

Artificial Vegetative Propagation

• Artificial vegetative propagation is the process of growing plants by man-made methods.
• Cutting involves cutting parts of the stem or leaves, which spontaneously create their own roots, and grow into new plants.
• Grafting is a mode of plant reproduction where the stem of one plant is joined to the stem of another plant, used to produce better fruits.
• Layering involves burying a part of a stem while attached to its mother plant, creating a new plant that is identical to the mother plant.