Basic Science: Plant Propagation PDF

# Towards A Hundredfold Yield - When will my mango tree bear mangoes like that big tree? - Have patience. Your mango tree will also give you lots of mangoes within eight to ten years. You may have seen different types of mango trees in your home and surroundings. Ask the elders in your home how l...

# Towards A Hundredfold Yield - When will my mango tree bear mangoes like that big tree? - Have patience. Your mango tree will also give you lots of mangoes within eight to ten years. You may have seen different types of mango trees in your home and surroundings. Ask the elders in your home how long it will take for the mango saplings to grow and produce mangoes. What are your expectations while planting and nurturing a mango sapling? # Basic Science - Should get a lot of mangoes - Must start yielding at the earliest - Mangoes should be sweet Aren't our goals the same while cultivating fruits, vegetables or cereals too? - Should yield quickly - Must yield plenty - Yield should have good quality What things are to be taken care of to achieve this? Discuss with your friends and write in your Science Diary. - Good seeds/planting materials should be used. ## Seeds and Planting Materials Haven't you heard the proverb, 'vithu gunam pathu gunam'? What does it mean? Observe the pictures and answer the questions given below. | Plant | Fruit | Seeds | | :------ | :------- | :------- | | [Image] | [Image] | [Image] | Where are seeds formed? What about fruits? What factors should be considered while selecting the best seeds? # Class - VII ## Look at these plants. - Which of these plants would you choose to collect seeds from? Why? | Plant 1 | Plant 2 | | :------ | :------- | | [Image] | [Image] | You know that a single plant can produce many fruits. Fruits from which harvesting stage should be selected to get good seeds? Are the fruits formed at the initial and final stages of the lifespan of plants ideal for seed collection? Seeds should be collected from the ripened fruits produced during the middle of the plant's lifespan. Plants like ladies finger and pea contain numerous seeds in a single fruit. Can all these seeds be used for the production of seedlings? How can we select the best seeds from them? Take a few pea seeds. Select the best seeds from them based on the following factors. - Shape - Weight - Size - Seed coat ## Factors to be considered while selecting seeds are given below. Put a tick mark (✔) in the appropriate box. | Plant selected for seed collection | Fruit selected for seed collection | Seeds selected | |:----------------------------------|:---------------------------------|:-----------------| | Low yielding | Fruits formed at the initial stage of plant's lifespan | Have definite shape | | High yielding | Fruits formed at the end of the plant's lifespan. | Have normal weight | | Healthy plant | Fruits formed at the middle of plant's lifespan. | Have damaged seed coat | | Infected plant | Fully ripened | Light weight | | Stunted growth | Not ripened | Normal size | Good quality seeds should be selected for better yield. For this, the respective plant and fruit should also have good quality. # Basic Science ## Are new plants formed only from seeds? Observe the pictures given below. From which parts of these plants do saplings form? - Curry leaf plant [Image] - Ginger plant [Image] - Bryophyllum [Image] - Pepper plant [Image] - Curry leaf plant - Ginger plant - Bryophyllum - Pepper plant Haven't you understood that new plants are formed from parts like root, stem, leaf and underground stem? Saplings can be formed not only from seeds but also from these parts. Hence, these parts are also planting materials. ## Vegetative Propagation and Sexual Reproduction The process of production of new saplings from the vegetative parts of plants like root, stem, leaf and underground stem is called vegetative propagation. This is a kind of asexual reproduction. Seeds are formed through sexual reproduction. Seedlings are germinated from seeds too. Find out examples for plants which reproduce through vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction. Write them in the Science Diary. | Vegetative propagation | Sexual reproduction | |:--------------------------|:-----------------------| | Root | Seed | | Stem | | | Leaf | | | Underground stem | | | Root | Stem | Leaf | Underground stem | Seed | |:-----|:-----|:-----|:------------------|:-----| | Bread fruit | Moringa | Bryophyllum | Dioscorea | Moringa | # Class - VII In Moringa, young plants are produced from seeds and by planting stem cuttings. Can you find more examples of plants which can reproduce both through sexual reproduction and vegetative propagation? - Shemakonna (Gliricidia) Selection of proper planting material is as important as selection of good quality seeds for cultivation. Care should be taken to choose planting materials from plants that have superior quality. ## Listen to the conversation of these children. - Wow! The guava is big! It is ripe also! Can I have its stem cutting for planting? - Sure. I will give you both the stem cutting and the fruit. But, can the stem of guava plant sprout? Won't it take years for the seeds to grow into a tree and yield fruits? What can be done to produce saplings that have all the qualities of this guava plant and can bear fruits in a short span? You have already learnt that fruits and seeds are formed through pollination. Do the plants thus formed possess only the qualities of the mother plant? What if a new plant is formed from stem cutting? Won't it have the same qualities as the mother plant? Stem cuttings of shoe flower, tapioca, sweet potato etc. sprout easily. But it is difficult for guava to sprout from a stem cutting. What if we can grow roots from stem? If it can be done, won't the guava plant grow and bear fruits much earlier? Let's do it. # Basic Science ## Layering In plants such as guava, sapota, java apple (jampa), almond and fig rooting can be induced in the stem of mother plant. This stem with roots can be cut and planted. Let's get familiar with the stages of layering in a guava plant. ### Stage 1 Select a pencil-sized stem of the mother plant. It is better to select it from the main stem. Make a cut of 2-3 cm length in a circular shape on the bark in between two nodes of this stem. ### Stage 2 Apply a slightly wet mixture of cocopeat, soil and cow dung powder to this area. Wrap this area with a polythene bag. Water the area if required. ### Stage 3 Roots will sprout in the area of layering within two months. Cut the stem just below the area of layering and this can be planted in a flower pot or grow bag. When it starts growing, it can be replanted in the soil. ## Layering Layering is the practice of producing plantlets by cutting and planting the stem of a mother plant after generating roots from it. ## Serpentine Layering In plants like pepper, layering can be done by bending the long branches into the soil and covering the branches with soil at intervals (nodes). In this way, multiple saplings can be produced simultaneously from a single branch. ## Plants with different layering methods | Air layering | Serpentine layering | |:-------------|:--------------------| | Guava, Cashew tree, Sapota, Rose, Java apple, Fig, Almond | Bougainvillea, Jasmine, Betel, Pepper, Grapes, Chrysanthemum | # Class - VII ## Consider some peculiarities of plants produced by layering. - Possess the qualities of mother plant - Small size and short lifespan - Early flowering and fruiting - Absence of taproot system - Require more care List out the advantages and disadvantages of plants produced through layering. Record it in the Science Diary. ## Grafting Look at the picture. You need a sapling of this mango tree. Is it possible to make it through layering? It is difficult to induce roots in the stem of a mango tree. What about planting seeds? It takes years for the tree to yield mangoes. It need not have all the qualities of this mango tree. Then how is it possible to produce a sapling with all the qualities of this mango tree? Let's check. The characteristics of two varieties of mango trees are given in the table. Analyse the table. | Indigenous mango tree | Neelam mango tree | |:------------------------|:-------------------| | Relatively small mango | Big sized mango | | Sour or sweet mango | Very sweet mango | | Grows well in our soil | Doesn't grow well in our soil | | Doesn't need special care | Needs special care | ## For Further Reading ## Rooting by dipping!! Dipping the tip of stem cuttings in solution containing plant hormones like auxin speeds up root formation. This practice is widely used now a days to enhance the success rate of vegetative propagation using stem cuttings. ## Which variety is better in terms of quality of fruits? Does indigenous variety have any advantages over Neelam variety? If a sapling is produced by joining the stem of Neelam mango with the young plant of indigenous variety, what specialities will it have? - Grows well in our soil - Yields mangoes of Neelam variety ## Let's see how such a sapling is produced. ## Grafting Choose a mango plant of Moovandan variety of six months to one-year. This plant with roots is called root stock. Cut a stem that has the same size as the root stock from a high yielding tree of Neelam variety. This is called scion. A stem which has newly formed buds should be selected as scion. Cut the root stock at 15cm from the bottom to join the scion. Make a 4cm deep cut along the centre of this root stock using a knife. Make tapered cuts on both sides at the bottom of the scion as shown in the figure. Insert the scion into the gap made in the root stock and bind it with a polythene tape. Once the scion gets joined with the stock and begins to grow, the sapling can be replanted at a more convenient place. | Root Stock | Scion | |:-----------|:------| | [Image] | [Image] | ## Grafting Grafting is a method of production of saplings by joining the stem of a superior quality plant with another plant that has roots and belongs to the same species. Plant that has roots selected for grafting is called root stock and the stem which is joined to it is called scion. # Class - VII ## What are the advantages of producing saplings through grafting? Discuss and write them in the Science Diary. - Early flowering and fruiting ## What is the reason for early flowering and fruiting of mango saplings produced through grafting? Will it take a longer period for fruiting if the stem selected as scion is not mature enough? ## Observe the picture given below. Haven't you seen the bud growing beneath the grafted area? Will the quality of the plant be affected if this bud is not removed? Write in the Science Diary. We have discussed the method of grafting the stem of Neelam mango tree with Moovandan mango tree. Is there any advantage in making a new mango variety by grafting the scion of a mature Moovandan mango tree with the root stock of another Moovandan mango tree? Isn't the stem used as scion here of the same age as the mother plant? Will it help in early fruiting? A sapling is to be produced in the same way using Malgoa and Gomav which is an indigenous variety of mango tree. Which should be the root stock? Which would be the scion? Write the reason for this in the Science Diary. ## Budding How about choosing a bud instead of the stem? Haven't you seen the rubber saplings for sale in nurseries? Look at the advertisement of saplings produced through budding. What are the advantages of these over the rubber saplings of native origin? How are saplings produced through budding? - Quality saplings at reasonable price - Higher productivity - Thicker latex # Basic Science ## Budding Here the bud of superior quality rubber plant is selected as scion instead of stem. This is joined with the stock. Budding is the method of producing superior quality planting material by joining the bud of a superior quality plant with another plant that has roots and belongs to the same species. Let's produce a sapling of a jack fruit tree in this way. ## Different steps of budding are given below. ### Stage 1 - Chisel off a bud along with the bark from the branch of a superior quality jack fruit tree. This is the scion. ### Stage 2 - Peel off bark from the area where the bud is to be inserted in the native jack fruit tree sapling (root stock) which is grown in a pot/growbag. ### Stage 3 - Attach the scion with a polythene tape to the area of the root stock from where the bark was removed, keeping the bud exposed. ### Stage 4 - When the bud starts to grow well, remove the upper portion of the stock. The sapling can be replanted in soil when the bud is grown. Have you understood the stages of budding? Grow a native rose plant in your Biodiversity Park in a similar way after budding it with different types of rose plants. We are now familiar with different methods for producing superior quality saplings. How can we produce better seeds? # ST-275-2-BASIC SCI. (E)-7-VOL-1 # Class - VII ## Hybridization Observe the pictures of chilli plants given below. | Variety 1 | Variety 2 | |:-----------|:-----------| | [Image] | [Image] | What are the characteristics of each plant? Write them in the Science Diary. If we can produce a chilli plant which has the qualities of both the varieties, what qualities will it have? Note them in the Science Diary. How can we produce such a sapling? Are the methods that we have learnt so far suitable for this? What if we can produce seeds that have qualities of both the plants? Seeds are formed through pollination. You are familiar with different types of pollination. Observe the illustration of pollination in a pumpkin plant. - [Image] Is it in self pollination or cross pollination that the qualities of both the plants are combined? Why? What kind of pollination should be carried out to produce a chilli plant that will have the qualities of both the chilli plants? If pollination takes place through insects, can we be sure that it happened between the chilli plants we have selected? If not, can cross pollination be done artificially? # Basic Science ## Artificial Pollination Examine the stages of artificial pollination shown below. - To prevent self pollination, remove stamens from the flowers in which artificial pollination is to be done. - The flower is wrapped well to prevent the pollen grains from other flowers falling on it. - Pollen grains from flowers of a plant belonging to the same species, but having different qualities, are collected using a brush. - Pollen grains thus collected are deposited on the stigma of the flower which is to be pollinated artificially. - The flower is wrapped again to prevent pollination from other flowers. When should these activities be performed? Put a tick mark. Discuss the reason. - Immediately after blooming - After the flower has fully bloomed ## Hybridization Hybridization is the method of production of seeds by artificially pollinating two plants which have different qualities and belong to the same species. From the seeds thus produced, those with superior quality are collected. These are the hybrid seeds. ## Let's get familiar with certain hybrid seeds. | Plant | Hybrid seeds | |:-------|:-------------| | Chilli | Ujjwala, Jwalamukhi | | Pea | Jyothika, Bhagyalakshmi | | Paddy | Pavithra, Annapoorna | | Coconut | Chandralaksha, Chandrasankara | | Lady's finger | Salkeerthi, Kiran | | Chandralaksha | Bhagyalakshmi | |:-----------------:|:----------------:| | [Image] | [Image] | It is in agricultural research centres that superior quality seeds are produced through hybridization. The seeds thus produced are distributed to farmers. ## Agricultural Research Centres - **Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Mannuthi,Thrissur** - Kerala Agricultural University is an important agricultural research centre in Kerala. The main activities are conducting researches on varieties of crops, animals, birds etc. and knowledge dissemination programmes. Regional research centres of Kerala Agricultural University are functioning in different parts of the state. - **Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Sreekaryam, Thiruvananthapuram** - Cultivation and researches on tuber crops are conducted here. - **Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), Kottayam** - Develops high yielding varieties of rubber plants suited for different geographical areas. - **Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod** - Conducts researches on coconut, arecanut and cocoa. - **CPCRI Kasaragod** Is there any agricultural research centre in your locality? Organize a study tour to an agricultural research centre or a plant nursery. Discuss the collected data in the classroom. ## Seed and Yield Listen to the conversation of children - This variety is Salkeerthi. See, the plant is full of fruits! Do you see that? - I had also planted Salkeerthi. But the yield is low. Both of them planted the same variety of lady's finger. Even then the yield from the plant of one child is low. What may be the reason? Can good quality seeds alone give a better yield? What other things are to be considered for a better yield? Write them in the Science Diary. - Fertile soil - Pest control # Class - VII ## Fertile soil Proper application of fertilizers is required for better yield. Which are the fertilizers commonly used by the farmers of your locality? List them after conducting an interview with farmers of your locality. - Cow dung - Urea ## Classify the fertilizers into organic and chemical by examining your list and the pictures given below. | Compost | NPK mixture | Bonemeal | |:---------|:-------------|:----------| | [Image] | [Image] | [Image] | | Chicken manure | | | | [Image] | | | | Organic Fertilizer | Chemical Fertilizer | |:--------------------|----------------------| | Cow dung | Urea | ## For Further Reading ## Father of Green Revolution Dr. M.S. Swaminathan is an agricultural scientist, known as Father of Green Revolution in India. He had developed high yielding seeds and popularized them among farmers and thereby achieved a leap in the area of food production. The efforts made by him helped to overcome poverty in most of the South East Asian countries. He was awarded with Magsaysay, World Food Prize and Padmabhushan. - [Image] - Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (1925-2023) The characteristics of organic fertilisers and chemical fertilizers are given in the table below. Analyze the table and record your observations in the Science Diary. | Organic fertilizers | Chemical fertilizers | |:--------------------|----------------------| | Obtained from organic matter | Produced from chemicals industrially | | Required in higher quantity | Required in lesser quantity | | Not harmful to soil | Excess use destroys soil structure | | Cannot be supplied as a single component | Components can be supplied as per requirement | **Organic and chemical fertilizers have their own merits and demerits. Farmers of our state follow a mixed method of applying more of organic fertilizers and lesser quantity of chemical fertilizers. Farmers also use microbial fertilizers for better yield.** ## For Further Reading ## Microbial Fertilizer In this method of application of fertilizer, microbes are used as fertilizers. Pseudomonas and Azospirillum are examples of microbial fertilizers. ## Pest Control Pest infestation in plants is a major issue faced by farmers. How can pest infestation be controlled? Listen to the conversation given below. - I spray chemical pesticide well. So not a single pest in my crops. - I spray tobacco decoction. I could control pests to some extent. - Pests can be controlled by using light trap too. - I love pests. I will eat as many as I can. Haven't you listen what each of them said? Write down the different methods of pest control in plants. ## Pest Control Measures ### Biological Control Lady bug is an insect which eats the pests that grow on plants. Trichogramma is another friendly insect of this kind. Similarly Frog, Mabuya, Calotes, Bug etc. feed on pests which infest crops. This kind of pest control is called biological control. When pesticides are applied, these friendly agents also get destroyed along with the pests. ### Mechanical Control Have you noticed the gold coloured fly which destroys the fruits of certain vegetable plants? Let's learn a trick to control these flies. Crush a handful of basil leaves and put it in a steel plate. Observe the plate after a while. Can you see the gold coloured flies approaching the plate, attracted by the smell of basil leaves? Vegetable plants can be protected by destroying these flies. This method of controlling pests by removing them manually or using traps is called mechanical control. Pheromone trap is an example for this. It is available in the market. ### Pesticides Pesticides are of two types: chemical pesticides and organic pesticides. #### Chemical pesticides These are pesticides prepared using chemical substances. #### Organic pesticides Organic pesticides are comparatively less harmful than chemical pesticides. Tobacco decoction, neem oil emulsion, garlic- kanthari (Chilli) mixture etc. are some organic pesticides. Many organic pesticides are available in the market nowadays. Let's prepare an organic pesticide. ##### Tobacco Decoction Chop 100 gram of tobacco and soak it in one and half litres of water for a day. Squeeze it and filter it. Dissolve 10 gram of washing soap in it. Tobacco decoction is ready now. Dilute it by adding twice the quantity of water and spray on plants. ## Shouldn't weeds also be controlled for getting a good yield?How can weeds be controlled? Write in the Science Diary. - Application of weedicides. ## For Further Reading ### Artificial Intelligence and Agriculture Technology based on Artificial Intelligence is being used nowadays to detect pests and to destroy them using lasers. The advantage is that it is not harmful to the environment. Suitable climate also influences agriculture. Therefore, we need to cultivate crops that are suitable to the climate. So far we have discussed various factors which help in getting better yield. Hope you will consider them while farming. - I too want to become a good farmer. Where shall I farm? - Kitchen garden at home - Terrace - Vegetable garden in the school - Biodiversity Park in the school Which are the methods you have learnt so far to produce saplings? Hope you will try to develop the Biodiversity Park in your school by producing high quality saplings through these methods. Record the activities you have done for this in the Science Diary. # Name: # Class: # My Green Diary | Saplings I have produced | Method of production | July-August | September-October | November-December | |:----------------------------------|:---------------------------------|:----------------:|---------------------|:--------------------| # Other Agricultural Sectors Does agriculture mean growing plants alone? Analyse the illustration given below. Find out various agricultural sectors and write them in the Science Diary. Collect maximum information related to this and conduct a quiz in your class. - **Sericulture** (Rearing Silkworm) - **Pisciculture** (Rearing Fish) - **Rearing Cattle** - **Rearing Livestock** - **Floriculture** (Growing Flowers) - **Apiculture** (Rearing Honeybee) - **Rearing Rabbits** - **Poultry Farming** - **Cultivating Mushroom** - **Cuniculture** (Rearing Rabbits) Hope you have understood different agricultural practices, preparation of high quality seeds and planting material, aspects to be considered in farm management and other agricultural sectors. Let's love farming and farmers and move ahead with modern agricultural practices. # Basic Science ## Let's Assess 1. Identify the statement which does not suit organic fertilizers. - Can be prepared at home - **Required in large quantities** - Destroy soil structure - Can't apply the required component alone 2. Match the following - Apiculture - Rearing of fish - **Cuniculture - Rearing of silkworm** - Sericulture - Rearing of honey bees - Pisciculture - Rearing of rabbits 3. You have learned about layering. - Identify the type of layering shown in the figure. - While layering in this way, at which position should we cut the plant, A, B or C? - [Image] 4. Look at the picture. - Identify stock and scion from A and B. - [Image] - What is the advantage of attaching the stem of Malgoa to the local variety of mango tree? - Is there any merit in attaching the stem of a local variety of mango tree to the same variety? 5. List different methods of pest control. Give examples for each type. ## Extended Activities 1. Prepare an agricultural edition on the topic 'Agriculture : Yesterday and Today' by including proverbs and pictures related to agriculture and information collected from farmers. 2. Observe the picture. In some places, plastics is used for mulching in farms. Record its benefits in your Science Diary. - [Image]