Vegetative Propagation: Meaning, Types and Examples

Vegetative Propagation, also referred to as vegetative reproduction, vegetative multiplication or cloning, is an asexual reproduction that takes place in all vascular plants. Through this process, a new plant grows from a fragment of the parent plant or specialised reproductive structures like rhizome, tuber, corn, scion or bulb. 

• Natural and artificial propagation are the two means of vegetative reproduction in plants. 
• Grafting, cutting, and layering falls under the category of artificial vegetative propagation. 

Define Vegetative Propagation

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The living organisms reproduce either sexually or asexually. Asexual reproduction is the process by which an organism reproduces its offspring without the involvement of the male and the female gametes. It takes place through the Binary Fission in Spirogyra, Regeneration in Planaria, Budding in Hydra, and Vegetative propagation in the plants.

Fig: Vegetative Propagation

Vegetative Propagation occurs through the means of the roots, stems, and leaves of the plants. So basically, a whole new plant could be generated through existing different parts of the plants. The plants like Banana, Sweet potato, Cassava, and pineapple propagate vegetatively. This process may vary within various plant systems, meaning, it is not necessary that every plant could grow through roots only, or leaves only, the process is very unique to the plant species.

Types of Vegetative Propagation

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1. Natural Vegetative Propagation
2. Artificial Vegetative Propagation

Natural Vegetative Propagation

This type of vegetative propagation occurs naturally, that is without any human intervention. Every plant is unique because of the adaptations or modifications acquired by it due to the environmental conditions around it. Hence, in some plants, the roots can vegetatively propagate, while in others the stem can propagate vegetatively. Let’s look at the various plant parts involved in natural vegetative propagation:

• Roots: Tubers (modified roots) help in the propagation of a whole new plant from the parent plant. For example, Dahlia (tubers).
• Stem: Runners (Modified Stem) have buds at the nodes that can give rise to a completely new plant. Mint runners propagate vegetatively into a new plant.
• Leaves: The vegetative propagation occurs through the leaves of that plant bearing a special character. For example, Bryophyllum.
• Bulbs: Few plants develop a bulbous shoot. These bulbs help in the vegetative propagation of that plant species. For example, onions, Garlic, etc.

Artificial Vegetative propagation

This type of propagation involves human intervention. We use the following mentioned techniques to artificially grow the plants for selling, manufacturing of different plant products, and many other purposes. These techniques are used by the farmers to cultivate and even mix the plant breeds. These methods are:

Tissue Culture

• Plants have the characteristic of totipotency. Basically, it is the tendency of a single cell of the plant to grow into a whole new plant. 
• Scientists take advantage of this property of plants in order to increase the production of the plants. 
• This type of technique is used when the conditions are not favorable for plants to grow in the outdoor atmosphere. 
• It is also useful in culturing the endangered species of various plants. For example, potatoes and Sugarcane.

Grafting

• This method is widely used by farmers to produce a variety of plant characteristics from different plants into one. 
• Basically, a stem from one plant is placed on the stem of the other plant to form a hybrid.
• Here, the stem of plant A bears a cut on the surface, such that the inner cortex is visible. 
• The stem of Plant B is cut from it and its end is duly attached to the cut surface of Plant A and these are covered with plastic, tightly. 
• A few days after this procedure, one might have a plant with a stem bearing mixed characteristics of both the plants. Mostly, Apples and Pears are grown by this method.

Cutting

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• In this technique, the plant part, especially the shoot or the root part, is cleaved. 
• A slanting cut is provided to these stems to increase the surface area for even more absorption of water. 
• A few days after conducting these procedures, one must observe the growth of the adventitious root on the end of the stem. 
• At times, some growth hormones are applied to increase the rate of growth taking place in the plant. Roses are grown by using this method.

Layering

• In this method, a deep rectangular cut is provided to the plant stem, so deep that it reaches the outer pericycle of the vascular bundles. 
• Above the surface of this cut, a moist moss is placed and the whole stem is covered with it. 
• The plastic is wrapped around this stem part, in order to retain moisture. 
• This procedure is a type of Air-layering, done mostly in case of the woody plants. 
• The other technique is soil layering, wherein the extended plant stem is bent downward and buried under the soil. 
• This technique will help in the growth of adventitious roots on the buried part of the stem. Examples: Boxwood, Honeysuckle, Wax myrtle, etc.