Growing plants artificially or Artificial propagation

In this work we will be looking at the some of the different methods that humans use to increase the number of plants artificially At the end of the work you should have had practical experience in growing plants artificially have knowledge of a number of methods to grow plants artificially be able to explain how and why plants are grown artificially

Artificial propagation Artificial propagation is used to increase the number of plants using ways that plants cannot naturally use Artificial propagation makes use of the facts that plants have growing points and under the right conditions these points can be wounded and this will encourage the plant to grow either new roots or leaves

The growing points in plants Naturally plants grow at specific points. These are root and shoots tips But they also include buds, nodes and stems These can be used to grow plants artificially

The growing points in plants shoot tip bud node side branch stem leaf stalk root tip

Cuttings Cuttings can be used to artificially propagate plants. These include stem and leaf cuttings. Stem cuttings can be taken from plants like geranium or wandering sailor Leaf cuttings can be taken from plants like Begonia or African violet

Taking stem cuttings The stem is cut just below a node. The lower leaves are removed to prevent water loss The cutting is placed in water or compost to produce roots Your teacher will now demonstrate this

Leaf cutting The leaf is removed from the plant and placed on compost. The leaf will begin to grow roots and eventually becomes a new plant identical to the parent.

Plants produced naturally by asexual reproduction or artificially by leaf or stem cuttings will be clones of their parents. What does this mean? How might being a clone effect the offspring?

Care of plants When growing plants what are some important factors to control? How might these factors be controlled when growing plants using artificial propagation techniques ?

Controlling temperature Heaters controlled by thermostats are used to provide warmth Warmth encourages root and shoot growth Care must be taken not to dry the plants out too much Warmth can also encourage diseases like fungi, when combined with moisture

Reducing water loss In artificial propagation it is important to control water loss from the new plant This can be done by: Removing lower leaves on cuttings Covering the new plants with a plastic bag Putting the new plants in a propagator Using misting sprays

Quiz What is a node? Where should a cutting be taken? Why are the lower leaves removed? Why are the upper leaves and buds left? Why keep cuttings in the shade not full sun? Why keep cuttings suitably moist and warm? What is a disadvantage of too much warmth and moisture? 8. Name some plants that can be artificially propagated using cuttings.