John Ivan I.

Pasquil

AB-5R

EXER 4

ASEXUAL PROPAGATION AND NURSERY PRACTICES

1. Define or describe the following terms:

A. Nursery – a place where plants are grown and propagated for transplanting, for use as
stocks for budding and grafting, or for sale.
B. Balling – digging the seedlings with ball of soil still intact with roots
C. Hardening – the process of gradually acclimatizing greenhouse or indoor plants to
outdoor temperature, and growing conditions.
D. Bagging or potting – transplanting to individual bags or pots with soil containing nutrients

E. Scion – a detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant which is
grafted onto the stock
F. Rootstock – a part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground
growth can be produced.
2. Complete the following table.
Modified plant part Definition or description Examples
A. Bulb Fleshy leaves or leaf bases Onion, garlic, lily
that function as food storage
organs during dormancy.
B. Bulbil Plantlets formed on the axils Agave, tulip, garlic
of the leaves on flower stalk.
C. Corm Underground solid Banana, gabi, abaca
structures having nodes and
internodes.
D. Cormel Plantlets that arise from Taro, banana, yam
stem.
E. Crown Leafy shoots that arise from Pineapple
the top of a fruit.
 F. Plantlet Small plants that arise from Katakataka, dendrobium,
leaves that may be grown as phalaenopsis
a new plant.
G. Rhizome A modified stem growing Ginger, arrowroot, heliconia
horizontally underground.
H. Rootstock Can refer to a rhizome or Mango, tamarind, santol
underground stem.
I. Runner Specialized stems which arise Strawberry, blackpepper,
from the leaf axils and form fern
roots on their own.
J. Slip Leafy shoots that arise from Pineapple
axillary bud at the base of
the fruit.
K. Sucker Adventitious leafy shoots Banana, abaca, anthurium
that arise from the stem base
or below the ground.
L. Tuber Underground thickened stem Potato, cassava, taro
with numerous buds called
eyes.
M. Tuberous root Modified roots that serve as Radish, singkamas, winged
main storage organ of the bean
plant.

3. What will happen to the plant’s vascular bundles if a dull knife is used in graftage or
cuttage?

The dull knife will cause a lot of tissue damage, and the graft or cut will not heal properly.

4. What are some of the desirable characteristics that should be considered in the
selection of rootstock?

 Resistant to present and potential soil pests.

 Suitable for the soil’s texture, depth, and fertility.
  Compatible with soil chemistry.
 Favored for the anticipated soil and water availability, drainage, and irrigation practice.
 Appropriate for the fruiting variety’s grown and fruiting characteristics.
 Properly grown and healthy.
 Well-developed root system.

5. Give physical or visual descriptions of the cambium layer. Discuss why it is scraped
off in marcotting. However, in graftage, effort is taken that the cambium layer of
the stock and the scion matches?

The cambium is a thin formative layer between the xylem and phloem of most vascular plants
that give rise to new cells and responsible for secondary growth.

Because in marcotting, the wound is prevented from healing and from the reconnecting of the
upper and lower barks. Additionally, the cambium layer is scraped off in order to expose the
pericycle which is the site of lateral root formation. While in grafting, the stock and scion should
match so that they will regenerate as one.

6. What is polarity and why is it important in plant propagation?

Polarity is the ability of the plant to maintain their spatial orientation when separated from the
mother plant.

It is important in plant propagation because it prevents error in the direction of growth of the
plant. For example in grafting, the scion, which came from another plant, follows the orientation of
its new mother plant or the rootstock.

7. In relation to crop protection, what is the distinct advantage of tissue culture over
other methods of asexual propagation?

The plant is grown in a controlled and favorable environment compared to the other methods
of asexual propagation. Because of this, asexual propagation is more prone to infection and diseases
than the tissue culture. Thus, tissue culture is more advantageous than the other methods of asexual
propagation.
 Narrative Report

We potted three sets of seedlings in a black plastic bags. We collected soil that are already
prepared with its mixture with the coirdust, which is beneficial for the seedlings. We are taught on how
to fill up the bags and to plant the seedlings properly. It is quite easy because all we had to do is to fill
the bags with soil and transplant the seedlings.

After transplanting, we had a practicum in performing cleft drafting on a mango plant. Each of
us are given a scion, rootstock, a knife, and a plastic sheet. I cut the rootstock above that part where the
union is to occur. After that, I cut the terminal part of the rootstock to form a vertical “v” shape where
the scion will be attached. I covered the scion with a plastic sheet, leaving the terminal bud and its other
end. I cut the basal end of the scion into a wedge, or a long “V” shape with the knife. It is difficult
because I’m afraid of the knife and I’m not that great in using it. The caretakers noted that the vascular
tissues should not be touched to prevent infection that may inhibit its regeneration and growth. After
that, I made a vertical slit in the center of the root stock and inserted the wedge if the scion and finally
cover the grafted shoot with the plastic sheets.

After grafting, we went to the demonstration on tissue culture. We are taught on the basic
principles of tissue culture and transplanting the plantlets to another media. We also had a practicum in
transplanting the plantlets. We went inside the nursery. The place is clean and we are instructed not to
wear our shoes or slippers inside the room. The instruction is to transfer at least 15 plantlets to another
medium. It is slightly easy, but you should be careful about the environment. The key is to always
sterilize the opening of the containers, and the long spoon to prevent contamination and infection of
the medium.