vegetative propagation

• vegetative propagation involves asexual methods of reproduction in plants
• vegetative reproduction does not involve seeds or the fusion of gametes
• vegetative propagation allows plants to be produced much faster than sexual reproduction
• examples of vegetative propagation

  stem (runners)

  roots (root tubers)

  leaves (plantlets)

  buds (bulbs)
• stem

  runners are stems that grow above the ground and from which new plants grow e.g. strawberries
• root

  swollen underground root from which new plants grow e.g. dahila tuber
• leaf


  leaves of some plants will form a new plant if they become detached from original plant e.g. mother of thousands
• bud


  bulbs are modified buds e.g. onions
• vegetative propagation is asexual reproduction in plants
• artificial vegetative propagation

  layering

  grafting

  cuttings

  micropropagation
• cuttings


  a portion of the plant is removed from the parent plant and grow into a new independent plant
• layering


  the growth of a new plant from a stem that is still attached to the parents plant
• grafting


  the joining of part of one plant with a second plant
• micropropagation (tissue culture)


  the growth of plants from small pieces of tissue under sterile conditions on an artificial medium
• sexual reproduction 


  advantages: variation, more disease resistant

  disadvantages: variation, less disease resistant
• vegetative proagation

  advantages: no variation, fast process

  disadvantages: no variation, more prone to disease