2,568 bytes added
, 13:16, 2 December 2007
[[Image:Propagation-system.jpg|thumb|250px|''Example of an Automated Propagation System <ref>Winterborne J, 2005. ''Hydroponics - Indoor Horticulture'' [http://www.hydroponicist.com]</ref>]]''
'''Plant propagation''' is the process of artificially or naturally propagating (distributing or spreading) [[plant]]s.
==Sexual propagation (seed)==
[[Seed]]s and [[spore]]s can be used for reproduction. Seeds are typically produced from [[Plant sexuality|sexual]] reproduction within a species, since [[genetic recombination]] has occurred plants grown from seed may have different characteristics to its parents. Some species produce seed that requires special conditions to [[germination|germinate]] like [[Stratification (botany)|cold treatment]]. The seed of many [[Australian flora|Australian plants]] and plants from southern [[Africa]] and the [[United States|American]] west require smoke or fire to germinate. Some plant species, including many [[tree]]s do not produce seed until they reach maturity, which may take many years. Seed can be difficult to acquire and some plants do not produce seed at all.
See [[germination]] for fuller discussion.
==Asexual propagation==
Plants have a number of mechanisms for asexual or [[vegetative reproduction]]. Some of these have been taken advantage of by [[Horticulture|horticulturists]] and gardeners to multiply or [[cloning|clone]] plants rapidly. People also use methods that plants do not use, such as [[tissue culture]] and grafting. Plants are produced using material from a single parent and as such there is no exchange of genetic material, therefore vegetative propagation methods almost always produces plants that are identical to the parent. Vegetative reproduction uses vegetative plants parts or roots, stems and leaves. Therefore, propagation via asexual seeds or [[apomixis]] is asexual reproduction but not vegetative propagation.
Techniques for vegetative propagation include:
*Air or ground [[layering]]
*[[Division (horticulture)|Division]]
*[[Grafting]] and [[budding| bud grafting]], widely used in [[fruit tree propagation]]
*[[Micropropagation]]
*[[Stolon]]s or runners
*[[Storage organ]]s such as [[bulb]]s, [[corm]]s, [[tuber]]s and [[rhizome]]s
*[[Cutting (plant)|Striking]] or cuttings
*[[Twin-scaling]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/mg/manual/prop.htm Ohio State University Extension- Plant propagation]
*[http://grow.ars-informatica.ca/ Grow'Em Plant Propagation Database]
==See also==
*[[Clonal colony]]
*[[Fruit tree propagation]]