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💡 Farming with copies
If a mango tastes perfect, a farmer does not want a lottery of seedlings — they want that exact tree, again and again. Vegetative methods make identical copies on demand.
How is vegetative propagation helpful in agriculture?
- It produces genetically identical plants, so desirable qualities are kept.
- Scientists and horticulturists use cutting, grafting, layering and tissue culture .
- These methods let farmers efficiently propagate plants and cultivate desirable crops on a large scale .
NCERT Question 9 — A farmer wants to produce
A farmer wants to produce a large number of genetically identical plants quickly. Suggest suitable reproduction methods and explain why they are effective.
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NCERT Question 7 — Why do vegetatively propagated plants
Why do vegetatively propagated plants tend to be more vulnerable to diseases than sexually reproduced plants?
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In this Activity, we will explore the technique of cutting by preparing shoot cuttings and planting them to grow new plants.
- Interact with gardeners or farmers and observe cutting, grafting and layering; record your observations.
- Collect cuttings of the shoots in the morning for planting.
- Remove leaves from the lower half of each cutting.
- Insert the cuttings up to about half their length in soil mixed with compost, at an angle of about 45–60° from the surface (Fig. 11.2).
- Water them regularly and observe the change, if any.
What we observe
The planted cuttings develop roots and grow into
new plants
that are identical to the parent — a simple method of vegetative propagation.
What is grafting?
- A healthy rooted plant ( Plant A ) is joined to a stem piece of another variety ( Plant B ).
- A slit or wound is made on a twig of Plant A, and the cutting of Plant B is fitted into it (Fig. 11.3).
- The join is protected until it heals; Plant B then grows on the roots of Plant A.
What is layering?
- A flexible thin twig of a tree or shrub (such as lemon) is chosen.
- Its middle part is buried in the soil while still attached to the parent (Fig. 11.4).
- After 10–15 days roots develop on the buried part; the rooted twig is then cut off to grow as a new plant.
🌎 Bridging Science and Society
- Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) work under ICAR across India.
- They give farmers vocational skills in modern grafting.
- This helps them grow high-yield fruits.
- Farmers also learn marketing strategies and government programmes.
- Together these boost the farmers’ income.
🌎 Bridging Science and Society
- Tissue culture has revolutionised farming, as in banana farming.
- Healthy plantlets are mass-produced from the shoot tip (apical meristem).
- This helps eliminate virus-infected plants.
- It ensures high yields for the farmer.
- It is an example of asexual reproduction in plants.
