Question

What is meant by the term 'artificial propagation of plants'?

Answer 1

Artificial reproduction/propagation is the creation of new life by other than the natural means available to an organism. Cutting plants' stems and placing them in compost is also a form of artificial reproduction. The process of growing many plants from one plant by man-made methods is called artificial propagation of plants. A number of methods of artificial propagation of plants are used in agriculture (for raising crops), and horticulture (cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers). The three common methods for the artificial propagation of plants are; cuttings, layering, and grafting. A branch of the plant is pulled towards the ground and a part of it is covered with moist soil leaving the tip of the branch exposed above the ground is called layering. In cutting, the stem is cut that care of the nodal region and the part where the cut the made is planted in the soil. Grafting is a method in which the cut stems of two different plants are joined together in such a way that the two stems join and grow as a single plant. This new plant will have the characteristics of both the original plants.