MODES OF REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS

Reproduction is the process by which living organisms produce their own kind.
Roots, stems and leaves are the vegetative parts of the plant as they are not
involved in reproduction. Flowers are involved in reproduction, hence they are the
reproductive parts of a plant. Plants show two modes of reproduction which ar as
follows:
a. Asexual reproduction
b. Sexual reproduction

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
The process of multiplication of plants that does not involve fusion of male and
female gametes is called asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction in plants takes
place in two ways:
● Naturally
● Artificially

Natural Methods

Fragmentation​:
In this method the body of the parent organism breaks into 'fragments' and each
fragment can grow to function as a new individual. For example; Algae like
Oscillatoria and Spirogyra are reproduced by fragmentation. This type of
reproduction happens naturally where a small part of the plant falls off onto soil and
then begins to grow up into a new plant. This mode is often used by nurseries and
greenhouses to produce plants quickly.
 Fragmentation in Algae

Budding:

Some simple organisms reproduce by producing small outgrowths from their body.
These outgrowths are called Buds. They are formed by an accumulation of cellular
material at one end of the cell. The buds gradually grow and get detached from the
parent cell and form a new organism. For example, yeast, hydra.

Reproduction in yeast by budding

Spore formation:
A spore is an asexual unicellular reproductive body, surrounded by a hard protective
cover to withstand unfavourable conditions such as high temperature and low
humidity. Under favourable conditions, the spores germinate and grow into new
plants. Plants like moss, fungi and ferns use this mode of reproduction.

Reproduction through spore formation in fungus

Vegetative propagation:
In some plants, any vegetative part of a plant such as the root, stem or leaf can give
rise to a new plant. This type of asexual reproduction is called vegetative
propagation. Vegetative propagation can take place naturally and can also be
carried out by artificial means.

Vegetative propagation by natural means:

Vegetative propagation by roots- The roots of dahlia and asparagus are swollen.
When the roots of these are buried in the soil and watered, they give rise to new
plants. Modified roots like carrot, turnip, radish and sweet potato can also produce
new plants.

Vegetative reproduction by stems- Stem is the most commonly used part for
vegetative propagation.
Underground stems:

Tuber- An underground stem which is swollen due to the storage of food is known
as a tuber. Potato is a tuber. The scars on its surface are known as eyes. The eyes
have buds, which give rise to new plants.

Bulb - A bulb is also an underground stem. It is surrounded by thick scales which

are actually modified leaves. A bulb grows into a new plant. Onion and garlic are
bulbs.

Rhizome - Underground stems like ginger and turmeric are known as rhizomes.
They have buds from which outgrowths are produced. The outgrowths grow to
become new plants.

Vegetative Propagation by leaves: Leaves of some plants like bryophyllum and

begonia possess buds on their margins. These buds develop into new plant.
Vegetative propagation by artificial means:
Plants can also be made to reproduce vegetatively by artificial methods. The
process of development of new plants using artificial methods is known as artificial
propagation. Some of the artificial methods are described as follows:

Grafting: This method is commonly used to develop new varieties of fruit plants like
guava and mango and flowers like rose. It involves two plants- one known as scion
and the other called stock. The root portion is taken from the stock while the stem
portion is obtained from scion. Scion is a twig or bud placed over the cut stem of
another plant which is known as stock. Scion and stock are tied together tightly.
Their tissues, at the point of the joint, form a continuous strand. The stock, which
has an extensive root system, provides water and nutrients to the scion.
Grafting is a method used to develop new varieties by combining two plants with
different features. For example, by grafting a disease-resistant variety to a
high-yielding variety, a new species can be developed which would have common
features of both the varieties.
Layering: In this method, a lower branch of the plant is bent to the ground level and
covered with damp soil. Roots grow from the covered branch after a few days.
When the branch is cut from the parent plant, it develops into an individual plant.
This method is commonly used for artificial propagation of jasmine, bougainvillea
and strawberry.

Cutting: A small cut portion of the stem of a plant bearing at least one leaf node is
known as a cutting. When a cutting is placed in moist soil under suitable conditions,
roots and leaves develop a node. Thus, cuttings can give rise to new plants.
Rose, sugarcane and cactus are propagated through stem cuttings. Lemon and
tamarind also develop into new plants when placed in damp soil.
Tissue culture- The root tip and stem tip of plants are made up of immature rapidly
dividing cells. When tissues containing such portions of the plant are grown in a
suitable medium, under suitable nutrient conditions, they develop into new plants.
The nutrient medium consists of nutrients and hormones which induces cell division.
The tissue grows into an unorganised mass. They are then kept in another medium
which induces the formation of new plantlets. These plantlets are transplanted in the
soil. The method is also known as micropropagation. Tissue culture produces
innumerable plants in short span of time, hence it is used to propagate new varieties
of disease-resistant orchids, gladiolus, chrysanthemum, potato, sugarcane.

Advantages of vegetative propagation:

● Vegetative propagation is very useful for plant growers as they can get large
quantities of new plants in a short time without having to wait for seeds to
develop.
● The newly reproduced plant has the exact characters as that of their parent
plant.
● Fruit without seed, disease and drought resistant plants can be produced
using these methods.
● It is easy to produce new varieties of plants with the required characteristics.
● Vegetative plants grow faster than the plants grown from seeds and need less
attention during early stages of growth.