Introduction to basic
principles of plant
propagation
Concept 1.1 : Why do we propagate ?
Agriculture:
Def: The cultivation of crops and animals for use by humans.
5 Main processes:
1. Plant selection.
2. Plant propagation.
3. Crop production.
4. Postharvest crop handling & storage.
5. Food & product technology.
Reasons for plant propagation:
General principle: Any product that contains plant components needs plants that were
propagated and cultivated.
For food.
For products that give us pleasure.
For health benefits.
For building material.
For clothing.
Why do we need new plants:
- Better looking.
- Better tasting.
- Superior nutrition.
- Disease resistance.
- Soil adaptability.
- Flowering time
- Adapted to specific climate.
- Drought resistance.
- Higher productivity
,Different industries:
Fruit industry.
Vegetables.
Field crops.
Cut flower industry.
Ornamentals & Landscaping.
Summary:
We propagate to get more of improved plants that originated from plant breeding and
selection. Propagation is needed to make them available on large scale so that humans can
use the propagated plants.
,Concept 1.2: The cultivar vs species idea and legally
protecting your cultivar.
Plant propagation and breeding involve plant selection
- Two ways of getting a new cultivar:
Selection
Breeding
- Propagation of plants after selection to multiply
Role of a plant breeder:
- Recreate patterns of genetic variation.
- Select new plants that is useful to humans.
Role of a propagator:
- Multiplication of the selected cultivars
- Maintain the genetic characteristics of the original population
Species vs Cultivar:
Species: Natural grouping of plants within a genus that can be recognized and reproduced
as a unit (can freely interbreed with each other)
Cultivar: a group of plants that originated in cultivation, are unique from other cultivars and
similar in appearance and whose characteristics are maintained during propagation.
Rules of cultivar writing to get variety listing:
1. Must have arisen in cultivation.
2. Must have clear distinguishing characteristics (unique).
3. Must be similar.
4. Characteristics must be retained during propagation.
Protecting your cultivar:
- Patent A
- PVPA
- Trademarks
- Utility Patents
, Nomenclature:
Taxonomic hierarchy
Family
Genus
Species
cultivar
Choices of reproduction:
There are two ways of propagation: Sexual and Asexual.
Sexual Asexual
Recombination of DNA No recombination of DNA
Each one different Each one identical
Asexual propagation of plants:
Asexual
No Meiosis
No recombination of DNA
No fertilization No seeds
All offspring from the same mother plant
Offspring = same genotype and look the same genotype and look the same as the parent.
principles of plant
propagation
Concept 1.1 : Why do we propagate ?
Agriculture:
Def: The cultivation of crops and animals for use by humans.
5 Main processes:
1. Plant selection.
2. Plant propagation.
3. Crop production.
4. Postharvest crop handling & storage.
5. Food & product technology.
Reasons for plant propagation:
General principle: Any product that contains plant components needs plants that were
propagated and cultivated.
For food.
For products that give us pleasure.
For health benefits.
For building material.
For clothing.
Why do we need new plants:
- Better looking.
- Better tasting.
- Superior nutrition.
- Disease resistance.
- Soil adaptability.
- Flowering time
- Adapted to specific climate.
- Drought resistance.
- Higher productivity
,Different industries:
Fruit industry.
Vegetables.
Field crops.
Cut flower industry.
Ornamentals & Landscaping.
Summary:
We propagate to get more of improved plants that originated from plant breeding and
selection. Propagation is needed to make them available on large scale so that humans can
use the propagated plants.
,Concept 1.2: The cultivar vs species idea and legally
protecting your cultivar.
Plant propagation and breeding involve plant selection
- Two ways of getting a new cultivar:
Selection
Breeding
- Propagation of plants after selection to multiply
Role of a plant breeder:
- Recreate patterns of genetic variation.
- Select new plants that is useful to humans.
Role of a propagator:
- Multiplication of the selected cultivars
- Maintain the genetic characteristics of the original population
Species vs Cultivar:
Species: Natural grouping of plants within a genus that can be recognized and reproduced
as a unit (can freely interbreed with each other)
Cultivar: a group of plants that originated in cultivation, are unique from other cultivars and
similar in appearance and whose characteristics are maintained during propagation.
Rules of cultivar writing to get variety listing:
1. Must have arisen in cultivation.
2. Must have clear distinguishing characteristics (unique).
3. Must be similar.
4. Characteristics must be retained during propagation.
Protecting your cultivar:
- Patent A
- PVPA
- Trademarks
- Utility Patents
, Nomenclature:
Taxonomic hierarchy
Family
Genus
Species
cultivar
Choices of reproduction:
There are two ways of propagation: Sexual and Asexual.
Sexual Asexual
Recombination of DNA No recombination of DNA
Each one different Each one identical
Asexual propagation of plants:
Asexual
No Meiosis
No recombination of DNA
No fertilization No seeds
All offspring from the same mother plant
Offspring = same genotype and look the same genotype and look the same as the parent.
