We all know that one of the main characteristics of living beings is that they can give birth to their young ones. This process is known as reproduction. The production of offspring from a single parent is known as asexual reproduction.

Asexual reproduction occurs mostly in unicellular organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, etc., plants like fungi, Bryophyllum, and certain multicellular animals like amoeba and hydra.

Definition: The reproduction that involves only a single parent is called asexual reproduction.

There are different methods of asexual reproduction such as-

● Binary Fission
● Budding
● Fragmentation
● Regeneration
● Vegetative Propagation

Binary Fission and Budding:

Binary Fission: In this type of asexual reproduction, the organism reproduces by dividing itself into two individuals. For example as in the case of amoeba. We know that amoeba is a single-cell organism. So it has a single nucleus.

● During the process of reproduction its nucleus divides itself into two nuclei, followed by the division of its body in two parts each receiving nuclei.
● Finally, two amoebae are produced from the parent amoeba.
● Since here one cell is breaking into two cells, it is called binary fission.

Budding: In budding, a small part of the body of the parent organism grows out as a bud, which then detaches and becomes a new organism. The asexual reproduction by budding is observed in hydra and yeast.

During this process, a bud develops as an outgrowth due to repeated cell divisions at one specific site. These buds develop into tiny individuals and when fully mature, they get detached from the parent body and become new independent individuals.

Vegetative Propagation

There are many plants whose parts such as root, stem and leaves develop into new plants under appropriate conditions.

Methods of vegetative propagation are:-

1. Cutting
2. Layering
3. Grafting
4. Plant Tissue Culture

Vegetative Propagation: Layering

A small vegetative part of a plant removed by making a cut with a sharp knife is called a cutting. A cutting maybe a piece of stem, root, or even a leaf. while making a cut, care should be taken to see that there are some buds on it.

Stem cutting is commonly used for the propagation of grapes, rose, sugarcane, etc. In this method, a cutting off the parent plant (stem or shoot) having some buds on it is taken and its lower part is buried in the moist soil. After a few days, the cutting develops roots and grows into a new plant. Buds of potato and leaves of Bryophyllum are also used for cutting. The new plant formed by cutting is exactly similar to the parent plant.

Vegetative Propagation: Layering

In this method, 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. After some time, when new roots develop from the branch buried in the soil, the branch is detached from the parent plant. Jasmine plant is propagated by the layering method.

Vegetative propagation: Grafting

In grafting, parts of two plants are joined in such a way that they grow as one plant. Grafting is done between the two closely related dicotyledonous plants. The part of the plant having roots is called the stock. Stock is generally the lower part of the plant. The other part of the plant which is grafted on the stock is called the scion.

During grafting about 4-12 inches long scion is placed on the cut end of the stock and tied in such a way that the cambium, better understood as the vascular system of the two come in contact with each other. The joint is covered with a layer of grafting wax or clay to check entry of air or pathogen.

Vegetative propagation: Plant tissue culture

It is a technique in which plant cells, tissue, or any other part of the plant is grown on an artificial medium under controlled aseptic conditions. This technique is used in the vegetative propagation of endangered, medicinally important, and ornamental plants.

Advantage of vegetative propagation:

1. Plants raised by vegetative propagation can bear flowers & fruits earlier than those produced from seeds.
2. The method helps in the propagation of plants that have lost the capacity to produce seeds such as banana, orange, rose, etc.
3. The plants produced by this method are genetically similar enough to the parent plant and thus exhibit all its morphological characteristics.

Read More: Sexual Reproduction In Plants: Process, Pollination, and Dispersion