NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

CHAPTER 5:
PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES
OF PROPAGATION BY
CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

SUBTOPICS
No
5.1 Principles of propagation by cuttings
5.1.1 Rooting of cuttings
5.1.2 Anatomical and physiological basis of rooting
5.2 Types of cutting
5.2.1 Stem cuttings, root cuttings and leaf cuttings
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

5.1
Principles of propagation by cuttings
5.1.1 Rooting of cuttings
5.1.2 Anatomical and physiological basis of rooting
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

ROOTING OF CUTTINGS
• Adventitious roots must take place if new plants are to be
regenerated from root pieces
• Root cutting first produces an adventitious shoot and later
produces roots
• Well-developed root system has formed by the time the first
shoots appear
• New roots may not always be adventitious and can develop
from latent lateral root initials contained in the root piece or
attached lateral roots
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

ROOTING OF CUTTINGS
Adventitious root formation Adventitious shoot formation
• Roots that arise on aerial • Arise from plant part
plant parts, underground other than terminal,
stems and old root shoot lateral or latent buds on
• formation depends on stem
plant cells to • formation depends on
dedifferentiate and plant cells to
develop into either a dedifferentiate and
root or shoot system develop into either a
root or shoot system
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

WOUND INDUCED ROOTS

• Wound induced roots develops only after the cutting is made
• Wounding response is the subsequent wound response and
root regeneration process includes 3 steps:
1. The outer injured cells die, a necrotic plate forms, the wound is
sealed with a corky material (suberin) and the xylem may plug
with the gum. The plate protects the cut surface from
desiccation and pathogens.
2. Living cells behind this plate begin to divide after a few days
and a layer of parenchyma cells form callus which develops into
a wound periderm.
3. Certain cells in the vicinity of the vascular cambium and
phloem begin to divide and initiate new adventitious roots.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

ADVENTITIOUS ROOT FORMATION

• The developmental changes that occur in new adventitious
root formation can generally be divided into 4 stages:
1. Dedifferentiation of specific dedifferentiated cells.
2. Formation of root initials from certain cell near vascular
bundles or vascular tissues which have become meristematic
by dedifferentiation.
3. Subsequent development of root initials into organized root
primordia.
4. Growth and emergence of the root primordia outward through
other stem tissue plus the formation of vascular tissues
between the root primordia and the vascular tissues of the
cutting
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

Types and usage of plant

growth hormones
• Hormones
- growth regulating substances in plants
- are organic chemical that act and interact to affect
growth rate.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

5.2 Types of cutting

5.2.1 Stem cuttings, root cuttings and leaf cuttings
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

TYPES OF CUTTING (STEM)

• Most common of the cutting techniques
• Stem cuttings can be made from:
1. Softwood (green wood)
2. Hardwood (bark wood)
3. Semi hardwood (brown wood)
• VIDEOS\How To Take Cuttings - 4 Minute Guide to Clones and
Cloning.mp4
1. Softwood (green wood)
2. Hardwood (bark wood)
3. Semi hardwood (brown wood)
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

STEM CUTTING PROCESS

1. Prepare the medium
2. Collect the cuttings
• Choose wood type and section type
• Cut the branches from parent plant about 45° angle
• Cutting size is 7-15cm and cut below a node with scatters
3. Remove excess leaves and leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves
per plant only
4. Apply rooting hormone (NAA or IBA) to the cut tip
5. Prepare a hole with finger
6. Insert plant about 2-3 cm into hole
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

SOFTWOOD (GREEN WOOD) CUTTING

1. Carefully check the parent plant, looking for likely non-
flowering with firm, vigorous growth and healthy leaves.
2. Take a cutting 10-15cm by slicing straight across the stem
with a clean sharp knife. Do not squeeze and bruise the
tissue.
3. Trim the cutting, first getting rid of the largest leaves and
then to leave the shoot about 10cm long.
4. Hold the cutting by the edge of a leaf, making sure that you
do not damage it and dip it in a rooting/fungicide
compound.
5. Now insert it in a pot that has been filled with free-draining
compost with plenty of added grit.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

SEMI-HARDWOOD
(BROWN WOOD) CUTTINGS
1. Take the cutting just above a node about 10-20cm long.
2. Next, trim the cutting just below a node and remove the
lower leaves so that one are left in contact with the soil to
rot.
3. Insert them in open, free-draining soil with plenty added grit
in a cold frame and then frim down to eliminate air pockets.
4. Finish off by gently watering in with an upturned watering
spray in order to avoid dislodging the cuttings.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

HARD-WOOD
(BARK WOOD) CUTTING
1. Aim for 20-30cm length of the stem that has developed this
current year.
2. If the tip has not hardened, snip it off and remove any side
shoots.
3. Trim the bottom cut just below a node, giving it a horizontal
cut so that this end is clearly marked.
4. Then nip off any growth at the base because once planted it
will simply rot. This will encourage roots to develop.
5. Then make a simple slanting cut just above a node at the
top, which will clearly signify where all the top growth will
emerge.
6. Finally, insert each cutting in a 20cm deep hole line with
sharp sand to improve drainage, firm in and water.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

Type of wood cuttings Details

Softwood • 10-15cm length

• 2-3 leaves
• Low success rate
• Susceptible to drying
• Eg: Jejari hantu (Alternanthera elliptica)

Semi hardwood • Higher success rate

• 10-20cm length
• 4-5 leaves
• Eg: Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa sinensis)

Hardwood • Easily roots

• 20-30cm length or more
• May be planted immediately
• Eg: Pokok Sena (Pterocarpus indicus)
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

ROOT CUTTING
1. Severe the roots using a sharpened knife, making the cut
close to the crown that s topped by the surface growth.
2. Each length should be about 12-15cm long and at least 5-
10mm wide.
3. To clearly mark a root’s crown-end from the base, give the
latter an angled cut and the former a straight cut.
4. Plant with straight cut just below the compost surface and
cover with a layer of grit.
5. When using horizontal cuttings, lay them neatly in rows
below the surface, under a scattering of grit.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

ROOT CUTTING
• Extremely rare
• Difficult to induce rooting
• Used as a “last resort”

CN: Jasmine
SN: Jasminum sambac
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

• VIDEOS\How to Root Hardwood Cuttings - Fall Propagation

Tips.mp4
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

TYPES OF CUTTING (LEAF)

• Simple cutting
• Leaf vein cutting
• Petiole cutting
• Leaf section cutting
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

SIMPLE LEAF CUTTING

1. Select a large, unblemished leaf and remove it by making a
quick, clean cut at the base of the stalk.
2. Next, trim off the stalk just below the leaf, taking care to lay
it flat so that it is not bruised or damaged.
3. Using a clean sharp scalpel, remove several squares from a
leaf (3cm long), making sure that each one contains a piece
of main vein.
4. Finally, lay tem flat on the compost surface, weighing them
down so that they make full contact.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

Begonia (Batu Resam)

VIDEOS\How To Take Leaf Lamina Cuttings - Horticultural Tips - Nottingham
Trent University.mp4
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

LEAF PETIOLE CUTTINGS

1. Always start with a healthy parent that has been well cared
for and look for three rich green, nicely rounded leaves.
2. Carefully slice them off using sharp knife and then
horizontally trim the stalk to a length of 5cm.
3. Dip the end in rooting powder, blow off any excess and then
fill a seed tray with cuttings compost.
4. Finally insert the stalks equidistantly, making sure that they
are angled at 60° with the leaf touching the surface.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

Saintpaulia (African Violet)

NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

LATERAL VEIN-LEAF
CUTTINGS
1. Look for a shapely, well-developed leaf without any
blemishes and cut it cleanly off at the base.
2. Slice it neatly about 4cm into horizontal sections but
maintain the original shape so that you know immediately
which are the tops.
3. Plant them with the bottom end going in the compost. They
need to go in at a depth that will keep them upright.
4. Firm in and water and then slide the container inside a clear
plastic bag or propagator to maintain good humidity.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

Streptocarpus (False African Violet)

NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

LEAF SECTIONS CUTTING

1. Only take sections from a thriving, vigorous parent packed
with leafy growth. Single out one new, well formed,
undamage leaf.
2. Cut it off cleanly at the base, using a sharp knife, taking care
not to squeeze or damage it in the process.
3. Lay it on a clean surface, so that is face down and then
proceed to slice it across the stem into equal sections (3cm).
4. You should now be left with a jigsaw arrangement of pieces,
clearly showing the tops and bottoms of each pieces.
5. Now plant then vertically in mini trenches, making sure that
you insert the bottoms in the compost and not the tops.
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

Sansevieria (Lidah Jin)

VIDEOS\How to Propagate a Mother In Laws Tongue or Snake Plant
through Leaf Cuttings.mp4
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

REFERENCES
• Kester & Davies (2010). Plant Propagation: Principles and
Practices (8th Ed.)
• Rosenfeld, R. (2011). The Complete Practical Guide To
Propagation. Anness Publishing Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1-84681-
660-4
NAJ/FPA/AGR232 CHAPTER 5: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS

QUIZ 5
1. Differentiate between adventitious root and adventitious shoot.
(4 marks)
2. Briefly explain the procedure of simple stem cutting. (6 marks)
3. Give three (3) types of leaf cutting. (3 marks)