Artificial Propagation of Plants

This quarter you have been studying about plants, including vegetative
propagation.

Your

assessment

is

to

write

an

essay

about

artificial

propagation.
You will be given four class periods:
1) Preliminary research. Find artificial propagation methods and take
notes on the table below.
2) Write an essay:
a. Explain the ways in which artificial propagation is used
to address a specific problem or issue.
b. Discuss and evaluate the implications of using artificial
propagation to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a
factor

(Economical,

Environmental

Ethical,

Social).

Offer

balanced review, clearly supported by evidence.

3) Add pictures of the artificial propagation methods and document
all sources completely.
Download Criterion D Assessment Rubric. This rubric will guide you through
the elements necessary to complete your research paper.

Be sure to read

the rubric carefully and follow the format prescribed.

The due date will be one week after the last class period given for research.
Method 1: Tissue Culture

Uses fragments of tissue from plants.

Cultured cell may contain 1 cell which can multiply.
Needs a super sterile area to maintain.
Could be done indoors.
Method:
a. Sterilize all the equipment that are going to be

used.
b.
c.
d.
e.
of the plant.
Method 2: Stem Cutting

Sterilize yourself.
Cut the plant tissue.
Put it in a small bottle to let it grow.
Daily maintenance is required to control the growth

Artificial Propagation of Plants

Most common method of artificial propagation
Used for woody, ornamental plants
High humidity needs to be maintained, possible by containing
it in plastic containers/a greenhouse
Method
a. Sterilize the knife/container used
b. Cut the stem
c. Dip it in rooting hormone (some kind of powder)
d. Let the remains dry
e. Plant the cutting
f. Make sure theres enough sunlight, humidity, and
moisture

The Impacts of Artificial Propagation:

(Tissue Culture)
Solving the Problem
Implications
Give a detailed account

The
problem
addressed
(Scientific
description)
Plants may
take too long
to reproduce
naturally,
and there is
no guarantee
of an
offspring
being
produced

The way
artificial
propagation
addresses the
problem
(Scientific
description)
Artificial
propagation
allows more
offsprings to be
produced quicker

Offer a balanced review clearly

supported by evidence

The factor - Economical

Positives
Negatives
1. A
faster
process of
reproducti
on allows
more
products
in a
smaller
time span
2. The
faster
process
allows
more
plants to
be sold
quicker

1. There
is no variety
in the
plants,
because
everything
is the same.
2. If you
fail to
maintain the
plants, fungi
will grow
out from the
plant tissue.

Evidence

Evidence

"Advantages and
Disadvantages of
Vegetative
Propagation."
TutorVista. NCS
Pearson, n.d. Web. 16
Dec. 2015.

"What Is Tissue Culture."

About Tissue Culture.
N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec.
2015.
"Tissue Culture
Methods." UMBC. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Artificial Propagation of Plants

Conclusion
Tissue Culture and Artificial
propagation are the same, they
help plants grow. But the method is
different than normal planting
plants. Instead of using the plants
seeds Tissue Culture uses the plant
tissues and it will grow to another
new plant of the same species. But
Tissue Culture will not work on all
plant species, it only works for
some plant species.

The Impacts of Artificial Propagation:

(Stem Cutting)
Solving the Problem
Implications
Give a detailed account

The
problem
addressed
(Scientific
description)
When plants
reproduce
naturally,
the offspring
usually have
different
traits from
their
parent(s)

The way
artificial
propagation
addresses the
problem
(Scientific
description)
When using
artificial
propagation the
offspring plant will
always look like
its parent, and
they only require
1 parent

Offer a balanced review clearly

supported by evidence

The factor - Environmental

Positives
1. If the
parent
plant is
more
resistant
to
infections,
so will the
offspring
2. The
population
of the
plant will
stay intact,
because
its
controlled
by humans
manually

Negatives
1. Less
variety,
because
the plants
will be
exactly like
their
parents
2. If a
plant is less
resistant to
an
infection, it
means its
offspring
and the
offsprings
offspring to
be less
resistant as
well

Evidence

Evidence

"Advantages of
Artificial
Vegetative
Propagation." Preserve
Articles. N.p., n.d.
Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

"Stem Cutting." Cactus

Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 16

Dec. 2015.

Artificial Propagation of Plants

Conclusion
Stem cutting (and artificial
propagation in general) allows
offspring plants to be identical to
their parents. This means they will
be resistant to infections that their
parents have, and keep the
population manageable since when
plants are stem cutted, humans
have direct control of their
population. However, there will be
less variety and natural selection,
because all the offspring are
identical.
Factors
the implications of
using science and
its application to
solve a specific
problem or issue,
interacting with a
factor

Economical
Production,
distribution, and use
of income, wealth,
and commodities

Environmental
Circumstances,
objects, or conditions
by which one is
surrounded

Ethical
Process of
rational inquiry
to decide on
issues as right
or wrong, as
applied to the
people and
their actions

Cultural
Patterns of
knowledge,
behaviour, beliefs,
shared attitudes,
values, goals and
practices that
characterize groups
of people

Political
Relates to
government or
public affairs

Social
Interactions between
groups of people
involving issues such
as welfare, safety,
rights, justice or class

Moral
Principles of
right or wrong
behaviour
derived from a
particular
society

http://www.preservearticles.com/2012010119527/advantages-of-artificial-vegetativepropagation.html
http://www.cactus-art.biz/notebook/Dictionary/Dictionary_S/dictionary_stem_cutting.htm
http://www.tutorvista.com/content/science/science-ii/reproduction/advantagesdisadvantages.php

Artificial Propagation of Plants

Gregory Noonan, Dylan Arthur

Science 9
Ibu Kusumawati
December 17, 2015
Artificial Propagation
Plant reproduction is a long and lengthy process, and artificial propagation allows the process to
speed up. It may take up to a year for an offspring to be produced, and there is no guarantee that the offspring
will live or grow other plants. This is where artificial propagation comes in, it allows a plant to reproduce
quicker, more efficiently, and the offsprings are usually identical to its parent plant. The two positives help
out the economy and environment in multiple ways. However it isnt completely positive, there are still
disadvantages when using artificial propagation. In this paper, it will be explored how the Tissue Culture and
stem cutting techniques positively and negatively impact the economy and environment. Despite having the
table above only show one factor for each artificial propagation, the two issues and impacts may be applied to
the other technique, and most other artificial propagation techniques.
The first problem that is addressed is how plants that are naturally reproduced tend to share qualities
and features between two parents, and or are non identical to their parent. Artificial propagation solves this
problem by only needing 1 parent plant to reproduce, and the stem cutting technique allows the offspring to
be identical to their parents. This is because of how the offspring was once a big part of the parent, since the
offsprings were once an external part of their parent. In the environment, having the offspring identical is also
beneficial when it comes to diseases and harmful situations. Most plants adapt, and if the parent has adapted
to be immune to a disease, the offspring will be identical to their parents, meaning that the offspring will also

Artificial Propagation of Plants

be immune to that disease. Then, if the offspring is then artificially propagated, all the descendants will be
immune to that disease. Eventually the whole species will be.
Despite that, its also a negative having the offspring identical to their parents. If a parent plant is a
vulnerable to a wide-spreading disease, it means the offspring will also be, and the offsprings offspring, and
that offsprings offspring. Then when the disease eventually approaches the offsprings, they will be harmed
and possibly killed by the disease because the parent plant didnt have an immunity to that disease. Then
theres a negative impact when an offspring is identical to their parents, which is variety and adaptation.
Having a variety of plants is what makes nature so unique and special. If every species of plant was identical,
then there will be no variety, which may also affect the population of other species. Then if all plants are
identical, it would be difficult for the economy because less people will buy plants since they all look the
same anyways. There are also more ways artificial propagation may negatively impact the population, but
there are also positive impacts.
When it comes to the impacts in the economy, the main issue that affects it is how the plants
reproduce faster when artificially propagated. Plant reproduction may take up to a year, and there is no
guarantee that the plant will survive. When a plant is reproduced using artificial propagation, it may create
more offspring and the offsprings may have a higher chance to stay alive. It stays alive longer because in
captivity, it doesnt get attacked by animals, humans, or diseases if treated correctly. If there are more plants
and if more plants survives, this means that there will be more plants for sale, allowing people to buy more
plants, causing the economy to grow. The economy will grow because of how the sellers of the plants will
make money, and when people buy the plants the demand will increase. However it may damage the
economy because there will be no variety in plants since the offspring is identical to their parents, the demand
will then decrease due to the lack of variety. Overall, if done correctly it will help out the economy because of
the increased plant reproduction. A way to solve the lack of variety, is by simply artificially propagating more
species of plants instead of just 1 species.
Overall, artificial propagation can be beneficial if done correctly. It is mentioned in the first table that
when using the tissue culture technique, if the area is not properly sterilised the plant may easily get infected

Artificial Propagation of Plants

as fungi grows. However, it benefits the economy by having more plants sold in a short period of time,
increasing its demand. Then it helps the environment by keeping the population manageable by humans
allowing the species to survive. Then when a parent plant is immune to a disease its descendants will also be
immune to that disease, because the offsprings are all identical, but it also means when a parent plant is
vulnerable, so will its descendants. It seems that there are positive and negative impacts for both techniques
in economical and environmental ways. I believe that stem cutting is better when it comes to big plants,
because it requires the plant to have branches. Then when it comes to smaller plants and herbs, tissue culture
is better because it requires a container and sterilisation, both are easier when the plant is small.

Works Cited
"Advantages and Disadvantages of Vegetative Propagation." TutorVista. NCS Pearson, n.d. Web. 16 Dec.
2015.
"Advantages of Artificial Vegetative Propagation." Preserve Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
"Stem Cutting." Cactus Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.
"What Is Tissue Culture." About Tissue Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015. "Tissue Culture Methods."
UMBC. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.