AGR 201:

PRINCIPLES OF CROP
PRODUCTION

Topic: Plant propagation

Dr. Daniel Mureithi

Email: dmmureithi@gmail.com
Introduction
What is plant propagation?
 The science and art of re-producing plants
 The act of producing offspring or multiplying plants
 The act of multiplication of a plant by any process of reproduction from the parent
stock
 Increasing the number of plants by sexual or asexual means
 Plant propagation is an art and science. It requires knowledge, skills and practice

What is the difference between reproduction and propagation?

 When organisms multiply to produce new generations, the process is termed
reproduction. Plants reproduce in two ways: sexual or asexual
(vegetative)reproduction.
 When reproduction is deliberately controlled and manipulated by people to
produce more of a plant that they want, it is called propagation. Both sexual and
asexual reproduction techniques can be used to propagate plants.

What is the purpose of plant propagation?

 Multiply the number of a species
 Perpetuate a species
 Maintain the youthfulness of a plant
Types of propagation
Sexual (seed)
 Involves floral parts of the plant – Union of pollen and egg

Asexual (vegetative)
Regenerate part of a parent plant into a new plant
– Genetically identical to its one parent
– Involves stems, roots, or leaves
Types of propagation
Sexual propagation
Advantages
 Produce large number of seedlings from a single parent plant
 May store seeds for future propagation
 Breed for new varieties and hybrid vigor
 Avoid transmission of certain diseases

Disadvantages
 Genetic material may not be uniform
 Cannot save seeds from hybrids
 Long time to sizable plant – Woody plants and shrubs
 Irritants in fleshy covering (palms, etc.)
Types of propagation
Asexual propagation
Advantages
 Larger, fuller plant produced faster
 Genetically, same as the parent
 Only way to propagate some species
 Bypasses juvenile characteristics

Disadvantages
 Takes more time- to collecting and preparing vegetative material
 May need structures and water
 New varieties cannot be evolved in this method
Factors that determine the choice of
propagation method
 Availability of propagation material
 Cost involved
 Crop uniformity
 Market demand
 Plant diseases
Nursery management
 This is the establishment or rearing of plants under close observation or special
attention before transplanting.

Reasons for raising seedlings in Nursery

 Able to time planting
 Use less seeds than direct planting
 Take care of individual crops- management
 Ideal for vegetables with small seeds which are easily spoilt in the field.
Types of nurseries
Temporary nursery
 This type of nursery is developed only to fulfill the requirement of the season
or a targeted project. The nurseries for production of seedlings of transplanted
vegetables and flower crops are of temporary nature.

Permanent nursery
 This type of the nursery is placed permanently so as to produce plants
continuously. These nurseries have all the permanent features. The permanent
nursery has permanent mother plants. The work goes on continuously all the
year round in this nursery.
 According to type of plants produced nurseries are classified in to following
types: 1) Fruit plant Nurseries: - In this nursery seedlings and grafts of fruit
crops are developed. 2) Vegetable nurseries: - In this nursery seedlings of
cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal and tomato are prepared. 3) Flowers plants
nurseries :- The seedlings of flowering plants like gerbera, carnation, petunia,
salvia, rose, chrysanthemum, coleus, aster, dianthus are developed in this
nurseries. 4) Forest nurseries: - The seedlings of plants useful for forestation
like pine, oak, teak, eucalyptus, casuarinas are prepared and sold. 5)
Miscellaneous nurseries: - In such type of nurseries plants with great
economic value, rare and medicinal, herbal plants are propagated. In this nursery
plants like geranium, rose, calendula, and marigold are propagated.
Factors to consider when establishing nursery
Environmental factors
 Climate – mild climate avoid extreme or rainstorm frost or wind. Also avoid shaded
areas.
 Topography- Should be fairly flat or gently sloping with good fertile free draining soil
 Soil - Good fertile soil free draining avoid flooding or rocky
 Water - Should be near a source of clean water and easily accessible.
 Air - Avoid places close to pollinated areas e.g. dusty or smoke.
Economic factors
 Land – This can be owned or leased but the cost should warrant the nursery
establishment
 Labour – Availability of both skilled and unskilled should be emphasized ideally seedlings
are watered regularly especially during dry hot weather to prevent water stress. You can
use mechanization or contract.
 Cost of materials – containers and other operational materials
Biological factors
 Pest and diseases - Avoid areas prune to high incidences of pest and diseases. While pest
and diseases management becomes easier once seedling are together. There some which
thrive well due to micro-climate e.g. damping off, fungal diseases and wildlife or human
activities. Avoid areas next to wildlife pathway or dusty areas (due to human activities).
Sociological factors - The nursery should be sited where it is easily accessible for
transportation or buyers, if it is for commercial purposes.
Nursery bed preparation
 Nursery bed should be prepared according to the season and crop.
 In the rainy season raised beds are prepared but in dry season flat beds should
be prepared.
 For the uniform and high percentage of germination the soil must be fine and
moist enough.
 If the seedlings are to be raised in boxes during unfavourable weather condition,
the flower pots, polythene bags, potting plugs, wooden treys, earthen pots etc.
may be used. Prepare soil mixture in the ratio of 1:1:1 of soil, sand and well
rotten FYM/leaf mould etc. and fill the mixture in these seedlings raising
structure.
 Drain excess water from these structures by making a hole in the bottom of all
types of pots.
Nursery bed preparation
Raised nursery beds
 Length of the bed may be kept 3 to 5 meter; however, width is restricted to 1
meter only which facilitates intercultural operations.
 The beds are raised 15 to 20 cm high from the ground level. A space of 30 - 40
cm is leaft in between two beds.
 The space between two beds helps in weeding, nursery care against diseases
and insect pest and also for draining out the excess rain water from the
nursery beds.
 The number of beds depends on the particular crop, season and growing area
of crop.
 The beds should be prepared in the east and west direction and line should be
made from north to south direction on the beds.
 Sowing of seeds in the nursery
 After the seed bed preparation seeds are sown in the nursery bed either by
broadcasting or in lines depending upon the nature and season of crop.
Management practices in the nursery
Pot filling
 This is the filling of polythene tubes with soil. This should be done under a
shade near the heap of the soil at the site of the transplant bed. The soil should
be moist enough to run freely into the tube and easily firmed to form the
bottom of the tube.
Pricking out
 This is the act of lifting seedlings from the seedbed into the transplant bed or
pots.
Poor pricking out practices include;
 Waiting until plants are large and have long roots,
 Pricking out plants into dry soil and then watering them,
 Constructing shade after pricking out is done,
 Carrying seedlings in your hand or on a plate without water and
 Preparing the holes with a finger – the hole might be too small or too big
depending on the size of the finger used,
Shade and watering after pricking out
 After pricking out, transplants require full shade for the first 2 – 3 weeks, then
½ shade for 1 week, after which no shade should be necessary. As the shade is
decreased, the intensity of watering must be increased.
Management practices in the nursery
Watering
 The regular supply of clean water is essential to plant growth. Plants are made out of
more than 90% water.. The amount of water that seedlings require depends upon;
Seedling age, amount of sunlight, soil type and turbulence (presence of wind). Avoid; Dirty
water as it contains many plant diseases. Salty water is also not good.
Some of the good nursery watering practices include;
 Regularly check the water status of the leaves to determine when to water,
 Water in the early morning and / or late in the evening,

Some of the poor nursery watering practices include;

 Watering according to a fixed schedule,
 Directing the water to the leaves and not the soil,
 Watering during mid-day,
 Watering quickly and only wetting the soil surface. Remember;
 Over watering weakens plants and causes many diseases,
 If the soil is covered with green moss or algae that mean you are watering too often.
Weeding
 This is the operation of removing weeds in order to reduce competition for water and
nutrients f there are some weeds in the seed bed, remove them manually either by hand
or by hand hoe. Pre emergence herbicides can also be sprayed soon after seed sowing to
control the weeds.
Management practices in the nursery
Thinning
 It is an important operation to remove weak, unhealthy, diseased, insect pests damaged
and dense plants from the nursery beds keeping distance of about 0.5 to 1.0 cm from
plant to plant. The thinning facilitates balance light and air to each and every plant. It also
helps in watching the diseased and insect pest attacked plants while moving around the
nursery.
Root pruning
 Is the cutting back of the actively growing roots of the transplants.

Root pruning is carried out so as:

 To avoid the roots of the seedlings inter – twining,
 To enable the transplants to develop a well established root system fit for easy
establishment in the field
 For the transplants not to penetrate into the soil and get established within the nursery
site.
Management practices in the nursery
Mulching
 To maintain the soil moisture for seed germination cover the seed bed with a thin layer
of mulch of paddy straw or sugar cane trash or any organic mulch during hot weather
and by plastic mulch (plastic sheet) in cool weather.
Advantages of mulching:
 It maintains the soil moisture and temperature for better seed germination.
 It suppresses the weeds.
 Protects from direct sunlight and raindrops.
 Protects against bird damage.

Removal of mulch
 Due attention is given to remove the covered mulch from the seedbed. After three days,
observe the seed beds daily. As and when the white thread like structure is seen above
the ground, remove the mulch carefully to avoid any damage to emerging plumules.
Always remove mulch in the evening hours to avoid harmful effect of bright sun on newly
emerging seedlings

Shadding
 After seed germination during the seedling growth, if there is very high temperature (>
30o C) then beds should be covered by 50% or 60% shedding nets of green/green + black
coloured, about 60 - 90 cm above ground by the use of suitable support.
Management practices in the nursery
Hardening off
 This is the process of creating hard conditions to the seedlings towards the planting
season. Hardening is physiological process .Plants accumulate more carbohydrates
reserves and produce additional cuticle on the leaves. In this process seedlings are given
some artificial shocks at least 7-28 days before uprooting and transplanting. These shocks
includes
 •Exposure to the full sunlight,
 •Removal of all the shedding nets, polythene sheets
 •Irrigation is stopped slowly and slowly.

Benefits of hardening off

 •Hardening improves the quality and modifies the nature of colloids in the plant cell
enabling them to resist the loss of water.
 •Hardening increases the presence of dry matter and regards in the plants but decrease
the percentage of freezable water and transpiration per unit area of leaf.
 •Decreases the rate of growth in the plants
 •Hardened plants can withstand better against unfavourable weather conditions like hot
day winds or low temperature
 •Hardening of the plants increases the waxy covering on the leaves of cabbage.