1. Plant Science

2.  Which of the following plants do you think would be easier to propagate using the leaves?

3.  Asexual propagation - the controlled reproduction of plants by taking a piece of vegetative plant tissue and encouraging it to regenerate a complete plant.  Sexual propagation - development of a new plant by meiosis & fertilization in the flower to produce a viable embryo in a seed.  Totipotency – ability of a single cell to regenerate all characteristics of the plant.

4.  Plants are uniform  Quick establishment  Only means of propagation in certain species  Seed-borne diseases avoided  Less expensive  Heterozygous material may be propagated without genetic alteration

5.  Systemic viral infection can spread to all plants  Planting materials are bulky  Storage of asexual material is cumbersome and short term  All plants are genetically identical and subject to the same hazards to the same degree  Mechanical propagation in some cases is not practical

6.  Softwood cuttings – from soft, succulent, new spring growth of deciduous or evergreen species  Semi-hardwood cuttings – from woody, broad leaved evergreens, and leafy summer cuttings of deciduous plants with partially matured wood  Hardwood cuttings – from dormant woody material – taken in late winter or early spring before leaves appear – from previous year’s growth  Herbaceous cuttings – from succulent, non-woody plants, with leaves at upper end

7.  Definition of a cutting -Detached vegetative material from a plant used to produce a new plant. 4 types:  Stem  Leaf  Leaf-bud  Root

8.  2 types  Stem-tip cuttings – tip (terminal end) is cut and used to produce a seedling  Stem-section cuttings – pieces of stems containing at least one bud (not a terminal bud) and used to produce a seedling

9.  A whole leaf or part of one that is detached and used to raise a new plant.  Examples: begonia, peperomia, African violet  Cutting consists of leaf plus part of the leaf stalk (petiole)  Leaf-vein cuttings –  cutting the veins at several points and securing the leaf on the media

10.  Consists of a short piece of a leaf, petiole, and short piece of stem with an attached bud in the leaf axil.  Great when source material is scarce.

11. Small sections of the roots are divided and planted vertically or horizontally. Proximal – nearest the crown of the plant – always should be up Distal – farthest from the crown

12.  Removed from functioning root system  There is little to no water uptake and can lose water to the air  Placing cuttings under a intermittent mist system provides water and high humidity

13.  New roots form in places that normally do not grow roots (Ex: Stems, leaves)

14.  The tissue of the cuttings should contain enough of the organic and inorganic nutrients to support new growth to the point of becoming self- supporting. -Electric heating cables are commonly used to hold the medium at about 75  F. Air temperature of 70  -80  F day and 60  -70  F night are generally satisfactory.

15.  The presence or absence of light is generally not decisive in rooting, although light tends to inhibit root initiation.  The general practice is to use shading to decrease light intensity but not to exclude light.

16.  The rooting medium should be well aerated, hold sufficient moisture, and be easily sanitized.  Soil is generally a poor choice. Commonly used media include perlite, and various mixtures of sand, peat, and vermiculite.  In this lab we will use a 1:3, Bark Mix :Perlite mix

17.  Auxins - a group of natural plant growth hormones, which can be applied directly to the cuttings.  Most commonly used compounds: synthetic auxins, indolebutyric acid (IBA), and napthaleneacetic acid (NAA).  Available in powder and liquid forms  Rootone, Hormodin, Rhizapon & Dip ‘N Grow.

18.  Indole 3- butyric acid (IBA) - Best for general use, non-toxic to plants over a wide concentration range  Napthaleneacetic acid (NAA)

19. Powder Formulations Vs Liquid Formulations of Rooting Hormones Is Dip’ N Gro the Way to Go?

20.  Liquid rooting hormone vs. powder formulations  Contains both IBA and NAA  Dilution rates – versatility of product  Absorbance into cutting vascular system  Alcohol incorporated into product – sanitation  Superior Performance

21.  Powder – Rhizapon, Hormodin, etc. › Easy to use, but not as uniform › Not as effective as liquid auxins Pre- drilling holes for sticking  Liquid - Dip ‘n Grow › Usually 3 to 5 second dip in solution › Dip as a bundle, not one by one › Majority of auxin is absorbed at the cut surface of cutting base › Versatile

22.  Depending of plant material, concentration levels are suggested: › Herbaceous & Softwood 1:20 › Semi-hardwood 1:10 › Hardwood 1:5  Dip time: 3-5 seconds › 5-second dip is equally effective as a 160- second dip in promoting root growth. Longer dips, may cause phytotoxicity

23.  Problem with auxins – they degrade in light  Powder formulations – once opened, subject to clumping  Liquid – 3 year shelf life if kept in a sealed container  Once diluted, 10 hour effectiveness

24.  Inhibit bud development  Cause yellowing and dropping of leaves  Blackening of the stem  Eventual death of cutting

27.  Spray auxins to runoff over base of cutting  Cuttings stuck in media and auxin sprayed on leaves and stem until auxin drips in to media  Total immersion of cuttings - ivy, clematis, Ficus

28.  Treated with broad spectrum fungicidal dips prior to sticking

29.  Outdoor landscape  Greenhouse  Annuals  Houseplants  Friends and Neighbors

30. -In addition to the different concentration levels, the length of time that the growth regulator remains in contact with the base of the cutting can also have an effect on rooting, which will be demonstrated in this laboratory project.

31.  Plant cuttings (to be designated)  Propagation knife or razor blade  Labels  Pencil  1000 ppm IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) and  500 ppm NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid)  Dip’ N Grow Dilution cup  Propagation medium in flats- 1:3 Bark Mix : Perlite

32. Each group should prepare 12 uniform stem cuttings from the same genus, species and if applicable the same cultivar or variety and divide them into 4 equal groups. Re-cut the base of each group of cuttings and dip the base of each group into 1000 ppm IBA 500 ppm NAA (1:19 Dip N’ Grow : water) for the following time periods:  0 second- control  2 seconds  15 seconds  30 seconds