Explain vegetative propagation with the help of two examples. List two advantages of vegetative propagation.

The growth of new plants from vegetative parts of the plant like roots, stem, leaves other than the seeds is called vegetative propagation.

a. Cutting: Small piece of plant part like roots, stem or leaves is cut and is used for propagation. Examples: Rose, china-rose, sugarcane etc.

b. Layering: It is the process where roots are induced when a stem comes in contact with the ground. In this method a part of stem is pulled towards ground and covered with soil, from which roots will develop after few days and it will grow into a new plant by detaching from parent plant.

Examples: Grapevine, jasmine, litchi, mango, lemon etc.

Two advantages of vegetative propagation are-

a. It is cheaper, easier and rapid method.

b. The plants which cannot produce seeds also can be easily propagated by this method.

c. The plants produced by this method bear fruits and flowers earlier.

d. It produces new individuals with exactly identical qualities as the parent, which preserves the parental characteristics.