Clone- plant clone

clone

1. Introduction:
Cloning is the form of propagation that’s has been around for a very long time. It’s basically
taking a growing portion of a plant where the stem with some leaves attached and helping it to
become a brand new plant that is genetically identical to a plant from which the clone was taken.
This process is often easy to do because plants often clone themselves in nature. It is called
asexual reproductions. The method that’s currently used to clone a plant usually involves include
taking cutting, layering, division, grafting, budding and tissues culture. For example, Gardeners
often trade cutting and division as a way of sharing plant with their friends.
When cloning a plant it is not about physically going into the nucleus of the cell and modifying
the DNA or any such procedures as that. It is about scraping the tissues in this case of a plant and
effectively growing it in a sterile environment. Our sterile environment in this case is a cultured
media.
Plants are in fact composed of live cells and when we have transferred a minute piece into a
culture media we are cultivating these cells which ultimately will continue to divide until such
time as it provides us with a perfectly executed genetic copy of our original tissue sample.

This is the technique which can be used on any plant which grows on the face of the earth. When
a plant is brought in from nature to our laboratory setting we must provide as much of a sterile
environment as we possibly can. This sterile status should include every item that will touch the
explants as they are called from the Plant itself to the media.
Definition of clone:
Cloning is the asexual production of an exact copy of an original. So for example, one could use
cloning to produce the exact copy of a single cell. The cell copy would be identical to the first
cell and would have the same exact DNA sequence. In many cases, cloning has been used to
reproduce type specific cells. In some instances, cloning of an individual organism, like the
sheep, Dolly, has been possible.

2. Cloning a plant:
Cloning has become one of the most efficient ways to grow plant. Clones are the result of
asexual or vegetative propagation, whereas, seeds are the result of sexual propagation. Cloning is
basically taking a cutting (a branch or growing portion of the plant, including a few small leaves
to aid growth) of one plant, and placing it in a medium and forcing it to take root on its own, by
applying rooting hormones(described later). This cutting then becomes a plant of its own, but
identical to the "parent" plant (the plant from which the clone was taken). This gives us the first
benefit of cloning, survival of the fittest.
Unlike with seeds, where the outcome of the plant can be a guess to the grower, clones can be
taken from the strongest, healthiest and most productive plants, and turned into genetic replicas
of their strong parent plants. This gives a complete, uniform garden of only the most productive,
disease resistant, pest resistant and healthiest. Plants that are grown from seed can be non-
productive. Some seeds, more than likely about 30%-60%, can grow up to represent the worst
characteristics of their species. They also take time to start and grow; with clones that’s start with
a prebuilt plant, and all that is involved past that is adding the rooting hormone and regular plant
maintenance.

3. Figure 1: shows the picture diagram of cloning a plant
Types of plant that can be used for cloning:
Most of the plants can be cloned, although it takes different method according to the types of the
plants. Some plant will reproduce readily while others take a considerable of time and care. The
method that’s used today includes taking cutting, layering, division, grafting, budding, and tissue
culture. The kind of cloning used by growers of pepper plants and tomato plants is to take
cuttings.
Types of light that should be used for indoor cloning and seed starting
Seedlings and clones require bright light for healthy growth. Most growers use special spectrum
fluorescent lights for these early stages of plant growth. These can burn in the same kind of
fixture that’s finding at the hardware store, but they provide more lumens of the correct growing
spectrum than do ordinary hardware store bulbs. They are slightly more expensive, but they will
result in a much healthier plants. Thus most clones and seedlings benefit from 16 to 18 hours of
light.
Temperature that is used to keep the clones

4. Keep seedlings in a well-ventilated, cool location. The temperatures should be 55 to 60 degrees F
at night and 65 to 70 degrees F during the day. These temperatures encourage compact, bushy,
vigorous growth while minimizing disease.
Plant Cloning Tips
1) It is essential that cuttings (sometimes referred to as clones or slips) be taken from healthy
plants.
2) Water quality is prime concern in hydroponic growing. All plants differ in their preferences of
pH range. Thus it is important to determine the pH range of particular plant that’s used for
cloning. For example as a general rule of thumb, a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 is the best for most
plants.
3) Be gentle when taking cuttings. They can shock easily when cut. Therefore, a sterile growing
medium is used. For example rockwool, soil, vermiculite, perlite, sand etc. Never use soil from
your garden.
4) The tools are always kept clean to avoid transmitting disease to open plant wounds. There are
sterilized first before used it.
5) The growing medium warm is kept around-the- clock for the best result. For example, bottom
heat (with a heating pad) will help cuttings root faster. Noted bottom heat : 75-85 F.
greenhouse/indoor temperature ( air, bench level) : 70 F
6) High humidity aids in rooting the cuttings. A plastic cover (humidity dome or tent) will
increase the percentage of roots cuttings.
7) The room temperature is always kept warm during the night or lights- out cycle if propagating
indoor. Add a space heater if necessary.
8) The leaves are trimmed to achieve a uniform cutting.

5. 9) The cutting should be screened from the direct sun or place in a shady area under a tree if the
outdoor sunlight is used.
10) The closer the lights are to the plants, the faster the plants will grow. Transplant as soon as
vigorous roots appear.
11) To eliminate transplant shock, the transplanting solution is used.
Advantages of plant cloning
1. A superior cultivated variety or cultivar can be rapidly duplicated. For
Example, a cultivar that has greater yield can increase profits and food
supply, disease or pest resistant clones can prevent crop failures and reduce
pesticide use
2. Cloning is a way to keep a particular plant cultivar in existence basically
forever. Plant cultivars that originated hundreds of years ago are still in
wide use.
3. The cloning technique, grafting, can combine genetically different root and
shoot systems to make a plant superior to either plant alone.
4. Cloning via tissue culture can also be used to rid plants of harmful viruses
and other diseases.
5. Cloning is often much more rapid than normal sexual reproduction via seeds.
6. Cloning is often cheaper than normal reproduction via seeds for some crops,
such as houseplants and fruit trees.
7. Seed production is often at the mercy of the weather for successful
pollination. Cloning does not depend on pollination.
8. Plants that cannot produce seeds and otherwise could not reproduce
themselves, such as seedless grapes and seedless navel oranges, and cultivated
bananas, which would not survive unless cloned.
9. Some seeds are difficult to obtain or germinate so cloning is a preferable
alternative.
10. Cloning fruit and nut trees can overcome juvenility problems that some seed-
propagated plants have. The juvenile period may last 5 to 20 years during which
trees cannot flower or fruit.

6. 9) The cutting should be screened from the direct sun or place in a shady area under a tree if the
outdoor sunlight is used.
10) The closer the lights are to the plants, the faster the plants will grow. Transplant as soon as
vigorous roots appear.
11) To eliminate transplant shock, the transplanting solution is used.
Advantages of plant cloning
1. A superior cultivated variety or cultivar can be rapidly duplicated. For
Example, a cultivar that has greater yield can increase profits and food
supply, disease or pest resistant clones can prevent crop failures and reduce
pesticide use
2. Cloning is a way to keep a particular plant cultivar in existence basically
forever. Plant cultivars that originated hundreds of years ago are still in
wide use.
3. The cloning technique, grafting, can combine genetically different root and
shoot systems to make a plant superior to either plant alone.
4. Cloning via tissue culture can also be used to rid plants of harmful viruses
and other diseases.
5. Cloning is often much more rapid than normal sexual reproduction via seeds.
6. Cloning is often cheaper than normal reproduction via seeds for some crops,
such as houseplants and fruit trees.
7. Seed production is often at the mercy of the weather for successful
pollination. Cloning does not depend on pollination.
8. Plants that cannot produce seeds and otherwise could not reproduce
themselves, such as seedless grapes and seedless navel oranges, and cultivated
bananas, which would not survive unless cloned.
9. Some seeds are difficult to obtain or germinate so cloning is a preferable
alternative.
10. Cloning fruit and nut trees can overcome juvenility problems that some seed-
propagated plants have. The juvenile period may last 5 to 20 years during which
trees cannot flower or fruit.