plant cultivation

vegetative propagation

1. Methods of cultivation
1. Sexual method
•It is the method in which the plants are raised
from the seeds.
•The seeds germinate into seedlings (plant)
under suitable condition of temperature and
environment.
•Generally seeds are germinated in the nursery
and then the seedlings are transferred to the
cultivation field for plantation.

2. Advantages Disadvantages
1. Plants produced from seed are
larger, harder and longer living.
1. Plants produced from seeds are
not uniform in growth, yield, quality
and type.
2. Propagation by seed is cheaper and
easier.
2. Plants take longer time to bear the
first crop.
3. Large number of plants can be
cultivated at a time.
3. We cannot produce a new plant
that is totally different from the
mother tree.
4. Chances of production of seedlings
of superior quality. e.g: orange,
Papaya
4. Cost of harvesting, using pesticide,
etc is more.

3. 2. Asexual method
•It is the method in which plants are cultivated
by vegetative propagation.
•Vegetative propagation is defined as the
formation of new plants by some vegetative
parts of the plants like stem, root, bud, leaf, etc
•Vegetative propagation of plants is done by
methods like: Bulb, Tuber, Rhizomes, Corms,
Suckers, Runners, Cutting, Layering, Grafting,
Budding, Micropropagation, etc.

5. •Bulb is made of number of buds which are separately
planted in the cultivation field. e.g: Garlic, Onion,
Tulip, Lilies, etc
•Tuber is the swollen apical part of the underground
stem. Whole tuber or its cut part can be sowed in the
soil. e.g: Potato, Aconite, etc
•Rhizomes are the underground stems that can
produce both roots and shoots. It may have many
buds. Rhizomes are cut with buds and planted in the
field. e.g: Ginger, Aspidium, etc
•Corms are condensed form of rhizome and consists of
a stout fleshy underground stem bearing many buds.
The part with bud produces new shoots which stores
food and produces new corms. e.g: Colocasia, Crocus,
Amorphophyllus etc.

7. •Suckers are the underground stem branches that arise at
the base of aerial shoot. They grow into branches and
andventitious roots. When suckers are separated and
planted separate plants are produced. e.g: Mint,
Chrysanthemum, etc
•Runners are like axillary buds that creeps some distance
away from the mother plants. They grow into new plants
when strikes root. e.g: Cyanodon, Fragaria, Oxalis, etc
•Cutting involves producing a new plant from root, stem or
leaf of mother plant. e.g: root cutting of blackberry, leaf
cutting of bryophyllum, stem cutting of rose, etc
•Layering is the development of roots on stem while it is still
attached to the mother plants. Plants with soft branches
can form new plants through layering. e.g: Pepper bettle,
Long Pepper, etc

9. •Grafting is an asexual method of cultivation of
plants in which two plants of closely related species
are joined and plant is developed. The plant whose
root is taken is called stock and the plant which is
placed in stock is called graft. The graft are fixed
over stock. The combination area is covered by wax
and bandaged properly. e.g: Mangoes, Apples,
Pears, Plums, etc.
•Budding is a type of grafting which consists of bark
bearing a bud as graft inserted into a suitable stock.
e.g: Citrus species, Peaches, Plums, etc.
•Micropropagation is a type of clonal propagation in
which apical meristem is excised and induced to
develop shoots in a suitable medium. The
developed shoots are regenerated. e.g: Eucalyptus,
Santalum, etc.

11. Advantages Disadvantages
1. Seedless varieties of plants can be
produced by this method.
1. It requires labour, skill and time.
2. Improved varieties can be produced
by this method.
2. Difficult to produce new varieties of
plant.
3. Plants are true to mother plants.3. Plants are soft and do not live longer
as plants from seeds.
4. Plants bear first crop earlier than the
plants from seeds.
4. They are more prone to disease.

12. Collection of crude drugs
•Cultivated and wild plants are the major
source of crude drugs. The collection of crude
drugs is best when the crude drug is rich in
phytochemicals.
•Suitable season, stage of development or age
and environmental condition are considered
while collecting crude drugs.

13. •Medicinal leaves are collected during flowering
season of the plants, when plants reach
maturity and they are photosynthetically most
active.
•Flowers are collected before pollination or
before their full expansion (bud condition).
•Fruits are collected on either ripe or half ripe
stage depending upon the nature of the fruits
and their constituents.

14. •Stems and barks are collected after
development of leaves in spring or summer
when cambium is active.
•Roots and Rhizomes are collected after their
full growth. The collected roots and rhizomes
are cut transversely or longitudinally to
facilitate drying.

15. Drying of crude drugs
•Drying is the process through which moisture
present in a crude drug is removed and
increases its quality and stability.
•Dried crude drugs inhibits growth of micro-
organisms.
•Dried crude drugs can be easily grinded and
milled to produce powdered drug.

16. Process of Drying:
•Natural Drying: Method of drying of crude drugs
directly in the sunlight or in the shade (drugs
containing volatile constituents).
•Artificial Drying: Method of drying of crude
drugs in hot air oven, tray dryers, vacuum dryers,
spray dryers, etc.

17. Tray dryers: Crude drugs are placed in trays
inside the dryer and the hot air is circulated
over the crude drugs at suitable temperature.
e.g: Belladona root, Cinchona bark, etc
Spray Dryers: Crude drugs are dried though
stream of hot air in spray dryers. Drugs that
are sensitive to heat are dried by this method.
e.g: Papaya latex, pectins, etc
Vacuum Dryers: Crude drugs are dried under
vacuum for highly sensitive drugs. e.g: Digitalis
leaves

19. Storage of crude drugs
•Crude drugs should be stored in cool and dry
place to maintain their potency.
•They should be packed in a suitable container
to prevent contact with outer surface and
micro-organisms.
•They should be protected from moisture,
light, temperature, oxidation and micro-
organisms.

20. Factors affecting storage of crude drugs:
1.Moisture
2.Temperature
3.Light
4.Oxygen
5.Micro-organisms