Successful Grafting as an Agricultural Technique - Term Paper Example

Horticulture term paper: Grafting Introduction Grafting refers to an agricultural practice carried out in asexual plants through which the tissues of a plant are joined together into another in order to produce a unique species in process known as inosculation. In the process, one of the plant provides the roots thus known as the rootstock or stock while the other produces the seeds, leaves and flowers thus known as scion. The selection of the two plants requires effective consideration of their different features in order to result in a desirable plant that will overcome the particular challenges either of the two could not overcome on their own. The resulting plant is therefore a better species of the two exhibiting unique features coupled with increased productivity. Grafting of appropriate plants result in improved hardiness in plants, hardiness refers to the ability of a plant to endure harsh climatic conditions. Through successful grafting for example, the showy Western Australian plants currently can resist the heavy soils common in urban centers (Core, 2005). Grafting has succeeded developing appropriate plants that fit different ecological conditions prevalent in different parts of the world. As discussed earlier, grafting conjoins two unique plants together thus resulting in the development of a unique new species. The resultant species benefits from the productive features of both the stock and the scion. In most cases, the stock always provide effective adaptive features of the root to enable the new plant survive in particular conditions while the scion provides effective foliage and flowing features that improves the productivity of the resultant plants. Precocity is a unique ability introduced only through grafting. It refers to the process of inducing productivity in plants without necessarily undergoing the juvenile stage. Introducing a scion in a stock disrupts the growth patterns of the resulting plant. Among the major advantages of the disruptions is that most of the plants bypass juvenility a period of growth and maturity in the plants. By passing the stage, the plants immediately begin producing fruits. This increases the profitability of agribusiness by shortening the time that fruit plants take before becoming fruitful. Bypassing the stage of juvenility is fundamental in agribusiness owing go the length of the duration, juvenility may last up to nine years in different plants. Bypassing the stage safeguards the quality and productivity of the plants since the new plat is likely to perform better than the two parent plants while doing so within the shortest time possible. Another equally important impact of grafting is the successful development of disease resistant plants. Diseases arise from the pathogens habiting particular regions thus showing preference to particular plants. Through grafting, farmers introduce diseases resistant stock in areas prone to particular diseases and pests. This way, the resulting plant grows successfully without the threat of numerous diseases that may otherwise threaten the growth and productivity of a plant. Apples are among the most grafted plants in the world, the most fundamental reason for continued grafting of apples is to maintain consistency in the plants. Grafting of apples helps retain the consistency of such features of the fruits as size, shapes, flavor and color among many other intricate features (Kobayashi, Suzuki & Sasaya, 1999). The success of the technique lies in the effective consideration of the features of the plants to unite. Besides the fact that both must belong in the same species, the scion and the stock must both have productive feature that will increase the productivity the resulting plant. In most cases, the stock provides such fundamental features as disease and drought resistance while the scion promise such features as increased foliage and fruit production among others. The union of such plants results in a plant that will endure harsh ecological factors while increasing the agricultural productivity of the farmer (Kobayashi, Suzuki & Sasaya, 1999). Successful grafting requires the introduction of a bud that is a live tissue obtained from a plant, into the stem of yet another plant. The two plants tissues both the bud and the stem must stay alive until they fuse successfully thus producing new leaves. The period of fusion varies often ranging to a few weeks. In joining the two, practitioners cut the stem closer to the base thereby eradicating all the leaves from the plant before introducing the bud. After a few weeks, the fusion produces new leaves arising from the inserted bud. Grafting is advisable in small plants thus producing improved seedlings. However, joints resulting from the grafting process are often weaker than natural joints in plants thus imploring tender management of the plants in order to permit them grow. Additionally, this validates the need for grafting smaller plants since as the plant grows; the joint becomes stronger as the two different plants progressively inosculate with each other. Origin Grafting is one of the oldest agricultural techniques in the world. The Chinese practiced the technique as early as 2000 BC before the practice spread to other parts of Eurasia and Greece. Contemporary agricultural techniques have improved the efficacy of the technique owing to the development of agricultural knowledge in both plant and animal husbandry. Grafting has enhanced agriculture in the modern society by providing an efficient and convenience way of increasing the productivity of plants purposely to meet the market demand. Modern technologies have succeeded in compelling the grafted plants to flower besides the convenient platform that grafts provide for studying virus transmission in plants. Grafting has spread to different parts of the world including Africa where the technique provides effective ways of making local societies food secure besides fostering economic growth through increased production of agricultural products. Development The technique developed from natural grafting. Apparently, in a natural setting tree stems and roots of the same species often conjoin naturally thus resulting in the creation of a new specie in the forests among other natural ecosystems. Such observations thus influence the studies of the technique resulting in the modern day grafting. Grafting in such natural set ups enable different tress to share such resources as roots and leaves that enable them share water and mineral resources among many other features necessary for their growth and survival in the natural settings. The occurrences of natural grafting provide agriculturalists with effective access to the intricate features of the plants thus sustaining studies into the operations of the technique. Such influenced the development of root grafting thereby exposing disadvantage root grafting. Other successive developments of the technique include hybrid grafting. This refers to a situation in which the stock grows into the scion despite the grafting. Such plants thus produce foliage and flowers of both the two plants thereby exhibiting the uniqueness of nature while increasing the longevity of both plants. Another equally intriguing development of the technique is herbaceous grafting. This refers to a delicate type of grafting done on non-woody plants such as vegetables. Despite the precarious nature of the process, herbaceous grafting enhances the development of agriculture in different parts of the world with tomato grafting being among the most popular types of grafting in Japan. Through the technique, agriculturalists have succeeded in developing disease and drought resistant species of tomatoes thereby improving food security in the regions. Grafting is a pertinent aspect of agriculture in the modern society since it provides farmers with effective ways of improving productivity of agriculture among other forms of agriculture thus fostering the growth of agribusiness globally. Among the types of grafting used in modern agricultures are cleft, bud, whip and stub among many others. Dedicated researches on the technique continue to improve the efficacy of the unions thus improving the yield of crafted plants. Bud grafting refers to the use of buds instead of twigs, inserting the buds into a stock without leaves increases chances of the grafting sprouting into new leaves. Additionally, it enhances the development of stronger joints. Impact As the most practiced agricultural technique in modern agriculture, grafting has myriad impacts that have successfully fostered the growth of agribusiness just as discussed above. Grafting results in the creation of a new species that increases the yield, agriculture is profitable in the modern society owing to the success of grafting that result in specific plant species that are appropriate for specific ecological features of the different regions. Grafting for example helps induce dwarfing in plants. Tall species of apples presented a major challenge in harvesting a feature that motivated several grafting tests with shorter species of apples. Apples in most orchards in the modern society are of an appropriate height thus resulting in increased convenience to the farmers. In a summary, grafting presents realistic solutions to some of the major challenges that farmers face. By solving such challenges, grafting has succeeded in improving agribusiness by providing farers with possible ways of meeting the unique and rising demand for particular produce. Grafting for example satisfies curiosity both in farmer and in agricultural scientists who undertake different tests in various plants in both their farms and laboratories respectively. Scientists carry out dedicated grafting of both potatoes and tomatoes with the view of producing both fruits in the same plant, one in the leaves while the other in the roots. References Core, J. (2005). Grafting watermelon onto squash or gourd rootstock makes firmer, healthier fruit.. Agricultural Research. Kobayashi, K.; Suzuki, M. & Sasaya, S. (1999). "Grafting Robot", Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 11 (3): 213–219. Lang, A., Chailakhyan, M.K. and Frolova, I.A. (1977). Promotion and inhibition of flower formation in a dayneutral plant in grafts with a short-day plant and a long-day plant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 74(6): 2412-2416. Read More