Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Propagation

Abstract

Propagation is an important technique used by tropical and subtropical fruit growers worldwide, allowing plants to be grown cheaply and efficiently. While sexual propagation (by seed) results in plants that are not genetically the same as the mother plant, asexual propagation (cuttings, division, air-layers, and grafting) creates offspring that are clones of the mother plant. Cloning fruit trees is important because it allows different cultivars to be preserved over time. This new 7-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department explains both sexual and asexual propagation techniques, why they are used, and what type of propagation is best for which species of tropical fruit. Written by Jeff Wasielewski and Carlos Balerdi. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1349

Fruit and vegetables

“…and spondias (Spondia spp. ); Air layering involves developing roots on a stem that is still attached to the parent plant before cutting and planting, which is applicable to tropical fruit such as guavas, lychees and longans; and Grafting involves splicing scions to robust rootstock, which is applicable to major temperate, tropical and semi-tropical fruit tree species (Wasielewski and Balerd, 2019).…”