Laboratory Activity 2

SEXUAL PROPAGATION OF SELECTED FRUITS AND PLANTATION CROPS

Introduction
Sexual propagation is the method that the plants are raised from seeds. The
plants produced through seeds are called seedlings. In sexual method, the sex
organs of flower are involved in process like pollination and fertilization leads to
the formation of seed. Seeds are typically produced from sexual reproduction within
a species and genetic recombination has occurred in plants grown from seeds
which may have different characteristics from its parent.
Many tropical fruit trees flower and fruit annually, and their seeds are often
recalcitrant. Recalcitrant means that the seeds cannot be stored for long periods of
time. Recalcitrant seeds rapidly lose their viability if allowed to dry, making seed
propagation more difficult.
Sexual method of propagation is useful in many aspects like evolution of new
varieties through breeding, fruit plants like papaya, where asexual method is not
convenient for propagation, to develop hardly and better root system and in case of
poly embryonic species like in citrus and mango. But there are few loopholes in this
method of propagation like long juvenile period and come into bearing later as
compared to asexually raised plants, progeny is not true-to-type, not economical to
handle larger trees as plants raised through seeds mostly vigorous in nature.

Objectives
 Acquaint the students with procedures of seed extraction of selected tropical
fruit crops;
 Apply treatments to overcome seed dormancy of selected tropical fruits;
 Propagate different crops using sexual and asexual propagation.

Materials
A. Equipment/Tools
- Sharp knife
- Small wooden box/tin can
- Glove

B. Consumables
- Mature & well ripe healthy fruits/ seeds
- Vegetative propagules (suckers, corms, slits, etc.)
- Water
- Plastic pot/polyethylene bags
 - Soil media 1:1:1 (carbonized rice hull: vermicast: garden soil or sand:
vermicast: garden soil)

Procedure
I. Sexual propagation
A. Propagation of mango by seed
 Collect mature mango fruits from healthy polyembrionic selected trees,
and seeds must be free of pest and disease. Polyembryonic mango
cultivars are theoretically recommended to be propagated by seeds in
order to establish uniform mango rootstock.
 Fruits and seeds should as much be larger as possible according with the
selected cultivar since germination and vigor are positively related both to
seed weight and to the size of the cotyledons,
 Wash the pulp, adhering on endocarp of the seeds, immediately after the
ex- traction and then dry in the shade under good aeration environment
for 1-2 days.
 Remove the endocarp after drying by use of a pruning scissor or a
sharpened knife avoiding injury or wound the cotyledons. The removal of
the endocarp promotes a quick seed germination and also favors the
emergence of a larger number of right (erect) seedlings which improves
the graft quality.
 Execute sowing immediately after pulling out the cotyledons from the
endocarp (i.e., because viability of mango seeds is short which decreases
rapidly after 15 days of the fruit harvest),
 Mango cotyledons are kidney-shaped and during sowing, the concave
part of the seed should face down and be buried about 4–5 cm into soil
media.
 The seeds will germinate within 20 days after sowing (Figure 2-1). The
germinated seedlings are separated and transplanted singly into
polyethylene bags (18 cm (w) × 13 cm (d) × 30 cm (h)), and bags up to 45
cm in height help to avoid early root deformation.
 When the color of seedling leaves changes from coppery red (Fig.-2.2c)
to green (Fig.-2.2d), the seedlings are shifted to permanent nursery beds.
 The seedlings are grown under ~30% shade.
Note: The seeds of polyembryonic cultivars produce several seedlings,
some of which become twisted together and have curved stems and
roots, and should be discarded and not transplanted into nursery bags.
he seeds commonly germinate within 20 days after sowing (Fig.2-1a, Fig.2-1b). When the color of seedling leaves changes from coppery red (Fig.2-1c) to green (Fig.2-1d)

B. Propagation of papaya by seed

 Papayas are usually grown from seeds. Unlike the seed of many tropical
species, papaya seed is neither recalcitrant nor dormant and are
classified as intermediate for desiccation tolerance.
 To obtain plants of the best quality, papaya seeds should be obtained
from vigorous plants that possess the desired quality.
 Place seeds in a cup or vessel with clean, room temperature water, and
allow seeds to soak for 24 hours. During the soaking phase, make sure to
use very clean water. If the water has bacteria or is dirty it can drastically
reduce the % of germination.
 Drain all the water and fill again and let the remaining seeds soak for
another 24 hours.
 Discard damaged seeds, select healthy and mature seeds through
floating technique prior to sowing. Plant the seeds that have sunk and
discard the rest.
 Treat the papaya seeds with fungicide and planted in sowing beds 15 cm
above ground level that have been organically enriched. If fungicide
treatment is not available, you may directly sow the seeds.
 Sow the seeds 5 cm apart and 2 - 3 cm deep in rows 15 cm apart, and water
them daily.
 In dioecious papaya (male and female flowers on different trees), plant
about five seeds/bag and leave all the plants. Thinning will be done in the
land when the plants start to flower.
 For hermaphroditic cultivars, plant two seeds /container. The extra plants
should be transplanted into empty containers within two weeks after
germination. The plants should not be transplanted deeper than they were
(only the white part of the stem should be covered by the medium).
 Provide shade during germination to prevent the seeds from drying
out. The shade must be removed soon after germination (usually at the
four-leaf stage) because papaya plants develop poorly if shaded.
  Transplant the seedlings (to permanent planting position) in 2 1/2 months
when 15 - 20 cm high. Transplanting is more successful if polyethylene
bags of enriched soil are used instead of raised beds. Two seeds are
planted in each but only the stronger seedling is maintained.
Transplanting is best done in the evening or on cloudy, damp days. On hot,
dry days, each plant must be protected with a leafy branch or palm leaf
stuck in the soil.
 When growing dioecious papaya, one female or hermaphrodite plant is
retained, after flowering, the rest are removed. But one male is kept for
every 10 to 25 females, depending on plant density.
 Watering is done every day until the plants are well established, but over
watering is detrimental to young plants.

II. Asexual propagation

A. Propagation of banana

 The sucker multiplication plot is established with good quality, pest

and disease-free suckers planted at a high density on quality soils,
rich in organic matter. Remove suckers (Fig. 2.1) from the mother
plant when they reach a minimum of 15cm diameter and 50 cm height
above the soil.

Figure 2-2. Removal of suckers from the parent plant

 Remove the sucker (cut away and out) from the mother plant using a
sharp tool such as a narrow-bladed, straight-sided shovel, making
sure to obtain an appreciable amount of corm with the sucker.

 At planting, cut sword suckers back to about two thirds of their length,
while maiden sucker is cut back just below the crown.

B. Propagation of pineapple

 Pineapple is propagated by vegetative means using different propagules

(suckers, slips, crowns). Separate (sort) the pineapple planting material
based on the type and size so that a field is planted with uniform material.

Figure 2-3. Different vegetative planting materials of pineapple

  Remove dried leaflets found at the base of the suckers and trim the ends
with a sharp knife.

 Cure or dry all types of planting materials (by turning each type of planting
material upside down and let it dry) for one to several weeks (after they are
separated from the mother plant). This allows a callus layer to develop over
cut surface, reducing losses from decay organisms after they are planted.

 When planting, ensure that the “heart” of the plant is above soil level
otherwise rotting will occur, particularly if the soil is wet.

 Commercially pineapples are commonly planted in a double row spacing of

90 x 60 x 30 cm (Fig. 3) i.e., 90 cm between beds (double rows), 60 cm
between rows and 30 cm in the rows.

Figure 2-4. Double-row spacing in pineapple.

C. Laboratory Activity
1. Students will be group into 3 or 4 students and will perform propagation
techniques by seed and vegetative propagules.
2. Any of the fruits and plantation crops can be selected. The propagation of
several crops discussed above will only serve as guide in accomplishing
the activity.
3. Demonstrate the activity using at least one (1) of each propagation
technique: propagation by seed; and propagation by vegetative means.
For each activity, you do not need to plant a significant number of
propagules for demonstration (eg. in pineapple planting), instead, you
may at least showcase proper planting of each crop. It is also allowed to
add unique farming techniques available in your area.
4. Record a video presentation for a short video report or take photos
needed for the document report.

Options for submission:

1. Submit a document report following this activity and answer questions in the
Discussions section. Upload your document in the submission section in
Edmodo after the posting of the instructor.
2. Record a short video on how to perform propagation techniques. Following
the recording of a video are the important observations from the activity. You
may relate the context of your short video based on the discussion below.
Include the names of the students who participated in the performance of the
 activity. Upload the video log in Edmodo submission section or in the
Facebook group (Fruits and Plantation Crops).

Name: Abad, Joshua M. Score:

Dacanay, Melody C.
Farro, Jevelyn M.
Quiben, Juliet DC.
Course/Year/Section: BSA-4A/BSA4B
Laboratory Schedule: Remarks:
Date of Submission: November 19,2021

Discussions

Table 2-1 Data on crop propagated

Common Name/Scientific Name: Cacao/ Theobroma cacao

Date of sowing: October 5, 2021
Date Germinated: October 19, 2021
Germination Percentage: 100%
Date of Transplanting (if possible):
Note: Attach pictures in the appendix section

Table 2-2. Data on crop propagated through vegetative means

Common Name/Scientific Name: Banana/ Musa acuminata × balbisiana

Date of sowing/planting: November 4, 2021
% Mortality:
Date of Transplanting (if possible):

Write your observations (Table 2-3) based on the following points:

 Take at least five (5) fruits of any one or more of tropical/temperate fruits
(available in your area/or in the market) and plantation crops and observe
number of seeds per fruit.
 Whether the seeds have germination barriers (hard seed coat/testa,
gelatinous substance adhering on seed).
 Physical quality characteristics such as size, seed coat condition (example –
absence of cracks), and absence of pests or diseases that may negatively
affect germination of seeds of tropical fruits available in your area.
Table 2-3. Observations on the different kinds of fruits/plantation crops and their
characteristics

Fruit No. of Seed Physical characteristics

Seeds Germinatio
n Barrier
(coating)

Common Name Scientific Name Size Pest and Seedcoat

(diameter diseases condition
)
1. Mango Mangifera 1 Hard seed 3 - 4 cm Mango Hard,
indica coat wide stem tenacious
miner, and in
powdery good
mildew condition
2. Jackfruit Artocarpus 5 Testa 1-1.5 cm Shoot and Smooth,
heterophyllus fruit borer thin and
Lam in good
condition
3. Cacao Theobroma 3 Gelatinous 8–10 cm Cacao Thin, hard
cacao substance (3.1–3.9 pod and in
adhering on in) borer, good
seed black pod condition
rot
4. Custard Annona 6 Hard seed 1/2 in Mealy Hard,
apple squamosa coat (1.25 cm) bug, fruit shiny and
borer, good
leaf spot
5. Rambutan Nephelium 1 Fibrous seed 2/5 to 3/5 Mealybug Tight,
lappaceum coat (testa) in (1-1.5 , loopers, slightly
cm) beetles, rough and
fungal in good
infections condition
and rots

Vegetative propagules Physical characteristics

Common Name Scientific Name Variety No. of leaves No. of roots Length (in
(if any) (if any) cm)
(write native
if is locally No
grown)
1.Banana Musa acuminata Saba none Seven 50cm
× balbisiana
2. Pineapple Ananas Smooth five More than 55cm to
comosus Cayenne ten 75cm
3. Purple yam Dioscorea alata Kinampay none More than 14cm
ten
4. Taro Colocasia Gabing none five 35cm
esculenta tagalog
5. Potato Solanum Conchita none eight 12cm
tuberosum

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS (i.e. emergence of leaves, cotyledons,

number of leaves emerged, etc.):

Cacao is epigenome which means that after germination the seed will
be lifted from the surface of the soil by the root because of this it is
important to not plant the seed too deep.
Before germination of seed, we must first plant the seeds of cacao.
We sow the cacao seeds October 5, 2021. We water it after sowing in
polyethylene bag. After 14 days the seeds germinate and the seeds are
lifted up from the soil by the taproot and will then split in two. Casting
aside the seed coat in the process to reveal the first leaves. In this
period the seed coat can become dry and harden around the seed
causing deformities of the leaflet, we can prevent this by gently
removing the seed coat by our hands after germination

A sucker of banana is a shoot that develops from a lateral bud on

the rhizome and emerges from the soil usually near the parent plant. We
selected a pup that is large enough to survive when separated from the
mother plant. The selected one was transplanted on November 4, 2021
and watered it regularly. The leaves started to emerge 7 days after
transplanting. So far there are 3 leaves, green and healthy.

Note: Described your observations on the different stages of germination process/

morphological characteristics of the vegetative propagules (also if there is partial
wilting, etc.) which is visible in the naked eye. You may also include number of leaf
emerged, days before emergence, number of leaves (days after sowing), etc. Also,
the transplanting dates (if possible) and transplanting recovery.

Questions to answer:

1. Differentiate monoembryonic and polyembryonic seeds?

 In short, monoembryonic seeds produce one and only one seedling
from a seed. A seed giving two or more seedlings is polyembryonic
and all but one of these seedlings will be clones of the mother tree

2. Why fruit seeds are washed and allowed to dry under shade before sowing?
 Wash and thoroughly dry fruit seeds to ensure good germination.
Experiment with germination methods. Start seeds from fruit in a
quality seed starting soil mix, coir seed pellets, or use the plastic bag
method. Fruit seeds can take longer than vegetable seeds to sprout,
so patience is needed.
 Fleshy fruits need to have their pulp removed immediately after
collection to avoid fermentation and heating. In general, depulping can
be achieved by a combination of soaking fruits in water and by
applying pressure to the fruits with gentle abrasion.

3. What are the quality characteristics (example: physical and physiological) of

seeds of tropical fruits (select 1 fruit/plantation crops and described)?
 Jackfruit seed, the shape of ripe fruit seeds varies from round to oval to
long. Approximately 100 to 500 seeds covered by the bulb. The seed kernels
are white and usually sized between 2- 3 cm in length and are 1-1.5 cm in
diameter. The seed kernel is coated by an outer thin white shell layer and
light brown hull. Jackfruit seeds are commonly consumed as boiled or
 roasted by people in the rural areas, while some other people use them as
vegetable.

4. Is there any advantage/s of using sucker compared to slips and crown, or

vice versa? Explain the advantages and disadvantages.

 Yes it has, propagated from sucker came to bearing earlier than slips and
crowns. Suckers are also more susceptible to early flower differentiation,
especially the larger ones. A particular problem with large suckers is that
they may have undergone floral differentiation before they were harvested
for a new planting or the shock of harvesting and storing may have induced
differentiation. Crowns produce considerably more roots than slips or
suckers. Crowns are less used than slips and suckers. They are not
available where fruits are produced primarily for the fresh fruits market
because the fruit is sold with the crown. Also, crowns are unsuitable as
planting material if the growing point has been gouged to reduce crown size
or in an attempt to increase fruit weight by limiting crown growth during the
latter phases of fruit development. And the slips, which are normally larger
than tops, produce a mature plant earlier. Slips are a good source of planting
material, but overly large vestigial fruits at their base should be removed
before planting, as they may rot after planting under wet soil conditions.

5. What are the characteristics of a good vegetative propagule? Describe.

 Runners- are modified stems that are unlike rhizomes, grow from existing
stems just below the soil surface.
 Rhizome – have short internodes, send out roots from the bottom of the
nodes, and generate new upward- growing shoots from the top of the nodes.
 Tubers – are underground stems which exist under the soil surface.
Morphology, vigour and disease resistance.
 Suckers- emerge and ensure a more or less continuous supply of shoots,
each capable of producing an inflorescence.

References:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340011854_A_Critical_Review_on_Tropic
al_Fruits_Seeds_as_Prospective_Sources_of_Nutritional_and_Bioactive_Compoun
ds_for_Functional_Foods_Development
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/sexual-propagation
https://www.biotecharticles.com/Agriculture-Article/Propagation-of-Fruit-Trees-
3201.html
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/66247/Ch1-The
Pineapple.pdf
Sexual propagation

Asexual Propagation