Clone fruit trees

[Enthalpy]

Hello everyone! An idea of uncertain value...

 

Full reproduction through seeds is random. For some species (cherry and others), individual trees must be carefully selected to obtain acceptable fruits, and then reproduction by seeds fails. For these, one good individual tree is reproduced identically, by grafting only its branches, or by cutting or layering to get a full tree
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_(plant)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layering
though, the last two are impossible for some species, and grafting introduces weaknesses in the composed tree.

 

In some cases - if any possible, which I ignore - cloning the good individual may make a complete tree when other methods can't.

 

The economics of the process are highly doubtful in 2013... But in the future, cloning may begin with the special trees owned by producers to provide branches for grafting.

 

Comments welcome! Opinion of more knowledgeable people is desired!

Marc Schaefer, aka Enthalpy

[Moontanman]

What do you mean by cloning? Technically isn't a cutting the same as cloning? I use cuttings to multiply my swamp trees sometimes, fairly easy to do with aquatic trees other than cypress, a little more difficult with cypress...

Edited September 27, 2013 by Moontanman

[CharonY]

Precisely. Trying to replicate this on the cell line level is needlessly complicated.

[John Cuthber]

Propagation by cutting si pretty much cloning by definition.

Here's what Wiki has to say.

"The term clone is derived from the Ancient Greek word κλών (klōn, “twig”), referring to the process whereby a new plant can be created from a twig. "

 

As for "The economics of the process are highly doubtful in 2013"

I don't have an estimate of the value of the worldwide market for golden delicious apples but I wish I had that kind of money.

[Enthalpy]

Thanks for your interest!

 

Cutting, as a vegetative propagation, does reproduce the same individual. Though, not every species is capable of it.

 

Cloning might then be an alternative to get a whole copy (including the roots) of an individual.

 

As the operation would be done for each new tree, it would demand a very low cost. Some simple genetic operations are made for calf, but a calf is ten times more valuable than a tree.

[Moontanman]

Thanks for your interest!

 

Cutting, as a vegetative propagation, does reproduce the same individual. Though, not every species is capable of it.

 

Cloning might then be an alternative to get a whole copy (including the roots) of an individual.

 

As the operation would be done for each new tree, it would demand a very low cost. Some simple genetic operations are made for calf, but a calf is ten times more valuable than a tree.

 

 

How would cloning be any different than cuttings? A cutting is genetically identical to the parent, roots and all....

[John Cuthber]

Thanks for your interest!

 

Cutting, as a vegetative propagation, does reproduce the same individual. Though, not every species is capable of it.

 

Cloning might then be an alternative to get a whole copy (including the roots) of an individual.

 

As the operation would be done for each new tree, it would demand a very low cost. Some simple genetic operations are made for calf, but a calf is ten times more valuable than a tree.

Probably every banana you have eaten is pretty much a clone. They are reproduced commercially by cuttings.

And they are not expensive.

[Enthalpy]

Cutting does not work for every species.

 

For these species that can't make roots from a branch, I wonder if methods from genetical engineering work, like: inject in an egg the genes from an other individual to be multiplied.

 

Banana trees may be multiplied by cutting. The fruits they carry are not necessarily all identical. At least for cherries, prunes... the flesh has the tree's genes, but the stone is a new individual resulting from two parents.

[Moontanman]

Cutting does not work for every species.

 

For these species that can't make roots from a branch, I wonder if methods from genetical engineering work, like: inject in an egg the genes from an other individual to be multiplied.

 

Banana trees may be multiplied by cutting. The fruits they carry are not necessarily all identical. At least for cherries, prunes... the flesh has the tree's genes, but the stone is a new individual resulting from two parents.

Obviously the "stone" has two parents or at least a reshuffling of genes, Most trees can make roots from branches, I've even seen pine trees do it over time. On the other hand plants can be cultured from cells quite easily compared to animals. Orchids are often cultured like that...

[John Cuthber]

Cutting does not work for every species.

 

 

Banana trees may be multiplied by cutting. The fruits they carry are not necessarily all identical.

Ture, but it works quite well for a lot of them.

The fruit of the banana has no seeds and is sterile I think it's entirely derived genetically from the parent tree.

 

You can use complicated cell culture techniques but it's very fiddly so it's expensive.

But, when it comes down to it, people have been cloning plants for ages, for exactly the sorts of reasons you suggested.

[overtone]

A lot of fruits - vines and shrubs and trees - are grown as cuttings grafted unto some other rootstock, to get the advantage of some disease resistance or other adaptation of the rootstock variety.

 

In theory one could get the same results by regular breeding, but this takes human generations of trial and error with slow maturing woody perennials.

 

So cloned cells of fruit trees might be very useful in genetic engineering - speeding up the process of hybridizing, speeding up the process of multiplying the hybrid, etc.

[pippo]

I have been cloning trees for years. Grafting too. Some grafts are hard to do. gees- have been trying to do a mango for 2 years now- fail every time except for once in August- 1 out of 4 bark grafts worked. repeated over and over, and couldnt repeat that one sucess. man, I was LUCKY!

 

BUT, cloning- hehe, Have pretty good luck with that. Above poster mentioned cloning pines. Softwoods are easy, people. try cloning hardwood trees! talk about tough (no pun). Did many lemons, and olives too (yes, theyre hardwoods). When you can clone/root hardwood trees, you have come far, Grasshopper. Rootdone seems to help, in theory. Use a plastic bag over the pot, hang from a shade tree. Wait 2-4 months. be patient. June to September.

 

Not true cloning is not commercialized- Olives, its the p[referred method these days. faster fruiting vs grafting. BUT, grafted rootstock has stronger root system. Also, "wild" root system less vulnerable to pests.

Edited October 9, 2013 by pippo