Weeds can be propagated by?

🔑 Key Points
→ Propagation is the process of multiplying or increasing the number of plants of the same species while perpetuating their desirable characteristics.
→ There are two general methods of plant propagation: sexual and asexual propagation.

🌱 Sexual Reproduction
→ Reproduction by seed is called sexual reproduction.
→ It requires pollination and fertilization of an egg, resulting in a seed capable of producing a new plant.
→ Seed production varies greatly among and within weed species due to factors like environmental variability, competition from neighboring plants, and genetic variability.
→ For example, Canada thistle can produce as few as 680 seeds per plant, while Curly dock can produce more than 30,000 seeds per plant.

🌿 Asexual Reproduction
→ Vegetative reproduction is called asexual reproduction.
→ In asexual reproduction, a new plant develops from a vegetative organ such as a stem, root, or leaf.
→ Several modifications of these organs are common in perennial weeds, including rhizomes, stolons, bulbs, corms, and tubers.
→ Canada thistle can produce a new plant from a 1/4-inch section of root, and Yellow nut-sedge can produce more than 1,900 new plants and over 6,800 tubers in one year.

🧑‍🌾 Vegetative Propagules
→ Rhizome: A horizontal, underground stem that produces adventitious roots and shoots at the nodes. Example: Johnson grass.
→ Stolon: An above-ground stem that grows flat on the ground and can produce adventitious roots and shoots. Example: Bermuda grass.
→ Tuber: An enlarged terminal portion of rhizomes with storage tissues and axillary buds. Example: Yellow nut-sedge.
→ Bulb: A specialized underground storage organ consisting of fleshy leaves with a short stem at the base. Example: Wild garlic.
→ Creeping/Spreading roots: Horizontal roots modified for food storage and vegetative reproduction. Example: Carolina horse nettle.