>> Introduction to Grafting and Budding
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Liberty Hyde Bailey, often called the father of American horticulture, wrote that grafting is the oldest of the propagation arts. Although its origins reach back to antiquity, it is unlikely that deliberate grafting by early man predates the collection and sowing of wild plant seed, which was fundamental to crop domestication and the origin of human agriculture. Perhaps Bailey did not regard seed propagation as an "art," as he did grafting. In any event, grafting, like most other approaches to deliberate plant propagation, with the possible exception of micropropagation (tissue culture), was by no means a novel "invention" by mankind, but rather an adaptation of what our ancestors observed occurring naturally. Go to Natural and Human History of Grafting & Budding. Graftage (the practice of grafting) is just one of a number of asexual
or clonal propagation methods which also include cuttage, layerage, division,
micropropagation, and We recommend that you begin your study of grafting with the section on learning objectives, followed by Concepts and Definitions. The Index will guide you from there. If you decide to proceed as soon as possible to hands-on practice with grafting (laboratory exercises) you should at least review the section on Requirements for Successful Grafting & Budding. Before you proceed to learn about the how, when and why of the fascinating
and agriculturally important topic of grafting, you should familiarize
yourself with the course by reading the files in the Course Information
section of the Blackboard site. To learn how to access the
Web-based information presented in this course most efficiently, read
the section on Setting Up Course Utilities to make
sure you have an appropriate Web browser, video viewer, and CD-ROM access.
Course management (grading, discussions, etc.) will be handled by Blackboard
for The How, When, and Why of Grafting (professional course
management software).
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