Orchids are important flower plants used for beautification and for medicinal purposes.

1
Introduction

• Orchids are important flower plants used for
  beautification and for medicinal purposes.
• Production of potted orchids for the market has a
  global perspective and great economic importance.
  
• Many species of orchids found and grown in India.
  Propagation methods has prime importance in
  Orchid Production.
• Being epiphytic in nature, Orchid has variant
  climatic and propagation requirement.

2
Propagation of Orchids

• Orchids can be propagated by six major techniques
  like
• Seed
• Division,
• Keiki,
• Aerial Cuttings.
• In vitro seed germination method in Orchid
  propagation is used on commercial basis, which
  require aseptic conditions in laboratory.
• Other propagation techniques are used in domestic
  types of orchid propagation.

3
Seed Propagation

• Orchid seeds are minute, dust like they are
  referred as dust seeds.
• Orchid seeds do not have food reserves to sustain
  growing seedling. Special techniques are required
  to sustain its early development.
• Orchid seedlings need to be naturally or
  artificially infected by a mycorrhizal fungus,
  for supplies nutrients to young growing plant
  until they can produce their own food.
• Orchid seed after germination, produces
  undifferentiated mass of cells called a
  protocorm, which further produces shoots and
  roots.

4
Seed Propagation
Capsules of Orchid
Dust Seeds of Orchid
In vitro Germination of Orchid by Seed
5
In vitro Seed Germination

• Orchid seeds are germinated on agar-based medium,
  which contains nutrients, sugar and minerals to
  support germination and growth.
• There are two types of in vitro seed germination
• Symbiotic Germination Used for propagation of
  temperate terrestrial orchids. Seeds are
  germinated in association with mycorrhizal
  fungus. Fungus absorbs complex nutrients from the
  medium and makes them available to developing
  protocorm.
• Asymbiotic Germination Used for propagation of
  tropical orchids. Seeds are germinated in absence
  of its mycorrhizal association. Media used is
  complex to improve availability of organic and
  inorganic nutrients the growing plant.

6
Division Method

• It is the simplest methods of vegetative
  propagation. New growth of orchid is separated
  from the plant in monsoon and replanted.
• The mother plant is cut and separated in two or
  more parts so that each one has 2-3 buds and one
  growing shoot.
• Separation improves the growth of all
  individual plants as space availability
  improves. New shoots flower in the
  following season.
• Example Beallara, Odontoglossum,
  Cymbidium, Coelogyne and Paphiopedilums (Ladys
  Slipper Orchid)

Divisions of Orchid
7
Keikis Method

• Some varieties of orchids self
• generate offsprings on their body
  called as Keikis.
• Keikis or baby plants are
• prototypes of mother plants and
• sprouts from node of the flower.
• Baby plant should be separated form the mother
  plant and repotted in another pot when roots are
  about 2 inches long.

Keikis of Orchid
8
Aerial Cuttings

• When placed under stressful conditions, some
  orchids produce small plants in the place of
  flower bud. These new true to type off springs
  are separated and planted in new pots.
• The full grown new plant should be removed from
  the mother plant. The aerial cuttings is an easy
  method of orchid propagation.
• Dendrobium class of orchids are
  propagated by Aerial cuttings.

Aerial Cutting of Orchid