SELECTION AND PREPA
RATION OF PLANTING M
ATERIAL
Pompe C. Sta. Cruz, PhD
Crop Science Cluster, UP Los Baños
Planting Material Selection
Species/Varieties
Source Farm
Mother Plants in a Farm
Fruits & Seeds from Mother Pla
nt
Nursery or Seedling Stage
Planting Material Selection
Selection of Species/Varieties
Market demand
Suitability of the area for growing
Yield quantity and quality
Tolerance to pest & diseases
Tolerance to environmental stresse
s
Farmer’s preference
Planting Material Selection
Selection of a Source Farm
Crop stand
Yielding ability
Quality of harvest
Planting Material Selection
Selection of Mother Plants in a Fa
rm
Uniformity
Overall vigor
Yielding ability
Free from pests/diseases
Planting Material Selection
Selection of Fruits & Seeds from
Mother Plant
High & uniform grain ripening in ann
uals
Uniform maturity & medium to big s
eeds/fruits in fruit & plantation crop
s
Free from pests & diseases
Planting Material Selection
Selection at Nursery or Seedling
Stage
Early germination (seed)
Seedling vigor
# leaves
stem diameter
height
root development
Pest- & disease-free
Basis for Selecting Variety
Annual Crops
Plantation Crops
Fruit Crops
Basis for Selecting Variety
Annual Crops
Yield quantity and quality
Resistance to pests & diseases
Tolerance to adverse/stress conditio
ns
Farmer’s preference
Others
Basis for Selecting Variety
Plantation Crops
Yielding ability
Earliness & regularity of fruiting
Resistance to pests & diseases
Quality of processed products
Other factors unique to species
Basis for Selecting Variety
Fruit Crops
Eating quality for fresh fruits
sweetness, texture, color, fruit or seed size,
etc.
Juice processing
acidity level, soluble solids, juice color, proc
essing specifications
Early-bearing tendency & rapid attai
nment of peak production
Basis for Selecting Variety
Fruit Crops
Regularity of fruit-bearing
Resistance to aerial & soil-borne di
seases --- use of resistant rootstock
Farmers’ preference
Economic yield Crop Yield (t/ha)
Mango 8-10
Papaya 15-20
Rambutan 4
Banana 40-50
Calamansi 2-3
Durian 3-4
Planting Materials
Annuals
Seed
All Grain Crops
Vegetable Crops
Grain Legumes
Fiber Crops
Planting Materials
Annuals
Vegetative Planting Materials
Stem cutting
matured stem with nodes & internodes
sugarcane, sweet potato, cassava, forage g
rasses
Tuber
underground stem
white potato
Planting Materials
Annuals
Vegetative Planting Materials
Bulb
leaf bud comprised of clustered leaves – un
derground stem
multiplier onion, garlic
Corm
-underground soli
d stem that conta
in nodes & intern
odes cut into sev
eral pieces
taro, banana, aba
ca
Planting Materials
Annuals
Vegetative Planting
Materials
Rhizome
subterranean rootlike ste
m that have roots in lowe
r portion & shoots in the
upper portion
ramie, ginger
Planting Materials
Perennials
Seed
Fruit Crops
(papaya, pili, jackfruit, mangosteen, atis, g
uayabano)
Plantation Crops
(coconut, oil palm, coffee, cacao)
Propagated by seeds & rootstock from
seeds
Planting Materials
Perennials
Vegetative Planting Materials
Runners
growing stem tha
t arise from leaf a
xils and form root
s
strawberry, black
pepper
Slips
-leafy shoots or
iginating from a
xillary buds bor
ne at the base
of the plant or f
ruit
pineapple, cabb
age
Planting Materials
Perennials
Vegetative Planting Materials
Suckers
Shoots that arise adventitiously from roots
banana, abaca
Corms
underground solid stem that contain nodes
& internodes buds are produced at the up
per nodes and roots from the lower surfface
cut into several pieces
gladiolus, banana, abaca
Planting Materials
Perennials
Vegetative Planting Materials
Root cuttings
breadfruit
Leaf bud cuttings
derived from axillary buds(bud formed in th
e upper angle between a twig or a petiole a
nd the stem) in stem
black pepper, vanilla
Planting Materials
Perennials
Vegetative Planting Materials
Stem cuttings
mature stem with 2-3 nodes & internodes
sineguelas, macopa, grape, black pepper, v
anilla, kapok
Asexual materials
produced from layerage, marcotting, grafta
ge, budding
Planting Materials
Perennials
Vegetative Planting Materials
Plantlets
derived from micropropagation-tissue cultur
e from embryo, endosperm, mature seeds,
stems, shoot tips, root tips, meristem, singl
e cells, pollen grains
banana, orchids, citrus, bamboo, rattan, m
acapuno
Planting Material Preparation An
nuals
Seed
Seed Storage
12-13% MC and refrigeration To or dehumid
ified condition
Airtight containers
Use of desiccants
Planting Material Preparation An
nuals
Seed
Pre-Germination Treatment
Seed treatment with fungicide
Metalaxyl to control downy mildew in corn at v
egetative stage
Vernalization or cold treatment
4-6 months storage at 40o F or GA treatment (
soaking for 12 hr in 500-2,500 ppm solution) e
nhance early flowering in gladiolus
Planting Material Preparation An
nuals
Seed
Pre-Germination Treatment
Seed inoculation
Seeds coated with inoculants (Rhizobia) to enh
ance N-fixing ability of legumes
Planting Material Preparation An
nuals
Vegetative Plant Parts (Preparati
on)
Cassava
mature portion of stem (7 months old) is c
ut into 20-25 cm length pieces
Viable for 5 mo if properly stored
Sugarcane
top portion of stalk is used, with at least 3
nodes
Planting Material Preparation An
nuals
Vegetative Plant Parts (Preparati
on)
Sweet potato
cuttings of 25-30 cm from tip of the vine
White potato
tuber cut into seed pieces, each contains a
bud
fungicide treatment
Planting Material Preparation
Perennials
Perennial Seeds
Disadvantages of Propagation
by Seed
Trees longer time to bear fruits (lanzone
s, mango, etc.)
Trees tends to develop large crown
Cross pollinated do not usually retain cha
racteristics of parents
Planting Material Preparation
Perennials
Perennial Seeds
Disadvantages of Propagation by Se
ed
Variability in terms of:
productiveness
fruit quality
regularity of fruit bearing
growth habit
floral behavior (apomixis)
Planting Material Preparation
Perennials
Seed Viability
Recalcitrant seeds
moisture content is initially high & drying (b
elow 20% in rambutan & rubber seeds) l
oss in viability
Mango, durian, rambutan, mangosteen, lan
zones, santol, jackfruit, tea, citrus, rubber,
oil palm
Planting Material Preparation
Perennials
Seed Viability
Recalcitrant seeds
Storage
sand, sawdust or charcoal moistened to 10% i
n polyethylene bags at 27oC
or refrigerated condition may prolong viability f
rom 1-2 wk to 1-4 mo
Planting Material Preparation
Perennials
Seed Viability
Orthodox seeds
can be dried at 5-14% to prevent respirator
y process & placed in airtight container
Atis, chico, guayabano, passion fruit, tamar
ind, coffee
Storage
refrigeration & use of desiccants can prolong vi
ability for > 1 yr
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Site or Infrastructure
Open field field-grown crops & tra
nsplanted rice
Seedbeds, concrete pavements
Seedboxes
Seedling trays
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Site or Infrastructure
Nursery vegetables, fruits, plantat
ion crops
Seedbeds, concrete pavements
Seedboxes
Seedling trays
Pots, plastic bags, improvised containers
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Seeds are maintained until ready for pl
anting, transplanting, or repotting/reb
agging
desired seedling size at transplanting
Asexually propagated plants grown un
til ready for planting in the field
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Soil medium:
ordinary soil/garden soil for germination
light-textured soil (sand/ garden soil/organic ma
tter) for rooting
Necessary nutrient, water, pest manag
ement & special requirements imposed
during seedling stage
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Size and age of Seedlings at Tran
splanting
Seedling height
generally 30 cm
may vary with crop species
Number of developed leaves
3-4 leaves
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Size and age of Seedlings at Field
Planting
Age at planting
2-4 weeks --- cereals & field crops (annuals)
2-3 months --- papaya
4-6 months --- jackfruit/guayabano
3-4 months --- guava
6-10 months --- coffee
6-9 months --- coconut (splitting of leaves)
8-15 months --- oil palm (5-8 leaves
developed)
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Shade Management
Germination/rooting stage require p
artial shading
Coconut, mango, citrus can be exposed to f
ull sunlight
Coffee, cacao, rambutan, mangosteen, lanz
ones, banana, & grafted/budded planting m
aterials need 25-50% partial shade
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Hardening
Pre-sowing hardening
soaking of seeds in water for 1-48 hr (depe
nding on seed)
then air-drying to their original moisture co
ntent before sowing
Planting Material Preparation
Nursery Operations (except direct-seeded plants)
Hardening
Starting 1 month to few days before planting or
transplanting (depending on crop) --- cultural pr
actices to reduce transplanting shock are impos
ed:
Gradual withdrawal of water and fertilizer application
Gradual exposure to sunlight (if grown in partial shad
e)
Partial pruning/cutting of leaves & roots (blocking)
Gradual balling/burlapping of big trees (1 mo before t
ransplanting)
Use of protectants/anti-transpirants to reduce transpi
ration
Thank You
SELECTION AND PREPARATION
OF PLANTING MATERIAL
