3.7 understand that plants can reproduce asexually by natural methods (illustrated by runners) and by artificial methods (illustrated by cuttings)

Asexual reproduction produces clones.

Natural methods

Runners grow new plants from their stems. this is the process in a strawberry plant (for example)...

- the parent plant grows runners (fast growing shoots that grow sideways just above the ground)

- these runners will grow roots into the soil at various distances and new plants will begin to grow

NOTE: examples of runners include the strawberry plant and the spider plant.

NOTE NOTE: There is no genetic variation between the new plants and the parent plant as the new plants are clones of the parent plant

Artificial methods

Humans can use artificial methods to clone plants. The process is as follows...

- Take a cutting from the parent plant

- Plant the cutting

That's it :) the plants that grow from the cuttings will be genetically identical copes of the parent plant. this method is used often as it is quick and cheap, whilst waiting for the plant to naturally clone can take a long time.