I am wondering if it is possible to use the stem from an apple to start a tree and if so will it have the same genetics as the original apple? Have any of you tried this?
Not exactly sure what the stem reference is but all growth above the graft point will be the same and all growth below the graft will be the same. If the tree is not grafted the entire tree will be the same.
Sorry but I just realized you were actually talking about the stem off an apple. Never tried it but I would think the tree would be the same as the apple/stem.
I wondered that once too, but decided that if it were a reasonable proposition it would be easy enough to find out about it, and since there didn’t appear to be anything touching on it it wasn’t likely to be particularly useful.
Plus, grafting is pretty easy, so you shouldn’t need to clone from a stem, unless you shouldn’t be!
But, why shouldn’t it be possible to clone from a few cells from the stem, or some other woody part? I don’t know. Be fun to find out.
A person might want to clone the Endicott pear so that you can enjoy the pears for 400 years Or a person could just graft it and plant deep to let the top set roots.
One way I see that people could benefit from this propagation method, (if it ever works), was having ability to clone “club apples” or any patented apple varieties without having to pay legal fees for them or smuggling them out from their legal growers
Oh… I see what you mean by the stem. I was thinking a piece of branch, not the piece attached to the fruit itself.
It may be possible but it is probably hard. You’d have to tissue culture the cells in the stem and then transform those cells back into plants. I believe that process requires specialized chemicals and experience working with in vitro plant cultures. There might be a more direct way, but I’m not sure of that. I do know in vitro plant cultures usually start with sometime like a bit of leaf or a shoot tip.
When I was in graduate school I knew some students who worked with in vitro cultures of callus tissue from hybrid poplars, but I don’t think anyone was interested in transforming the callus tissue back into plants.
umm. grafting IS cloning
If you are referring to the "stem "as the part that is left on the apple when you pick a ripe one and it detaches from the twig at the normal absission layer. This is called the "peduncle "
And does not have any buds on it. So no where for growth to start.
Tissue culture is normally done starting with meristematic tissue from a bud. This peduncle has no buds .
While there are live cells in there, so theoretically possible ?
I believe it would be very difficult, unlikely ,to start such a piece.even through current tissue culture.
And all but impossible with normal rooting of cutting technics.?
But …that’s just my opinion.
Technology advances , so …? Maybe ?