Throughout my journey as a hobby grower, I’ve been lucky to have a network of people who share new and thought-provoking resources and perspectives that keep me on my toes.
Recently, one such resource on Clonal Degradation caught my attention.
Clonal Degradation is the theory that over time, clones lose their uniqueness, and can become entirely new plants that hardly resemble the original.
The 4 Arguments Clonal Degradation Hinges Upon Are:
Intraplant Genetic Variation — Studies have shown that within a single plant exists genetic variance at each of its parts; cloning a top or a bottom of a plant could, over time, completely change, resulting in a new plant entirely.
Mutation Stacking — Small mutations exist in all plants; perpetuating the life of an annual plant beyond its normal lifespan allows for those mutations to slowly compound, affecting the plant and its distinction.
Health — Similarly, the longer a mother plant is kept alive, the more susceptible it can become to outside threats such as pests and pathogens, which, if inherited by the clone, continue that degradation and may even spread it to the rest of the garden.
Loss of Vigor — Without question, the longer a plant is alive, the less vigorous it can become, especially when compared to or grown alongside plants from seed. While vigor may be degrading, this seems to be performative rather than distinctive as far as effect on success generations of clones.
What do you think:
• Does cloning (either from mothers or from vegetative plants) water down genetics?
• What’s the best way to minimize the degradation?
• Does Tissue Culture present that same issues?
