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Are there any limitation to the grafting so we could only graft a branch to another tree? Could we just use cell from the seed, or just a sprout, to graft onto the tree of the same species?

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    $\begingroup$ If you could do this, the process wouldn't be grafting, as that's defined as attaching a branch or twig. Tissue culture is used to raise plants from cells. $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    May 11, 2020 at 16:40

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Tree grafting involves a rootstalk and a scion (part to be grafted onto the rootstalk). Here is a reference on the basics of grafting. Usually, this is done to combine the advantage of a strong or mature root system (from the rootstalk) with desired fruits or buds (produced by the scion). In this case, the roots of the scion plant might be sensitive, disease-prone, or just take a long time to develop (read more here). It is also possible to graft a scion onto the same variety of cultivar. Grafting refers to the joining of vascular cambium of a scion and a rootstock in such a way that they can share resources and continue to grow together (see previous links). As such, adding cells from a seed to a larger plant would not be grafting, because there wouldn't be that pre-established vascular tissue to connect with the vascular cambium of the rootstock. Additionally, a single sprout would not have a good chance of binding well to the vascular system of the rootstock (see link 2).

If you are interested in reading more about different forms of (non-seed) propagation, this resource describes the why/when/and how of grafting and layering (another technique that might help you, if you're trying to propagate only one tree variety as indicated in your question), and there are many great resources on youtube about the basics.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you very much. What I am after is, I was known that growing a fruit tree from seed take so much times and effort for them to establish into a tree that can bear fruit. So I just think how could we speed up this process. One way I see is, (some?) tree can sprout a young bud from the branch that look very much the same as sprout from the seed, so shouldn't it possible to graft just that and it would become just another branch but contain new DNA, that's what I thought $\endgroup$
    – Thaina
    May 18, 2020 at 4:42
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    $\begingroup$ Yes! Grafting budwood from younger trees to more established rootstalk is a fundamental practice in many orchard crops! If you are interested in learning more about budwood I would recommend this video (citrus) youtube.com/watch?v=l1HSOy-3JGU&feature=youtu.be $\endgroup$
    – laporp
    May 18, 2020 at 5:07
  • $\begingroup$ I see, so are there any problem for doing the same thing on apple and some other families except citrus? Because I have learn that the practice of grafting of some other plant family, such as apple, need 6-10 years to grow from seed and bear fruit before they graft it's branch to other tree. I just think if we graft the seedling and force it to be a branch it should speed up this process, or is it not? $\endgroup$
    – Thaina
    May 18, 2020 at 8:52
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    $\begingroup$ The citrus video was just an example. If you google "bud grafting apples" you will get a plethora of resources. For example: ptes.org/campaigns/traditional-orchard-project/… and extension.psu.edu/bud-grafting-apple-trees $\endgroup$
    – laporp
    May 19, 2020 at 2:16
  • $\begingroup$ What I have seen is just grafting a bud of branch, which is common, not a grafting from seed sprout $\endgroup$
    – Thaina
    May 20, 2020 at 3:23

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