Question
  I hope this is not out of your expertise. Do you know if grafting or crossing plants is essentially the same thing as genetic engineering? Thank you.

Answer
Grafting is a method of propagation that joins two stems after splicing each individually and binding them together. Crossing is a method which hybridizes an offspring through genetic engineering. So to answer your question, crossing is the only method of propagation that utilizes genetics.

Best regards,

Mike