PLNT 4590: Physiology of Crop Plants (Winter, 2010)

Instructor: Dr. Belay Ayele

Office: Room 111 Agriculture Building

Research Lab: Room 112, Crop Technology Center, 194 Dafoe Road

Phone: 474-8227

Email :b_ayele@umanitoba.ca

Lab Demonstartor: Ms. Shalini Mukherjee

Research Lab Location: Room 112, Crop Technology Center, 194 Dafoe Road

Phone: 474-8352

Email:ummukher@cc.umanitoba.ca

Lecture: 12:30 -1:20 pm (M, W, F) Location: Room 134, Agriculture Building

Laboratory: 2:30 - 5:25 pm (W) Location: Room 342, Agriculture Building

Office Hours : 11:00 am -12:30 pm (Thursdays). Otherwise, available by appointment only.

Course Catalog Description: PLNT 4590 Physiology of Crop Plants, Cr. Hrs. 3. Prerequisites: CHEM 2770/2360; PLNT 3500 or BOTN 2010/2020.Concepts dealing with the physiological response of crop plants to the environment from the time of seed germination through to reproduction. Moreover, basic knowledge in crop science and soil science is desirable.

Required Textbook : Taiz L and Zeiger E (2006) Plant Physiology. 4th ed. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers, Sunderland, MA ISBN: 0-87893-856-7. It is available at the book store.

Please Note: Though this book provides reasonable coverage for most of the topics in the course, it is not either sufficiently detailed or does not cover some of the topics to be discussed in this course. To supplement the shortfalls, please refer to selected chapters from the following books, a copy of which will be held in reserve at the William R. Newman (Agriculture) library.

Bewley JD, and Black M (1994) Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination. 2 nd ed. Plenum Press, New York.

Hay R and Porter J (2006) The Physiology of Crop Yield. 2 nd ed. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, UK.

General Course Objectives: The goal of this course is to give students a greater understanding of the physiological processes, plant responses and environmental factors affecting growth and productivity of the agricultural crops we depend on, and to stimulate student learning of basic concepts in crop growth and development. The course is also designed to enable students to use the knowledge of crop physiology to answer practical questions. Basic concepts underlying crop physiology will be demonstrated through laboratory exercises.

Grading : Your final grade will be determined by the following:

Exam 1: one hour examination (February 03, 2010) 20%

Exam 2: one hour examination (March 05, 2010) 20%

Final exam: one and a half hours final examination (at the end of the term) 30%

Practical assignments 10%

Lab reports 20%

Total 100%

Grading Scale

Evaluative feedback from the first assignment and midterm examination will be provided prior to the deadline for voluntary withdrawal (March 19, 2010)

Lecture Exams: There will be two one hour exams during the term and a final comprehensive exam. The first two exams will cover mainly the lectures and reading materials presented before each exam but after the previous exam, whereas for the final exam you should expect the coverage of some cumulative information garnered throughout the term.

Practical Assignments: A series of seven "practical problem solving assignments" will be given during the semester. Each assignment will consist of 2 short questions designed to apply what we have learned in class to practical "real life" situations experienced in agricultural systems. These are intended to make students think and solve practical problems using their knowledge of crop physiology.

Labs: This course will have a total of 6 lab sessions. You will be given instructions and background information for the concepts to be illustrated at the beginning of each session. Your lab grade will be determined by your attendance, participation and lab reports. The lab reports should contain the following parts: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. Regardless of how each lab work is performed (individually or in group); lab reports should be written on an individual basis. The lab reports are due in a week after the completion of the lab work. Lab reports not submitted by the due date will be penalized 10% of the total value for each day late.

Attendance: Most important course materials are discussed in the lecture, thusstudents are required to attend all classes. Lab attendance is mandatory. Reports will not be accepted if the lab is not attended, unless the student provides acceptable justification and/or documentation as required.

Persons with special needs: Please feel free to contact me at the very beginning of the term if you have any concerns or learning needs in this regard.

University Policies, Plagiarism and Cheating: Students are reminded that they have an obligation to act in a fair and reasonable manner towards their peers, the faculty, staff, administration and the physical property of the university, and that plagiarism, cheating and impersonation of others in examinations are serious offences and will be handled according to Policies and Guidelines of the University of Manitoba, Section 1: Student Discipline Bylaw (see page 24 of the 2009-2010 University of Manitoba Undergraduate Calendar).

Lecture Outline

1. Seed Physiology

- Seed structure and its composition

- Seed storage reserves: the energy to fuel early seedling growth

- Seed imbibition and germination: the transition of seed embryo into a seedling

- Metabolic and cellular events during germination

- Physiology of seed dormancy: deciding to germinate or not to germinate

- Mobilization of storage reserves and its control

2. Seedling and crop growth

- Seedling emergence: phasing out dependence on storage reserves

- The role of cell division in crop development

- Cell walls and elongation: plant tissues plasticity and elasticity

- Root formation, development and its regulation

- Shoot formation and its development

3. Crop canopy, photosynthesis and respiration

- The life history of a leaf: why it is important?

- Components of plant leaf area expansion

- Leaf anatomy and its role in light interception

- The development of crop canopy: leaf area index

- Canopy architecture and light penetration

- Photosynthesis and photorespiration

- Photosynthetic response to temperature and CO 2: the greenhouse effect

- Crop respiration at the field, crop and canopy level

4. Mineral nutrition of crops

- Essential nutrients: deficiencies and corrective treatments

- Nitrogen assimilation

- Biological nitrogen fixation and its regulation

- Phosphate assimilation

5. The physiology of flowering

- Floral meristems and floral organ development

- Floral evocation: the endogenous and exogenous cues

- Biochemical signaling involved in flowering

6. Seed development and pre- and post-harvest physiology

- Embryogenesis and seed formation: the making of next generation plants

- Source of assimilates for grain and seed filling

- Deposition of stored reserves during seed development

- Embryo maturation and desiccation

- Physiology of pre-harvest sprouting: why seeds germinate on the parent plant?

- Seed storage and seed longevity: what is wrong with aged seeds?

7. Crop stress physiology

- Water deficit and drought tolerance

- Salinity stress: the salt injury

- Temperature stress: the heat, the chill and the freeze

- Flooding and hypoxic stress: the suffocation of plant tissues