791-008 Plant Physiology And Nutrition

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Objectives:

The objective of this subject is to enable students to:

• explain the life process of higher plants;

• explain the plant or plant parts in relation to physiological functions;

• gain technical expertise in the plant production area on the basis of detailed understanding of some of the important physiological processes and nutritional requirements of plants;

• explain the relationships between mineral nutrition and plant growth and to integrate these concepts and practices of plant production to improve productivity.

Content:

The relations of plant physiology to physical sciences and the importance of physiological studies in the area of crop improvement and crop production. Internal and environmental control on seed germination, growth and development, interaction between internal and environmental factors. Water balance - water uptake by plants and mechanisms of water movements in plants, plant water use and measurement of water loss, plant responses to water stress. Energy storage - Photophosphorylation, carbon pathways in c3 and c4 species of plants, photorespiration and its effect on final yield. General relationships between mineral nutrition and plant growth, nutrient uptake, pathways and functions. Nutrition and yield responses in broader context, effect of nutrients on the vegetative and reproductive development of plants, nutrient supply and quality of plant products, nutrient x other agronomic inputs interactions. Criteria of essentially, concept of nutrient concentration in plant, plant analysis for assessing the nutrient requirements, utility and limitations of plant analysis in developing fertiliser strategies.

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