Syllabus
Theory
Definitions of plant physiology and crop physiology; Importance of crop physiology; Relationship of crop physiology with other branches of crop science; Diffusion and osmosis; Physiological roles of water to crop plants; Definition of water potential and components of water potential; Water absorption by plants: Concept of active and passive absorption; Water loss by plants: Types of water loss: transpiration, stomatal physiology and guttation; Water use efficiency; Essential and beneficial elements; Passive and active transport of mineral element; Functions of essential elements; Criteria of essentiality of nutrients; Correction measures for nutrient deficiency symptoms; Foliar nutrition and root feeding – significance; Aeroponics Imbibition; Field capacity, permanent wilting point and available soil moisture; Apoplast, symplast and transmembrane, Ascent of sap – theories and mechanism; Soil-plant-atmospheric continuum. Significance of transpiration. Stomatal opening and closing mechanisms. Definition of Cavitation and embolism. Antitranspirants – types and examples. Hydroponics and sand culture. Overview of plant cell – organelle and their functions. Brief outline of: Photosynthetic apparatus, pigment quantum requirement and quantum yield; Structure of chloroplast, Examples of different photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoids, phycobilins etc.), Difference between chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, Structure of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, Short discussion on quantum requirement and quantum yield, Red drop and Emerson enhancement effect, Pigment system I and II. Introduction to light reaction of photosynthesis, Light absorption by photosynthetic pigments and transfer of energy. Source of O2 during photosynthesis: Hill reaction; Brief introduction to cyclic and non-cyclic photo-phosphorylation: production of assimilatory powers; Introduction to C3, C4 and CAM pathways: Calvin Cycle, Hatch and Slack Cycle, CAM Cycle; Significance of these pathways (concept of photorespiration, absence of photorespiration in C4 plant: Productivity of C4 plant, CAM: an adaptive mechanism); Factors affecting photosynthesis (light, temperature, CO2, O2 etc.). Outline of the process of respiration: Definition and importance, Glycolysis, Kreb Cycle and ETC, Factors affecting respiration (O2, temperature, CO2 etc.). Terminologies / Definitions: Growth, Development and Differentiation. Measurement of plant growth (fresh weight, dry weight, linear dimension, area etc.). Introduction to CGR, RGR, NAR etc. Photoperiodism: Photoperiodic Classification of plants: Short Day Plant, Long Day Plant, Day Neutral plant etc. Introduction to Photoperiodic induction site of photo-inductive perception, Role of Phytochrome Introduction to Vernalization (What is vernalization, devernalization etc.), Meaning, classification (seasonal, sequential etc), relation with abscission. Physiological and biochemical changes during senescence, Abscission and its significance, Concept of stay green, Hormonal regulation of senescence. Terminologies / Definitions: Plant hormone, Plant growth regulators (PGR), Plant growth inhibitor. Recognized classes of PGR (Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinins, Ethylene and Abscisic acid) and their major physiological roles, Agricultural uses of PGRs (IBA, NAA, 2, 4 –D, GAs, Kinetin etc).
Practical
Study on structure and distribution of stomata; Demonstration of imbibition, osmosis, plasmolysis, estimation of water potential, relative water content; Tissue test for mineral nutrients, identification of nutrient deficiency and toxicity symptoms in plant; Identification of nutrients by hydroponics; Estimation of photosynthetic pigments, rate of photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration; Plant growth analysis; Study on senescence and abscission, hormonal regulation of senescence; Demonstration of the effects of different PGRs on plants, Leaf anatomy of C3 and C4 plants.