Course title: Crop Physiology
The University of Jordan
Course code: 0601241, 0601340
Faculty of Agriculture
Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science Credit hours: 3(2,3)
Pre-requisite: Principles of Plant Production
(0661101)
Instructor: Dr. Safwan Shiyab
Email: safwan@ju.edu.jo
Office: 117, Faculty of Agric. Building
Course Time: 10.00-11.00 Sun –Teu
Class room: Lab 184 Agr
Lab meetings: 3.00-6.00 Sun & Teu
Lab. room : 184 Agr
Office hours: 11.00-12.00 Sun –Teu or by appointment
Web address: http://blackboard.ju.edu.jo/
User name : 601340_std
Course Description:
Control of crop physiological processes in relation to genetic, enzymatic, hormonal and
phytochrome systems. Crop water status, nutrition and energy metabolism in relation to
yield. Photosynthesis, transport, and accumulation of photosynthates. Use of plant growth
regulators in agriculture. Crop growth and development in relation to environment. Stresses
and their effects on crop growth, adaptations, and acclimatization.
Text Books
Taiz, L. and E. Zeiger. 2002. Plants physiology. 3rd edition
(http://www.plantphys.net/book.php)
Hopkins, W. and Norman P.A. Huner. 2004. Introduction to plant physiology. 3rd edition.
John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York. U.S.A.
Course content and weight:
This course is divided into 30 (1 hour) lectures (including one Midterm exam) and 14
laboratory sessions. The weight of each part reflects the duration and effort for each of the
following topics.
Lecture Topics
Duration
Introduction:
 Structure and Organization of Plants
2 hour
 Plant cells and tissues
 Biochemical role of membranes
 Plant parts, structure, and function
Plant water relations
 Plant cell and water
2 hour
o Physical and chemical properties of water,
o Translocation of water: diffusion, bulk flow, osmosis
o Concept of water potential
o Water movement in cells
 Water relations of the whole plant
2 hour
o Roots, soil and the uptake of water
o Anatomy of water conduction
o Ascent of xylem water
o Transpiration process, driving forces, and measurements
1
Mineral nutrition
 Plants and inorganic nutrients
o Studying mineral requirements
o Essential nutrient elements
o Beneficial elements
o Nutrient roles and deficiency symptoms and toxicity
 Roots, soil and nutrient uptake
o Soil and nutrients
o Membrane transport
o Ion uptake by roots
o Roots-microbe interaction
Photosynthesis
 Light and pigments:
o Physical nature of light
o Measuring light
o Absorption and action spectra
o Photoreceptors
o The chloroplast
 Light dependent reaction
o Light absorption by leaves
o Photosystems and light harvesting complexes
o Photosynthetic electron transport (Z-Scheme)
o Photophosphorylation
o Electron transport and weed control
 Carbon metabolism
o Photosynthetic carbon reduction (PCR) cycle
o Activation and regulation of PCR cycle
o Photorespiration
o C4 and CAM plants
o Factors affecting photosynthesis
Translocation and distribution of photoassimilates
 Structure of phloem tissue
 Sources and sinks
 Mechanism of translocation
 Phloem loading and unloading
 Phloem structure and transport theories
 Assimilate distribution
Plant Growth and development
 Growth, development and differentiation
 Control of plant growth and development
Plant hormones
 Mode of action of hormones
 Role of hormones in crop development and there uses in
agriculture
Light and development
 Developmental processes controlled by light
 Phytochrome nature and role
 Phototropism
 Photoperiodism
1 hour
2 hours
2 hour
2 hours
2 hours
3 hour
3 hour
1 hour
3 hours
2 hours
2
Physiological stresses
 Biotic and abiotic stresses
1 hours
 Plant responses to stresses, adaptation and tolerance
2 hours
Lab. Topics
No.
Laboratory
Experimental Tasks and Assignments Due
- Lab Instructions and requirements
1
Introduction
2
Plant structure
3
Plant water relations
4
Plant water relations
5
Plant water relations
6
Mineral Nutrition
7
Photosynthesis
8
Photosynthesis
9
Plant growth and
development
10
Plant growth and
development
- Factors affecting membranes permeability and
function
- Chemical aspects of plant cells
- Estimation of water potential of plant tissues
- Use of pressure bomb and psychrometer for
determination of water and solute potential
- Determination of relative water content of plant
tissues
- Study stomatal morphology and distribution
- Determination of stomatal resistance
- Transpiration measurements
- Factors affecting transpiration
- Set-up mineral deficiency experiment
- Qualitative tests for the presence of some minerals
- Isolation of chloroplasts
- Absorption spectrum of chlorophyll
- Demonstration of Hill reaction
- Measurement of photosynthesis
-
Seed viability test
Factors affecting seed germination and emergence;
light, temperature and matric potential
Plant growth measurements
Leaf area measurements
11
Plant growth regulators
-
Effect of gibberellic acid on growth of dwarf plants
12
Plant growth regulators
13
Plant enzymes
-
Effect of auxins on growth of stem cells
Effect of auxins on adventitious root formations
Effect of cytokinins on leaf senescence
Study the activity of selected plant enzymes.
Exams and Grades
Exam
Midterm Exam
Homework & quizzes
Lab Reports
Homeworks
Lab final + final Exam
Grade
30%
10 %
Day
Thursday
Date
22 March, 2012
Final Exams
22-28 May, 2012
10%
50%
3
References and Supporting Materials
1 Gardner, F.P., R.B. Pearce and R.L. Mitchell. Physiology of Crop Plants. Iowa State
University Press. 1985.
2 Fitter, A.H. and R.K.M. Hay. Environmental Physiology of Plants. Academic Press.
1987.
3 Hay, R.K.M. and A.J. Walker. An Introduction to the Physiology of Crop Yield. John
Wiley and Sons. 1990.
4 Hale, M.G. and D.M.Orcutt. The Physiology of Plants Under Stress. John Wiley and
Sons. 1987.
5 Hopkins, W. and Norman P.A. Huner. 2003. Introduction to plant physiology. 3rd
edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York. U.S.A.
6 Kramer, P.J. and J.S. Boyer. 1995. Water relations of plants and soils. Academic
Press, San Diego. U.S.A.
7 Larcher, W. 1995. Physiological plant ecology. 3rd edition. Springer New York.
U.S.A.
8 Noggle, R.G. and G. J. Fritz. Introductory Plant Physiology. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1976.
9 Pessarakli, M. 1995. Handbook of plant and crop physiology. Marcel Dekker, Inc.
New York. U.S.A.
10 Pessarakli, M. 1997. Handbook of photosynthesis. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York.
U.S.A.
11 Robert K. M. Hay, Robert K. Hay Andrew J. Walker.1989. Introduction to the
Physiology of Crop Yield. Longman Sc & Tech.
12 Salisbury, F. and C. Ross. 1992. Plant physiology. 4th edition. Wadsworth, Belmont,
CA.
13 Taiz, L. and E. Zeiger. 1998. Plants physiology. 2nd edition. The Benjamin/Cumming
Publ. Company Inc.
14 Tesar, M.B. Physiological Basis of Crop Growth and Development. American Society
of Agronomy. 1984
15 Tesar, M.B. 1984. Physiological basis of crop growth and development. American
Society of Agronomy, Inc. Madison, Wisconsin.
16 Waring, P.F. and I.D.J. Phillips. The Control of Growth and Differentiation in Plants.
Pergamon Press. 1978.
17 Zamski, E. and A.A. Schaffer. 1996. Photoassimilate distribution in plants and crops.
Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York. U.S.A.
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