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Plant Physiology II and Biotechnology

Course developers

Prior knowledge

Biol1001, Botany

Biol3014, Plant Physiology I

Ķīmi1012, Chemistry

Replaced course

LauZB010 [GLAUB010] Plant Physiology II and Biotechnology

Course abstract

Plant growth and development. Plant hormones and growth regulation. Photoperiodism and physiology of flowering processes. Dormancy. Seed ripening, dormancy and germination metabolism processes. Physiological processes of yield formation of different groups of agricultural crops. Nature of plant stress and adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. Sick plant physiology. Plant immunity. Plant propagation. In vitro culture. Modern biotechnology. Transformation of photosynthesis products.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students acquire knowledge about plant growth and development, physiological processes in plants, endogenous and exogenous conditions affecting them.
• Seminar about endogenous regulation of plant growth.
• Seminar about movement of plants.
• Test about plant growth and development
Students are able to determine the most important physiological parameters of plants.
Students are able to detect most important physiological parameters.
• Seminar about plant ontogenesis.
Students are able to evaluate the factors affecting and limiting the ontogenesis of plants, understand their impact on crops.
Students are competent to determine the effect of different environmental factors on plant growth, development, productivity and resistance.
• Seminar about the impact of physical factors on plant growth and resistance.
• Seminar about the impact of chemical factors on plant growth and development.
• Seminar about the impact of biological factors on plant growth and development.
• Test about plant resistance.
Students are capable to estimate plant yield formation, and its influencing factors.
• Essay and presentation.
Students have knowledge about plant propagation methods, they are able to estimate the use of these methods.
• Test about plant propagation.
Students can use their knowledge about the basics of genetics to understand the theoretical basics of genetic markers and understand the practical use of these markers in modern biotechnology. Student acquire knowledge about plant transformation, using molecular biology tools and are able to estimate the risks and advantages of these methods.
• Seminar about the use of genetic markers.
• Seminar about modern biotechnology methods.
• Test about plant biotechnology.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Plant growth and development. 2h
2. Plant hormones and endogenous regulation of growth. 2h
3. Fertilization, seed development, seed maturation. Seed dormancy. 2h
4. Physiology of seed germination processes. Juvenile period. 2h
5. Reproductive period, possibilities of its regulation. Photoperiodism and physiology of flowering processes. 2h
6. Plant aging, its regulation. 2h
7. Plant dormancy period, its regulation possibilities. 2h
Test about plant growth and development.
8. Physiological regularities of crop yield formation. Biosynthesis and respiration in Seeds, seed productivity. 2h
9. Physiology of cereal crop formation. 2h
10. Physiology of pulse and oil crop formation. 2h
11. Physiology of potato and root crop formation. 2h
12. Physiological peculiarities of grasses. The dynamics of green mass accumulation and the changes of the qualitative composition in different stages of development. 2h
13. Physiology of formation and ripening of fruits and berries. 2h
14. Vegetable crop formation. Physiology of crop storage. 2h
Essay and presentation about plant productivity.
15. Nature of plant stress and adaptation to environmental conditions. 2h
16. Effects of abiotic physical factors on plants. 2h
17. Effects of temperature on plants. Plant wintering. Effects of environmental factors on plants during wintering. 2h
18. Effects of light, UV radiation on plants. 2h
19. Effects of ionizing radiation on plants. 2h
20. Effects of abiotic chemical factors on plants. Impact of water scarcity and abundance on plants. 2h
21. Osmotic stress. 2h
22. Ion stress. 2h
23. Gas stress. 2h
24. Effects of biotic factors on plants. 2h
25. Interaction of plants and microorganisms. 2h
26. Plant interactions in phytocenoses. Allelopathy. 2h
27. Plant and animal interactions in biocenoses. 2h
28. The physiology of a sick plant. Plant immunity. 2h
Test about plant resistence.
29. Plant propagation. 2h
30. In vitro. Opportunities, cultivation. 2h
31. In vitro. Adaptation to ex vitro conditions. 2h
Test about plant propagation.
32. Modern biotechnology. Genetic manipulation is based on DNA. Genetic markers. 2h
33. Molecular Biology Methods for Plant Transformation. 2h
34. Genetic modification. Transgenic plants - risks and benefits. 2h
35. Bioenergy. 2h
36. Microbiological preparations for increasing plant productivity. 2h
37. Aerobic transformation of photosynthesis products. 2h
38. Anaerobic transformation of photosynthetic products. 2h
39. Fodder preparation. 2h
40. Perspectives on Plant Physiology and Biotechnology. 2h

Test about plant biotechnology.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Working out and answering laboratory work. Successfully written tests, an essay on the possibilities of increasing the productivity and quality of the selected plant. Laboratory work performed and defended.
Exam.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Filling out laboratory work reports and presenting the results of the laboratory works.
Independent work – preparation for tests. Essay about plant productivity.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Tests Plant growth and development 10%
Plant stress physiology 10%
Plant propagation 10%
Plant biotechnology 10%
Essey Plant productivity 10 %
Labs (worked out and defended) 20%
Exam 30%

Compulsory reading

Taiz L., Zeiger E. Plant Physiology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, 2006. 764 p.

Further reading

1. Физиология и биохимия сельскохозяйственных растений : [учебник для студ. вузов, обучающихся по агрономическим спец.] / под ред. Н.Н. Третьякова ; [авт. : Н.Н. Третьяков ... [и др.]]. 2-е изд., перераб и доп. Москва : КолосС, 2005. 654 с. :
2. Heldt, Hans-Walter. Plant biochemistry and molecular biology / Hans-Walter Heldt. Reprint. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999. 522 p.
3. Goyal A Plant Physiology & Biochemistry, Biyani,s Group of Colleges, 2011, 146 p.
4. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 5th Edition, John M Walker, Ralph Raply, RSC Publishing, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2009
5. Fermentation Microbiology and Biotechnology. Third edition. E.M.T. El-Mansi, C.F.A. Bryce, B. Dahhou, S. Sanchez, A.L. Demain, A.R. Allm. CRC Press, 2012.
6. Biotechnology, Fifth edition; John E. Smith. Cambridge University Press. 2009.

Notes

Bachelor study programme “Sustainable Agriculture”, with specialization Sustainable plant production, 3rd semester, in full-time studies