Botany II BSC204

Understand the principles and practices of plant physiology. This course is designed for those who need to know plants in-depth: how they grow, which factors promote their development and which factors hinders their growth. This course is for people that work or wish to work in the horticulture industry, nursery personnel, technicians, and researchers and science students wishing to further their knowledge in plant physiology.

This course explains the principles and processes of plant physiology and their practical applications. It builds on prior studies in , plant physiology or equivalent.

CONTENT

There are 10 lessons in this module as follows:

1. Flower physiology
2. Phytochrome
3. Phytoperiodism
4. Control of flower bud initiation and development
5. Dormancy
6. Effects of plant associations and competition
7. Respiration and post harvest physiology
8. Post harvest storage, transport, retailing and shelf life
9. Endogenous and synthetic growth regulators
10. Risks involved with plant growth manipulation

COURSE AIMS

• Investigate the physiology of growth development and flowering.
• Examine the nature of phytochrome and its effect on flowering in the phytochrome reaction.
• Examine the photoperiodic responses of flowering plants to differing dark and light periods.
• Examine the effect of temperature on the onset of flowering and flower development.
• Understand and describe the causes of dormancy in seeds and plants and describe the methods of breaking dormancy.
• Understand plant associations and competition and their effects on quality and marketable yield.
• Explain the process of respiration in plant cells and its effect on post-harvest storage and transportation of crops.
• Describe physiological processes in post-harvest crops in relation to the storage conditions.
• Investigate the effect on plants of endogenous and synthetic growth regulators.
• Understand risk assessments relevant to plant growth manipulation.

This course explains the principles and processes of plant physiology and their practical applications. It builds on prior studies in Botany l, plant physiology or equivalent.