GENERAL INFORMATION

HORT 321 - Horticulture Physiology
Fall 2008

Instructor: Dr. Rajeev Arora
139 Horticulture Hall
Tel: 294-0031
e-mail:

Class Schedule: Lecture T R: 8:00-9:20 am 160 Horticulture

Office Hours: Flexible. Make appointment after class or call. Just remember, I want you to learn and succeed in this course and will do my best to provide you with all the help I can to make that possible.

Course Objective:

  1. To become familiar with terminology, definitions, and concepts connected with plant physiology.
  2. To facilitate learning and integration of basic principles and concepts of plant physiology pertaining to various growth and developmental phenomena of horticultural plants and other crops.
  3. To facilitate understanding of the application of plant physiology to various practices used by horticulture industry and growth/developmental phenomena observed by scientists.

Text: None Required
After reviewing a few potential books, I could not find a suitable text for this course. It is therefore essential that you come to class regularly and punctually and take detailed notes. However, I have requested the library to put copies of the following two books on reserve that may serve as supplemental reading source.

Format/Organization:

LECTURES: Classroom lectures are designed to provide a broad information base on plant physiology principles and concepts as they apply to horticultural science and practices. Lectures will be supplemented, when necessary and possible, with experimental demonstrations, video presentations, suggested readings, and useful internet sites etc.

Attendance: Attendance at all lectures is necessary to be successful in the course. Most of what you will get from the class will come from material presented during scheduled class time (Remember, there is no textbook assigned for this course). As an enticement, I will keep attendance irregularly during the lectures, and 10 bonus points will be awarded to those regularly and punctually attending the class. In addition, attendance and class participation may be considered in deciding borderline grades.

Exams: Points % of total grade
Approx. 7 quizzes (~15 to 30 pts each)* ~150 ~40
Two mid-term exams (~75 pts)** ~150 ~40
Final exam*** ~75 pts ~20

Quizzes and mid-term exams will cover material presented during the lectures. In general, exams will consist of a mix of fill in the blanks, definitions, multiple choice, short answer or brief discussion type questions.

*Quizzes (approx. ~15 to 20 minutes each) will be administered in the lecture periods on dates that will be announced in the previous lecture class... another important reason for attending classes regularly and punctually

**One-hour mid-term exam (during the lecture period) will be held on September 23 and October 28, unless announced otherwise. Second exam will include only material covered since the first one.

***Final exam will be held on December 19 (Friday) from 7:30 - 9:30 am in Rm. 160 - HORT unless otherwise announced.

Final course grades will be assigned on a scale no more challenging than the following:

% Grade
90 or higher A
87-89.9 A-
84-86.9 B+
80-83.9 B
77-79.9 B-
73-76.9 C+
70-72.9 C
67-69.9 C-
63-66.9 D+
60-62.9 D
56-59.9 D-
< 55.9 F

Make-up Policy: Make-up exams and quizzes will only be allowed for excused absences (field trip in another course, serious illness, death in the family, severe weather, or at the discretion of the instructor). You may e-mail or telephone the instructors, as this information is logged by time and date. In case of a field trip or illness, you must provide a note signed by the instructor or a physician indicating that your absence was necessary.

Academic Accommodation Procedures: If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Resources (DR) Office, located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076, Phone 515-294-6624. The disability resources staff can provide a SAAR (Student Academic Accommodation Request) form verifying your disability and specifying the accommodation you will need.

Classroom etiquette:
Appropriate student behavior and civility are expected in the classroom.

Student behavior and interactions affect your and other students' learning. Be sure to follow classroom etiquette and civility requests. Be respectful of students' learning needs, such as not talking or using other disruptive actions in class; follow instructions carefully; turn off your cell phone unless of an emergency and then inform the instructor prior to the class period; and use respect and courtesy to others - allowing for an excellent learning environment.

Lecture periods begin on time unless of an unforeseen incident for the instructor. Please arrive to the class on time so as not to disrupt the other students.

Lecture periods begin on time unless of an unforeseen incident for the instructor. Please arrive to the class on time so as not to disrupt the other students.

Place all of your garbage in the trash cans - remember: "If you can carry it in, you can carry it out"!

Lecture Topics - HORT 321 (Horticulture Physiology)
Instructor - Dr. Rajeev Arora

  1. Introduction
  2. Plant Cells
    1. - Totipotency and Horticulture
    2. - Colligative properties (e.g. Osmolarity and freezing point depression) and their physiological relevance
    3. - Cell organelles and their physiological roles
  3. Plant Water Relations
    1. - Properties of water and their importance in plant physiology,
    2. - Water potential and plant physiology
    3. - Osmotic adjustment (osmoregulation)
  4. Water absorption by roots and transport within plants (Xylem Transport)
    1. - Driving force for water uptake by plants
    2. - Short-distance and long-distance transport
    3. - Apoplastic and Symplastic movement of water within the plant
    4. - Root pressure and Guttation
    5. - Cohesion-Tension theory of ascent of sap in plants and tall trees
    6. - Xylem Cavitation (embolism) and physiological implications
    7. - The Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum (summary)
  5. Transpiration (water movement from leaf to the atmosphere)
    1. - Driving force (vapor-pressure deficit - VPD)
    2. - Relative Humidity and Dew Point
    3. - Stomata structure, Stomata opening and closing (biochemical mechanism)
    4. - Environmental factors affecting transpiration (RH, Temp, Wind, Light, CO2)
    5. - Plant factors affecting transpiration (stomata morphology and density, trichomes, leaf orientation, cuticle thickness)
    6. - Role of transpiration on calcium movement within plant - Physiological implications (calcium deficiency related physiological disorders - Tipburn of Lettuce, Blossom End Rot of Tomato, Black Heart of Potato
    7. - Why Transpiration?
    8. - Water Use Efficiency / Transpiration Ratio
  6. Primary Metabolism: Photosynthesis
    1. - Light (solar radiation and spectrum)
    2. - Plant pigments
    3. - Dark and Light Reactions of photosynthesis, how do enzymes work?
    4. - Photosynthetic mechanisms - C3, C4, and CAM plants and Horticultural implications
    5. - CO2 and Light Compensation pints and ecological implications
    6. - Water Use Efficiency and CAM plants
    7. - Sun versus Shade plants / leaves - morphological, anatomical, and physiological differences between 'Sun' and 'Shade' leaves
    8. - Supplemental lighting (Artificial lamps and their Horticultural application)
  7. Transport of carbohydrates and other solutes within plant (Phloem Transport)
    1. - Source and Sink interaction, phloem structure
    2. - Carbohydrate loading (at the source) & unloading (at the sink) - How does it happen?- diffusion, active transport, pressure-flow (Munch Hypothesis)
    3. - What is in the Phloem sap? P-protein and callose plugs and their horticultural implications
    4. - Source-sink relationship and carbohydrate partitioning (implications in Alternate Bearing in Fruit Crops)
    5. - Phloem transport of sugars and use of girdling in Horticulture (Air-layering)
  8. Primary Metabolism: Respiration
    1. - Role of respiration in plant's life
    2. - Biochemical reactions - Glycolysis, TCA cycle, Electron transport
    3. - Changes in respiration with developmental and physiological stage
    4. - Respiration as influenced by environment - Temp, O2, CO2, Light
    5. - Q10 and horticulture physiology
    6. - Respiration and post-harvest quality / storage of horticultural products
  9. Nutrient uptake by roots
    1. - From soil solution to the roots & transport within the plant - Casparian Strip blockade and its physiological consequences
    2. - Active uptake versus passive uptake of nutrients
    3. - Membrane structure - membrane transport proteins (pumps, channels, carriers)
    4. - Membrane transport pump and plant growth (Acid Growth Hypothesis)
    5. - Membrane transport / channels and stomata opening / closing
  10. Mineral Nutrition and Horticulture Physiology
  11. Growth and Development
    1. - Definitions & vocabulary - Growth, Differentiation, Development, Senescence
    2. - Measurement of growth - FW, DW, RGR
    3. - Signal perception & transduction and growth & development - Calcium as a second messenger
    4. - Juvenility versus maturity in plants and Horticultural significance
    5. - Plant Hormones and Horticulture Physiology Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinins, Abscisic acid, C2H4, Brassinosteroids, Salicylic acid, and Jasmonic acid
    6. - Auxins and Horticulture Physiology - Mode of action, Phototropism and gravitropism, Apical dominance, Vegetative propagation (rooting, polarity, etiolation, tissue-culture), Fruit development, Alternate bearing and Fruit thinning, Weed-control etc.
    7. - Gibberellins and Horticulture Physiology - Mode of action, Stem elongation (grape cluster loosening), Height control of greenhouse crops, Paclobutrazol and tree growth retardation, Sex determination of horticultural crops, Flower initiation, Fruit development, Parthenocarpy, GA inhibitors and golf turf
    8. - Cytokinins and Horticulture Physiology - Mode of action, axillary branching, delay of senescence, nutrient movement, chloroplast development
    9. - Abscisic acid and Horticulture Physiology - Mode of action, stomata closing, water-stress signal and dehydration stress tolerance, seed and bud dormancy, vivipary suppression
    10. - Ethylene and Horticulture Physiology - Ripening hormone (climacteric and non-climacteric fruits), Shelf-life of fruits and cut-flowers, Leaf abscission and role of ethylene in shedding of plant organs, flooding stress and ethylene
    11. - Brassinosteroids and Horticulture Physiology
    12. - Salicylic acid and Horticulture Physiology - SA & Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR)
    13. - Jasmonic acid and defense against herbivory
  12. Flowering and Horticulture Physiology
    1. - Flower induction (juvenile to mature phase transition)
    2. - Photoperiodism and phytochrome - horticultural and ecological significance - Nature of flowering stimulus - Florigen?
    3. - Vernalization / devernalization and horticultural significance
  13. Dormancy and Horticulture Physiology
    1. - Definitions - Paradormancy, Endodormancy, Ecodormancy
    2. - Annual cycles of bud-dormancy and cold hardening in woody perennials
    3. - Environmental trigger for dormancy and chilling requirement
    4. - Physiological mechanism for dormancy induction and release - Hormones, Phytochrome and GA, Bud water status, Cell-to-cell communication
    5. - Climate change and bud-dormancy
  14. Plant Stress Physiology - Biotic stress (Temperature, Light, Water, etc.)
    1. - What is “stress” and why is it important to study?
    2. - Responses to environmental stress - Injury, Avoidance, Tolerance (Definitions)
    3. - Acclimation versus Adaptation and Hardy versus Tender
      4. - Low temperature Stress
      1. - Chilling and Freezing Injury - Physiological mechanism (Injury to the membrane)
      2. - Cold acclimation - Physiological mechanism (Dehydrins, Membrane fluidity, Accumulation of sugars)
      3. - Freeze-Avoidance - Deep supercooling and its effect on geographical distribution of trees
      4. - Freeze protection strategies
      - Heat Stress
      1. - Mechanism of injury to horticultural crops?
      2. - Heat stress tolerance: heat shock proteins and ubiquitin
      - Light Stress
      1. - When stressful?
      2. - Mechanism of injury
      3. - Strategies for photo-protection - role of plant pigments / secondary metabolites (Xanthophylls, Flavonoids), ELIPs
      - Water Stress
      1. - Plant's response to water stress - Morphological and physiological
      2. - Physiology of drought tolerance - Dehydrins, osmotic adjustment, ABA
      3. - Cross-tolerance (Cross-adaptation)