Advanced Crop Physiology (PPS 500)

PPS 500 is an elective course for both MS and Ph.D. students majoring in Crop Sciences. This course covers a broad range of fundamental processes such as plant cell structure and functions, growth and development, photosynthesis, respiration, plant water relations, stomata physiology, mineral nutrition, plant hormone functions, seed germination and dormancy, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism, photosynthetic pathways of C3, C4 and Crassulacean acid metabolism [CAM], source-sink relationship, dry-matter partitioning, canopy architecture and interception of solar radiation, optimum and maximum leaf area indices, carbon isotopic discrimination and water use efficiency in plants. These theoretical aspects are matched by practical laboratory experiments in which students receive hands-on training on the use of modern photometric equipment as well as several analytical techniques used in modern plant physiology.