Cell organelles and their
physiological functions Structure and physiological functions of cell wall,
cell inclusions. Cell membrane structure and functions. Water and its role in
plants,properties and functions of water in the cell, water relations, water
potential of plant cells.Mechanism of water uptake by roots transport in roots,
movement of water in plants, water loss from plants, energy balance, solar
energy, input energy dissipation at crop canopy level.Evapotranspiration, plant
factors influencing transpiration rate. Stomata, structure function -Mechanism
of stomatal movement, antitranspirants. Physiology of water high temperature
and salinity stress in plants. Influence of water stresses at cell, organ,
plant and canopy levels. Indices for assessment of drought resistance.
Unit 2: Metabolic
Processes and growth Regulation
Energy and work, free
energy and chemical potential, redox reactions and electrochemical potential.
Enzyme classification and mechanism of action, factors affecting enzyme action.
Gene expression and protein turnover. Photosynthesis, translocation and
respiration as key processes regulating carbon metabolism and plant growth.
Photosynthesis and bioproductivity. Photochemical process- Chloroplast, its
structure, CAM plants and their significance. Rubisco structure and
regulations, Photorespiration and its significance, CO2 fixation as a diffusive
process, effect of environmental factors on photosynthetic rates. Synthesis of
sucrose, starch, oligo and polysaccharides. Translocations of photosynthates
and its importance in sink growth. Mitochondrial respiration, growth and maintenance
respiration, cyanide resistant respiration and its significance. Nitrogen
metabolism. Inorganic nitrogen species (N2, N03, NH3) and their reduction,
protein synthesis, nucleic acids. Sulphate uptake and reduction. Lipid
metabolism storage, protective and structural lipids. Secondary metabolites and
their significance in plant defence mechanism. Growth and differentiation,
hormonal concept of growth and differentiation, plant growth hormones (auxins,
gibberellins, cyctokinins, ABA, ethylene etc.), biosynthesis of growth hormones
and their metabolism, synthetic growth regulators, growth retardant, apical
dominance, senescence, fruit growth, abscission, photo-morphogenesis,
photo-receptors, phytochrome, physiology of flowering, photoperiodism and vernalisation.
Unit 3: Crop Productivity
and Modeling
Role of crop physiology in
agriculture, crop growth and productivity, crop growth modelsdescribing yield
(Duncan/Passioura), phenology-crop productivity, growth factors related to
biomass - concept of growth rates- canopy photosynthesis (leaf area and net
assimilation rates as determining factors). Light interception as a major
function of leaf area-index, LAD canopyarchitecture- Light extinction
coefficient relative growth rate. Net assimilation rate. Biomass and yield
relations. Assimilate partitioning, yield and yield structure analysis. Concept
of source and sink, factors influencing source and sink size and productivity.
Environmental factors determining crop growth. Light, temperature and VPD,
effect of photoperiod and thermoperiod on duration of growth stages. Ideotype
concept-selection- indices for improving crop productivity.
Unit 4: Abiotic Stress
Responses in Plants
Abiotic stresses affecting
plant productivity. Basic principles of a crop improvement programme under
stress, interactions between biotic and abiotic stresses. Drought
characteristic features,water potential in the soil-plant-air continuum.
Development of water deficits, energy balance concept, transpiration and it’s
regulation – stomatal functions/VPD. Physiological process affected by drought.
Drought resistance mechanisms: Escape, dehydration postponement (Drought
avoidance), Dehydration tolerance, and characteristics of resurrection plants.
Osmotic adjustment Osmoprotectants, stress proteins. Water use efficiency as a
drought resistance trait. Molecular responses to water deficit stress
perception, expression of regulatory and function genes and significance of
gene products. Stress and hormones-ABA as a signaling molecule – Cytokinin as
negative signal. Oxidative stress: reactive oxygen species (ROS) – role of
scavenging systems (SOD, catalase etc.). High temperature stress: tolerance
mechanisms- role of membrane lipids in high temperance tolerance. Functions of
HSPs chilling stress; effects on physiological processes. Crucial role of
membrane lipids. Salinity: species variation in salt tolerance. Salinity
effects at cellular and whole plant level, tolerance mechanisms. Breeding for
salt resistance. Heavy metal stress: aluminum and cadmium toxicity in acid
soils. Role of phytochelatins (heavy, metal binding proteins).
Unit 5: Plant Growth
Regulators and Plant Development
Plant growth regulators –
Hormones, endogenous growth substances and synthetic chemicals. Endogenous
growth regulating substances other than hormones. Brassinosteriods,
triacontanol, phenols polyamines, jasmonates, concept of death hormone.
Classification, site of synthesis, biosynthetic pathways and metabolism and
influence on plant growth and development by auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins,
abscisic acid and ethylene. Concept of hormone action - hormone receptors and
signal transduction Hormone mutants. Hormonal regulation of gene expressions at
various developmental stages of plant-flowering, seed maturity, seed dormancy.
Action of hormones on cellular functions: Auxins- cell elongation, retardation
of abscission of plant parts, gibberellins – stem elongation, germination of
dormant seeds, cytokinins- cell division, retardation of senescence. Abscisic
acid- stomatal closure and induction of drought resistance, ethylene- fruit
ripening, acceleration of senescence of leaves. Interaction of hormones in regulation
of plant growth and development processes. Synthetic growth regulators, growth
retardants, apical dominance, senescence, fruit growth, abscission. Growth and
differentiation, hormonal concept of growth and differentiations. Rooting of
cuttings- flowering- physiological and molecular aspects of control of
reproductive growth. Apical dominance, senescence and abscission. Fruit growth
and development, physiological and molecular aspects of ripening processes and
improving post harvest life of fruits. Induction and breaking dormancy in seeds
and buds. Synthetic growth regulators. Practical utility in agriculture and
horticulture. Herbicides, classification and their mode of action.
Unit 6: Mineral Nutrition
Importance of mineral
nutrition in plant growth. Classification and essentiality criteria. General
mechanisms - concept of apparent free space and nature of bio-membranes. Dual
mechanism and other concepts of ion uptake. Short distance transport-pathway
from external solution (Apoplasm) to sieve across the root cortical
cells-factors contributing to xylem loading. Long distance transport in xylem
and phloem, xylem unloading in leaf cells. Uptake and release of mineral
nutrients by foliage. Rhizosphere and root biology, root growth, influence of
micro organism in nutrient acquisition, release and uptake by plant roots.
Yield and mineral nutritionconcept of nutrient use efficiency, Mineral
nutrition under adverse soil situations- drought, salinity, acidity etc. Heavy
metal toxicity and concept of phytoremediation. Interaction of phytohormones
and nutrients. Molecular aspects- uptake and transport, role of transporter
genes, genetics of nutrient uptake, identification and transfer of genes for
tolerance to nutrient deficiencies, etc.
Unit 7: Climate and
Climate Change
Climate- Analytical
methods to determine long term changes in environment- Tree ring, cellulose,
stable carbon isotope discrimination, stable 18O discrimination for
hydrological changes. Likely changes in climate in future and its impact on
crop and ecosystems. The greenhouse gases and global warning. CO2 as an
important greenhouses gas, global carbon deposits, fluxes in the sinks and
sources. Approaches to contain atmospheric CO2 level. Effect of elevated CO2 on
plant growth and development. Methane as a greenhouse gas. Prediction on global
warming, GCA models, effects on climate and biota. High temperature and CO2
interaction on plant growth and productivity, ionising radiation UV-B
chlorofluro carbon (CFC)–their impact on ozone layer- ozone hole and alteration
in UV-B radiation. Effects of UV-B radiation on plant ecosystem, repair and
acclimation to UV-B damage. Carotenoids and their rolein membrane
stabilization. Air pollution, SO2, NO, methane, ozone, peroxy acetyl nitrate
and their effect on ecosystem. Industrial and domestic effluent- their effect,
on aquatic ecosystem, plant growth and development.
Unit 8: Seed Physiology
Structure of seeds and
their storage. Seed development patterns and source of assimilates for seed
development. Pathway of movement of assimilates in developing grains of
monocots and dicots. Chemical composition of seeds. Storage of carbohydrates,
proteins and fats in seeds. Hydration of seeds. Physiological processes. Seed
respiration, mitochondrial activity. Mobilization of stored resource in seeds.
Chemistry of oxidation of starch, proteins and fats. Utilization of breakdown
products by embryonic axis. Control processes in mobilization of stored
reserves. Role of embryonic axes. Gibberellin and α-amylase and other hydrolytic
activity.Seed maturation phase and desiccation damage, role of LEA proteins.
Seed viability. Seed dormancy. Means to overcome seed dormancy.
Unit 9: Physiology of
Flowering and Reproduction
Evolutionary history of
flowering plants (angiosperms). Semelparous and iteroparous reproduction,
monocarpic and perennial life etc. Flowering phenomenon, effect of plant age,
juvenility- transition to flowering. Flowering nature and classification of
plants. Photoperiodic responses and the mechanisms in short and long day
plants. Theories related to flowering. Endogenous substances and flowering.
Gene expression in flowering. Control of flowering. Thermoperiodism - photo and
thermo-period interactions.Vernalization-mechanism. Photomorphogenesis,
photoreceptors, phytochrome, cryptochrome, physiology of flowering,
photoperiodism and vernalization. Optimization in flowering response-to
environmental features (light, temperature, stress) etc. plant reproductive
physiology. Mating strategy in plants, molecular techniques to understand
mating patterns, self-incompatibility responses,
physiological processes
mediating fertilization (pollen-stigma interactions), seed and fruit
development, seed and fruit abortion and means to overcome it. Molecular
biology of seed development, physiological basis of cytoplasmic male sterility
and fertility restoration. Physiology of heterosis.
Unit 10: Physiology of
Horticultural and Plantation Crop species
Growth and development of
horticultural and plantation crop species. Juvenility, shoot growth, types of
shoots, patterns of shoot growth, cambial growth and its regulation.
Physiological aspects of pruning and dwarfing. Growth measurements. Water
relations of tree species. Water uptake and transport. Concepts of
transpiration rate and water use efficiency. Sexual and asexual propagation.
Rootstock and scion interactions. Physiology of flowering in perennial species,
photoperiodism and thermoperiodism. Physiological aspects of fruit crops:
mango, banana, grapes, citrus, papaya and pineapple etc. Physiological aspects
of plantation crops: tea, coffee, cardamom, coconut, and blackpepper.
Unit 11:
Post-Harvest Physiology
Senescence and ageing in
plants. Ethylene – the senescence hormone, leaf senescence. Monocarpic plant
senescence. Biochemistry and molecular biology of flower senescence. Gene
expression during senescence. Concept of physiological maturity of seeds - post
harvest changes in biochemical constituents in field crops - loss of viability,
loss of nutritive value, environmental factors influencing post-harvest
deterioration of seeds. Physiological and biochemical changes during fruit
ripening and storage. Senescence and post harvest life of cut flowers.
Physical, physiological and chemical control of post - harvest deterioration of
fruits, vegetables and cut flowers and its significance during storage and
transport. Molecular approach in regulation of fruit ripening. Transgenic
technology for improvement of shelf-life. Edible vaccine
Unit 12: Morphogenesis,
Tissue Culture and Plant Transformation
Morphogenesis; the
cellular basis of growth and morphogenesis; polarity in tip growing cells and
diffusive growing cells. Control of cell division and differentiation,
phyto-chromes, different forms, physiological effects and gene regulation, and
cellular totipotency, physiology and biochemistry of differentiation, in organ
cell, tissue and cultures, micropropagation strategies, application of tissue
culture in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and industry: plant
transformation; transformation vectors, concept of selectable and scorable
markers. Agrobacterium mediated transformation, binary
vectors, biolistics. Electroporation, selection of putative transgenic plants,
genetic analysis. PCR, Southern analysis evaluation of transgenic plants.
Tags:
Abiotic Stress Responses
ARS-Syllabus
Morphogenesis
Physiology of Flowering
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
Plant Transformation
Plantation Crop species
Post-Harvest Physiology
Rubisco
Tissue Culture