Crops, Physiology and Environment

The abiotic environment (light, temperature and wind, CO2 concentration, drought and salinity) strongly influences plant growth and crop production. In this course the focus is on key concepts relating the functioning of plants to their abiotic environment. Crop production and plant growth is described by mathematical equations to enable the quantification of effects of environmental conditions. These concepts are relevant for both open field and greenhouse cropping systems and examples are taken from both systems. Students will learn to comprehend meaningful integrated concepts that combine knowledge from plant physiology and environmental sciences. These concepts aim to better understand the complexity of plant-environment systems and ultimately can be used to develop new hypotheses for research and for practical applications in crop production.
Keywords: light, temperature, CO2 concentration, plant growth analysis, photosynthesis, biomass production, biomass partitioning, yield component analysis, potential and water limited plant growth, concept map.

• Understand relationships between plant growth and their abiotic environment and crop physiological aspects relevant for crop production

• Identify key components of and conceptualise complex systems

• Explain and develop concepts that are key to an understanding of various areas of environmental plant physiology based on knowledge on elementary Chemistry and physics

• Build concept maps (graphical representation of interlinked knowledge of different domains) of interactions between the physical environment and plant functioning

• Understand the meaning and importance of parameters and concepts in plant and crop growth: e.g. RGR, NAR, LAR, light interception, light use efficiency, biomass partitioning [sink strength, functional equilibrium], water use efficiency

• Argue and make calculations for (key processes in) crop growth and yield, based on the above mentioned parameters and concepts

• Understand what reasonable values are for important parameters and for simulated outcomes of plant growth models

• Assignment other (25%) Members of a group may get a different mark when there is good reason to do so. Students may take the multiple-choice tests again at the final exam timeslot at the end of the period in which the course is taught and the timeslot allocated for the final exam resit. Should the student also have to resit for the final exam, an appropriate moment for re-taking the tests can be discussed with the course coordinator. Should the validity of the tests expire, the student will need to redo the course in its entirety..
• Written test with open questions (75%)

ZSS06100 Laboratory Safety PPH10806 Structure and Function of Plants

• Course syllabus + specific chapters from 2 textbooks: Plants in Action (plantsinaction.science.uq.edu.au/edition1/) and Plant Physiological Ecology (www.springer.com/us/book/9780387783406)