THEORY OUTLINE
I. Basic physiological mechanisms & processes - Analysis of plant functionality in space (5 weeks)
• Capture and conversion of solar energy: Photosystems, photosynthetic electron transport chain, proton ATPase, photophosphorylation.
• Carbon sequestration and management: Calvin system, phosphoropentose pathway, photosynthesis, C3 & C4 plants, photorespiration, sucrose production & degradation, starch production & degradation, triose-3P management, Krebs system, respiratory electron transport chain, respiration, metabolite production. Introduction to metabolic networks.
• Energy management: Energy molecules & systems, energy transport, energy metabolism: day in photosynthetic tissue, day in non-photosynthetic tissue, night.
• Movement & management of materials: Short & long distance movement, material movement systems, motive forces, apoplasmic space, symplasmic space, woody vascular system, hematous vascular system. Tissue injury, healing mechanism. Water potential and factors that modify it, osmotic potential, sparging, soil water, absorption of soil water, entry of water into the vessels of wood, water transport within the vascular system, atmospheric water potential, transpiration, structure and functionality of stomata & substomatal space. Nutrients and the function of nutrition.
II. Basic developmental mechanisms & processes - Analysis of plant functionality over time (8 weeks)
• Regulatory molecules: Cytokinin, gibberellin, indole acetate, abscisate, ethylene, phytochrome, cryptochrome. Management of information, communication of cells, tissues, organs. Introduction to regulatory networks.
• Meristem function & growth of young tissue: Meristem activation, cell division, mechanism of cell growth, establishment of polarity, role of IAA, apex dominance, bud dormancy.
• The formation of the young plant: Mechanisms & processes of seed germination, geotropism, perception of the direction of gravity, statolith, statocell, statenchyma, root cap, emergence of the young plant from the soil, perception of the direction of light, phototropism.
• Formation of new body: Differentiation, morphogenesis, new root, root functionality, root systems, new shoot, shoot functionality, new leaf, leaf functionality, foliage. Periodic functions.
• The physiology of flower and fruit development: The perception of the season. The function of flowering, the functionality of the flower, gametogenesis, pollination. Post-fertilization processes, developmental phases, fruit respiration, fruit ripening, regulation of fruit development, parthenocarpy. Sperm development. The dormancy of sperm.
• The physiology of plant tissue senescence: Processes of plant tissue degradation and collapse, material recycling systems, programmed cell death, programmed senescence and apoptosis of the plant organ.
• Introduction to the optical properties of the leaf: The fate of the radiation falling on a leaf, response of the leaf, optical biomarkers, usefulness of these indicators in agriculture.
• Introduction to the biofortification of crops: Need for biofortification of a crop, active substances, categories of biofortification, ways of biofortification, response of metabolic and regulatory elements to exogenous application.
LABORATORY PART
Exercises in a laboratory class with the aim of obtaining experimental data, interpreting them and presenting them in a laboratory report.
Exercises include:
(1) extraction and determination of sugars;
(2) study of starch hydrolysis;
(3) determining the water status of plant tissue and
(4) extraction and determination of chlorophylls and carotenoids.
Learning results
At the end of the course students will be able to know and understand:
• what are the physiological processes and what is their importance for the life of the plant,
• what are the biological systems, what biological components do they include and how do they contribute to the realization of physiological processes,
• how the physiological systems and processes are connected to each other and how they contribute to the functionality of each plant organ and the plant as a whole,
• what are the developmental processes, what physiological processes do they include and how do they differ with age,
• what natural resources the plant manages,
• how plant physiology is useful in digital agriculture,
• how plant physiology is used in biofortification of a crop.
During the laboratory exercises, students gain insight into:
• how they will perform a laboratory experiment to collect physiologically relevant data, concerning key molecules (sugars, starch, chlorophylls, carotenoids) and physiological functions (photosynthesis, transpiration) of the plant, and • how experimental results will be processed.
Bibliography
Taiz & Zeiger, Φυσιολογία & Ανάπτυξη Φυτών, 6η Αμερικανική - 2η Ελληνική Έκδοση 2017, Εκδόσεις Utopia Publishing.
Agriculturist, bachelor and PhD graduate of the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, AUA. His primary research topic is photosynthesis under stress.
The Faculty of Crop Science of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), was founded in June 1989 (Official Journal of the Hellenic Republic Νο. 166Α΄/16-6-1989) it is the first University Faculty of Crop Science founded in Greece
