Course Title: Principles of Plant Physiology I - Plant Water Relations and Mineral Nutrition
Code (Credit) : PGPP0501 (2 -1 -0)
Course objectives:
- To impart knowledge in the field of water relations and mineral nutrition and how plants acquire water and transport it under different soil water regimes and also make use of the water in an effective way to maximize use efficiency.
- To impart knowledge of how plants minimize water loss under stress conditions besides educating the students of how plants make use of nutrients in the best possible
| CO-PSO Mapping | Mapping COs with PSOs |
| CO1: Understand the basic principles and mechanisms of plant water relations, including water potential, osmosis, and transpiration, also Describe the processes of water uptake, transport, and loss in plants. |
PSO1 |
| CO2: Explain the role of mineral nutrients in plant growth and development, and understand the functions of essential macro and micronutrients. Analyze the processes of nutrient absorption, translocation, and utilization in plants. |
PSO1 |
| CO3: Identify the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and understand their impact on plant growth and productivity. Evaluate the interactions between plants and the soil environment in terms of nutrient availability and uptake. |
PSO2 |
| CO4: Apply knowledge of plant water relations and mineral nutrition to solve practical problems in agriculture, such as optimizing irrigation practices and diagnosing nutrient deficiencies. |
PSO1 |
| CO5: Interpret and analyze scientific literature and research findings related to plant water relations and mineral nutrition. |
PSO2 |
PSO-Program specific outcomes
PSO1: Knowledge Enhancement
PSO2: Professional Enhancement
Syllabus
Theory:
Block 1: Plant Water Relations
Unit 1: Soil and Plant Water Relations: Water and its importance; Molecular structure of water; Properties and functions of water. Concept of water potential; Plant cell and soil water potential and their components; Methods to determine cell and soil water potential; Concept of osmosis and diffusion. Soil physical properties and water availability in different soils; Water holding capacity and approaches to improve WHC; Concept of FC and PWP; Water holding polymers and their relevance.
Unit 2: Water Absorption and Translocation: Root structure and functions; Root architecture and relevance in water mining; Mechanism of water absorption and translocation; Theories explaining water absorption and translocation; Aquaporins. Mycorrhizal association and its relevance in water mining.
Unit 3: Transpiration and Evaporative Cooling: Evaporation and transpiration; relevance of transpiration; factors regulating transpiration; Measurement of transpiration; approaches to minimize evaporation and transpiration; Concept of CCATD and its relevance. Energy balance: Solar energy input and output at crop canopy level. Stomata- its structure, functions and distribution; Molecular mechanisms of stomatal opening and closing; Concept of guard cell turgidity; role of K and other osmolytes; role of ABA in stomatal closure; Guard cells response to environmental signals; Signaling cascade associated with stomatal opening and closure. Antitranspirants and their relevance in agriculture.
Unit 4: Water Productivity and Water Use Efficiency: WUE and its relevance in water productivity; Transpiration efficiency, a measure of intrinsic WUE; Approaches to measure WUE; Stomatal and mesophyll regulation on WUE; Passioura’s yield model emphasizing WUE.
Unit 5: Moisture Stress and Plant Growth: Physiology of water stress in plants; Effect of moisture stress at molecular, cellular, organ and plant level. Drought indices and drought tolerance strategies. Drought tolerance traits.
Block 2: Mineral Nutrition
Unit 1: Nutrient Elements and Their Importance: Role of mineral nutrients in plant’s metabolism; Essential elements and their classification; Beneficial elements; factors influencing the nutrients availability; critical levels of nutrients. Functions of mineral elements in plants. Deficiency and toxicity symptoms in plants.
Unit 2: Nutrient Acquisition: Mechanism of mineral uptake and translocation; Ion transporters; genes encoding for ion transporters; localization of transporters; xylem and phloem mobility; Nutrient transport to grains at maturity; Strategies to acquire and transport minerals under deficient levels. Role of mycorrhiza, root exudates and PGPRs in plant nutrient acquisition.
Unit 3: Concept of Foliar Nutrition: Foliar nutrition; significance and factors affecting total uptake of minerals; Foliar nutrient droplet size for effective entry; role of wetting agents in entry of nutrients.
Practicals
- Standard solutions and preparation of different forms of solutions
- Studies on the basic properties of water
- Demonstration of surface tension of water and other solvents
- Measurement of plant water status: Relative water content and rate of water loss
- Determination of water potential through tissue volume and Chardakov’s test
- Determination of water potential using pressure bomb, osmometer, psychrometer
- Determination of soil moisture content and soil water potential
- Use of soil moisture probes and soil moisture sensors
- Measurement of transpiration rate in plants; use of porometry
- Measurement of CCATD and its relevance
- Demonstration and use of anti-transpirants to reduce transpiration
- Influence of potassium and ABA on stomatal opening and closing respectively
- Deficiency and toxicity symptoms of nutrients
- Effect of water stress on plant growth and development
References
- Taiz T, Zeiger E and Max Mller IM, 2018, Fundamentals of Plant Physiology
- Taiz L and Zeiger 2015. Plant Physiology and development.6th Ed
- Salisbury FB and Ross 1992 (4th Ed.) Plant Physiology
- Epstein E and Bloom 2004. Mineral nutrition of plants: principles and perspectives.2ndEd.
- Hopkins WG and Huner 2004. Introduction to Plant Physiology
- Kramer, J., Water relations of plants
- Kirkham, B., Principles of soil and plant water relations
- Hopkins WG, 2008, Introduction to Plant Physiology
Session Plan
Session 01: Water and its importance; Molecular structure of water; Properties and functions of water.
PPT Lecture 1: Water and its importance
Video Lecture 1 : Structure Of Water Molecule - Chemistry Of Water - Properties Of Water
Session 02: Concept of water potential; Plant cell and soil water potential and their components; Methods to determine cell and soil water potential.
Ppt Lecture 02: Concepts of water potential
Video: Water Potential
Session 03: Concept of osmosis and diffusion
PPT Lecture 03: Concept of osmosis and diffusion
Video: Diffusion and Osmosis
Session 04: Soil physical properties and water availability in different soils; Water holding capacity and approaches to improve WHC.
PPT Lecture 04: Soil physical Properties
Video: Soil water holding capacity
Session 05: Concept of FC and PWP; Water holding polymers and their relevance.
PPT Lecture 05: Concept of FC and PWP ;Water holding polymers and their relevance.
Video: Field capacity and wilting point
Session 06: Root structure and functions; Root architecture and relevance in water mining.
PPT Lecture 06:ROOT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Video: ROOT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Session 07: Mechanism of water absorption and translocation.
PPT Lecture 07: Mechanism of absorption and transloaction
Video: Absorption of water in plant | active and passive absorption | apoplast and symplast pathway
Session 08: Theories explaining water absorption and translocation; Aquaporins.
PPT Lecture 08 : THEORIES EXPLAINING WATER ABSORPTION AND TRANSLOCATION;AQUAPORINS
Video: Mechanism Of Water Absorption || Active Water Absorption || Osmotic Theory || Non-osmotic Theory.
Session 09: Mycorrhizal association and its relevance in water mining.
PPT Lecture 09:MYCORRHIZAL ASSOCIATION AND ITS RELEVANCE IN WATER MINING
Session 10: Evaporation and transpiration; relevance of transpiration; factors regulating transpiration; Measurement of transpiration.
PPT Lecture 10: Evaporation and transpiration; relevance of transpiration; factors regulating transpiration; Measurement of transpiration
Video: Evaporation, Transpiration And Evapotranspiration
Session 11: Assessment I
Session 12: Approaches to minimize evaporation and transpiration; Concept of CCATD and its relevance.
PPT Lecture 12: LEC -12 ;- APPROACH OF EVAPORATION AND TRANSPIRATION
Video: Methods to reduce evaporation.
Session 13: Energy balance: Solar energy input and output at crop canopy level.
PPT Lecture 13: LEC13- SOLAR ENERGY INPUT AND OUTPUT CANOPY LEVEL
Video: Leaf energy balance
Session 14: Stomata- its structure, functions, and distribution; Molecular mechanisms of stomatal opening and closing.
PPT Lecture 14: STOMATA
Video: Stomata | Opening and Closing of Stomata
Session 15: Concept of guard cell turgidity; role of K and other osmolytes; role of ABA in stomatal closure.
PPT Lecture 15: CONCEPT OF GUARD CELL
Video: Abscisic acid signalling pathway | ABA mediated stomatal opening and closure
Session 16: Guard cells response to environmental signals; Signalling cascade associated with stomatal opening and closure.
PPT Lecture 16: GUARD CELLS RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNALS
Video: How stomata respond to environmental signals
Session 17: Antitranspirants and their relevance in agriculture.
PPT Lecture 17: ANTITRANSPIRANTS
Video: Antitranspirants and it's type
Session 18: WUE and its relevance in water productivity; Transpiration efficiency, a measure of intrinsic WUE Approaches to measure WUE.
PPT Lecture 18: WUE and its relevance in water productivity; Transpiration efficiency, a measure of intrinsic WUE Approaches to measure WUE.
Video: Water use efficiency (WUE)
Session 19: Stomatal and mesophyll regulation on WUE. Passioura’s yield model emphasizing WUE.
PPT Lecture 19:Stomatal and mesophyll regulation on WUE. Passioura’s yield model emphasizing WUE.
Video: What is Mesophyll
Session 20: Physiology of water stress in plants; Effect of moisture stress at molecular, cellular, organ and plant level.
PPT Lecture 20:Physiology of water stress in plants; Effect of moisture stress at molecular, cellular, organ and plant level
Video: water stress
Session 21: Assessment II
Session 22: Drought indices and drought tolerance strategies. Drought tolerance traits
PP?T Lecture 22:Drought indices and drought tolerance strategies. Drought tolerance traits
Video: Index of wetness and drought
Session 23: Role of mineral nutrients in plant’s metabolism; Essential elements and their classification; Beneficial elements;
PPT Lecture 23:Role of mineral nutrients in plant’s metabolism; Essential elements and their classification; Beneficial elements;
Video: Role of essential elements
Session 24: factors influencing the nutrients availability; critical levels of nutrients.
PPT Lecture 24:factors influencing the nutrients availability; critical levels of nutrients.
Video: Nutrient availability and factors affecting nutrient availability
Session 25: Functions of mineral elements in plants.
PPT Lecture 25:Functions of mineral elements in plants.
Video: Mineral Nutrition
Session 26: Deficiency and toxicity symptoms in plants.
PPT Lecture 26:Deficiency and toxicity symptoms in plants.
Video: Tricks to remember Plant Nutrients deficiency disorder, Nutrients deficiency symptoms in plant,
Session 27: Mechanism of mineral uptake and translocation; Ion transporters; genes encoding for ion transporters; localization of transporters.
PPT Lecture 27:Mechanism of mineral uptake and translocation; Ion transporters; genes encoding for ion transporters; localization of transporters.
Video: Translocation of mineral ions
Session 28: Xylem and phloem mobility; Nutrient transport to grains at maturity; Strategies to acquire and transport minerals under deficient levels.
PPT Lecture 28: Xylem and phloem mobility; Nutrient transport to grains at maturity; Strategies to acquire and transport minerals under deficient levels.
Video: Plant Transport Xylem and Phloem, Transpiration
Session 29: Role of mycorrhiza, root exudates and PGPRs in plant nutrient acquisition.
PPT Lecture 29: Role of mycorrhiza, root exudates and PGPRs in plant nutrient acquisition
Video: PGPR - Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria
Session 30: Foliar nutrition; Significance and factors affecting total uptake of minerals
PPT Lecture 30: Foliar nutrition; Significance and factors affecting total uptake of minerals;
Video: Foliar Feeding - Highly Effective Plant Nutrition
Session 31: Foliar nutrient droplet size for effective entry; Role of wetting agents in entry of nutrients.
Ppt Lecture: Foliar nutrient droplet size for effective entry; Role of wetting agents in entry of nutrients.
Video: Foliar Feeding and Fertilizing your plants
Session 32: Final Assessment
E-Material
Principles of Plant Physiology-I
Question Bank
Principle of Plant Physiology I_Question Bank
Assignments
- Identification of nutrient deficiency symptoms
- CCATD