The course is structured in such a way as to allow students to i) develop knowledge and understanding of the basic aspects of plant nutrition, in relation to growth and development processes and in response to environmental stress, ii) apply this knowledge in a optics of improving agricultural productivity. Laboratory activities will allow students to acquire direct experience of laboratory practices and bioinformatic tools applied to seed quality evaluation.
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of the basic contents of botany and plant physiology courses is required, with particular reference to the growth processes of the plant organism, and to specific functions such as photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. For laboratory activities basic knowledge of informatics is useful, with particular reference to the software Microsoft Excel.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lessons. In-depth seminars dedicated to specific topics of the course will be held. Laboratory activities.
Assessment Methods
Learning will be verified through a written exam with open questions. The student will have to demonstrate that they have clearly acquired the complexity of the cellular and biochemical mechanisms underlying the nutrition and growth of the plant organism, but also a capacity for critical analysis of the issues and methodological approaches discussed in the course.
Texts
Teaching material: - lessons in pdf format held by the teacher - bibliography (review papers) indicated by the teacher
Contents
Introduction to plant physiology. Water and plant cells. Plant nutrition: root system, mobilization and absorption of nutrients, metabolism of nutrients. The plant response to environmental stresses. Seed physiology: basic concepts, seed quality and productivity of cultivated plants. Laboratory activities will be focused on the following topics: basic concept in seed physiology; approaches to improve seed quality, with particular reference to seed priming and stress tolerance; establishment of experimental systems for seed quality evaluation, including laboratory techniques and basic bioinformatic and statistic approaches.
Course Language
ENGLISH
More information
The professor will provide all the necessary supports in order to optimize students' learning, identifying the most suitable strategies, depending on the category and students' specific needs.
