Introduction of course

This course will enable the students to understand plant nutrients and mechanisms of their uptake by plants. There will be detailed discussions about the available forms of different plant nutrients, their fertilizers / sources, mode of absorption, assimilation and redistribution in plants. In addition, there will be a brief description of plant growth hormones, their classification, site of synthesis and action as well as their commercial uses.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. To introduce the students about concept of mineral nutrients and mineral nutrition.
2. To familiarize students about mechanism of uptake, translocation and metabolism of mineral nutrients.
3. To make students able to distinguish between deficiencies symptoms of different plant nutrients.
4. To make aware students about functions of plant growth regulators.
5. To provide know-how about mineral nutrition and growth regulators.

Text Books

1. Epstein, E. and A. J. Bloom. 2004 Mineral Nutrition of Plants: Principles and Perspectives. John Wiley and Sons Inc., USA.

2. Havlin, J.L., Tisdale, S.L., J.D. Beaton and W.L. Nelson. 2005. Soil fertility and fertilizers. 7th Ed. Macmillan Publishing Co., NY, USA.

3. Mengel, K., E. A. Kirkby, H. Kosegarten and T. Appel. 2001. Principles of Plant Nutrition. 5th Ed. International Potash Institute, Bern, Switzerland.

4. Rashid, A. and K.S. Memon. 2005. Soil Science. Ed. E. Bashir and R. Bantel. National Book Foundation, Islamabad.

5. Taize, L. and E., Zeiger. 2006. Plant Physiology 4th Ed. Sinauers Associate, Inc. Sunderland Massachusetts, USA.

6. Fageria, N.K. 2009. The use of Nutrients in Crop Plants. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742

7.  Balasubrananiyan P., and Palaniappan SP. 2001. Principles and Practices of Agronomy. Agrobios (India).

8. Roy, R. N., Finck, A., Blair, G. J., & Tandon, H. L. S. 2006. Plant nutrition for food security. A guide for integrated nutrient management. FAO Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Bulletin, 16, 368.

9. Chandrasekaran, B., Annadurai, K., & Somasundaram, E. 2010. A Textbook of Agronomy. New Age International Limited.

Weekly lesson plan

1. Different fertilizers and their compositions.
2. Calculation of nutrient cum fertilizer unit values.
3. Identification of different fertilizers in lab. (Laboratory activity).
4. Preparation of different growth media for growing plants.
5. Demonstration of Hydroponics culture for raising plants. (Laboratory activity).
6. Preparation of different nutrient solutions (Laboratory activity).
7. Raising of plants in different growth media.
8. Imposing nutrient deficiencies on potted plants by nutrient solutions without certain nutrients.
9. Recording deficiency symptoms of different nutrients in potted plants.
10. Growing plants in pots and maintaining growing conditions for demonstration of growth regulators applications and recording observations regarding plant responses to plant growth regulators applications.

Sessional: 20%                        Mid Test: 30%             Final Examination: 50%

Time Table

Monday 11:20

Tuesday 10:30

Wednesday 10:30

KEY DATES

Commencement of semester: February 22, 2021 (Monday)

Mid test: April 19 to 23, 2021 (Monday to Friday)

Final Examination:  June 21 to 25, 2021 (Monday to Friday)

Result Declaration: July 02, 2021 (Friday)