Plant Physiology: Understanding Role in Knowledge and Agriculture

This assignment provides a comprehensive overview of plant physiology, detailing its crucial role in both knowledge development and agricultural practices. It explores key aspects such as phytochemistry, cellular processes, and cellular interactions, highlighting how these areas contribute to understanding plant survival and internal functions. The assignment further examines the significance of plant physiology in agriculture, including crop physiology, plant breeding, and genetic engineering. It discusses the advancements in plant breeding, domestication of plants, and the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), such as herbicide-resistant and insect-resistant crops, as well as coping with global warming. The text emphasizes the importance of plant physiology in improving crop yields, enhancing disease resistance, and adapting to environmental challenges, making it a cornerstone of modern agricultural practices. The study of plant physiology is vital for understanding how plants interact with the environment, respond to stressors, and contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural practices. The assignment emphasizes the importance of understanding the physiological features of plants to determine the effects of genetic engineering and the need for adapting to global warming.

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What is the Role of Plant Physiology?
Keyword: Plant Physiology
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What is Plant Physiology
Plant physiology describes the physiology and functioning of the plants. It is a subdiscipline of
botany. It primarily describes the key processes such as the respiration, photosynthesis, hormone
functions, nutrition, nastic movements, tropisms, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism and
circadian rhythms. It also deals with the topics including seed germination, environmental stress
physiology, stomata function and dormancy. Besides, the subject is closely connected to the
fields such as plant morphology, phytochemistry, plant ecology, biophysics, genetics, molecular
biology and cell biology.
In order to understand the plant way of life, knowing the structure and functioning of is crucial.
Plant Physiology provides information on how the plants survive. Therefore, studying the subject
is necessary to get a deeper insight into the plants.
Role of Plant Physiology in Knowledge Development
Plant physiology focuses on studying every internal activity of the plant. The key physical and
chemical processes are analyzed in the subject. It also covers the activities of different scale of
time and size. In other words, molecular interactions such as photosynthesis, internal diffusion of
minerals, water and nutrients are studies as part of the subject. Along with with it, the large scale
activities such as seasonality, plant development, reproductive control and dormancy. The
subject plays a key role to develop knowledge in the following areas—
Phytochemistry or Plant Chemistry: It is one of the key knowledge areas in the domain. The
plants require producing a number of chemical compounds for survival and functioning. Many of
these compounds are unique in nature as those are not found in other organisms. The
photosynthesis process needs a generation of different enzymes, pigments and other compounds
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to be completed. The plants are unable to move. So, chemical compounds are generated for
defence also. The compounds are generated by categories such as pathogens, herbivores. In most
of the cases, the toxins are produced. Additionally, the smelling and foul-tasting chemicals are
also produced by the plants for self-defence. There are some chemicals which give protection
against diseases. Survival at the time of drought is crucial for the plants. The chemical
compounds are useful for this purpose as well.
Dormancy can be described as a period during which growth and development in an organism
stop completely. During this time, the metabolic activity minimizes. As an effect, the organism
becomes able to save energy. The environmental conditions influence the dormancy period
significantly. Dormancy is an important part of the plant life-cycle. Chemical compounds are
necessary for preparing the plant for the period.
Attracting pollinators is another crucial activity for the plant. It keeps the reproduction works
uninterruptedly. The chemicals play a key role in this case also. These compounds attract the
herbivores and pollinators for spreading the ripe seeds. The discussion indicates that studying
Phytochemistry is essential for getting an idea on the chemical processes at the different stages
of the lifecycle.
Cellular Processes: The subject aims at developing knowledge in the domain of chemical and
biological processes in the cells. The cells of a plant show a number of attributes. These
attributes are different from those of the animal cells. Due to the unique attributes, the plant cells
respond and behave differently than the animals. For example, the walls of the plant cell are
more rigid. So, these walls influence the shape of cells. Mobility and flexibility of the plants are
also limited by the walls. Presence of the chlorophyll is another unique feature of these cells. It is
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a chemical compound which makes interactions with the light. On the basis of interactions, the
plants become able to create their own nutrients. This is a distinctive feature of them. other
animals cannot create nutrients for themselves. The plants in this regard are completely
independent. It states that the subject is effective to create an understanding of the unique
processes within the plant cells.
Cellular Interactions: The plant cells, organs and tissues interact in a unique manner. Different
cells are designated to perform different duties. Those have special physical and chemical
abilities for performing the tasks. For example, the rhizoids and the roots play a key role in
holding the plant. These parts also play a crucial role in acquiring minerals from the soil. The
leaf is another important part of the plant. The leaves create the necessary nutrients at the
presence of light. The minerals collected by the roots and the rhizoids are transferred to the
leaves. The nutrients which are manufactured in the leaves are then sent to the roots. Such
transportation tasks are performed in several ways. For example, the vascular tissues are a major
part of the process. It reflects that the subject gives importance to understanding the processes
using which the plants live.
Internal Functions: Plant physiologists give importance to studying the ways using which
plants become able to control as well as regulate internal functions. In a similar manner to the
animals, plants are also able to produce some chemicals which are called hormones. These
hormones are usually generated in a single part of the plant. These chemicals are able to send a
signal to the cells which are located in another part. The cells which receive the hormone signals
respond accordingly. This feature of the plants explains the activities like blooming of flowers.
The flowers in many plants bloom at the accurate time. It happens because of the presence of
light-sensitive compounds. These compounds respond according to the length of the night. It is a
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phenomenon which is known as photoperiodism. Similarly, responses to the chemicals also
describe the ripening of the fruits. The incidents like the ripening of fruit and losing the leaves
during winter are controlled by chemicals. The plants often produce ethylene gas. It is considered
as a key element which is responsible for ripening of fruit.
Environmental Interaction: The plants interact with the environment in several ways. The
study on the physiological attributes of the plants also helps in developing the knowledge of how
these plants interact with the environment. The plants respond to different types of environment
condition in a different manner. The subject gives importance to gaining knowledge on how the
responses change with the environmental conditions. The subject gives importance to discussing
how the plants get stressed due to water loss. The alternations in air chemistry are also reviewed
as part of the subject. The way of functioning in a plant changes with the crowding. Such
changes also occur due to the chemical, genetic and physical factors. The subject also discusses
how the functioning of plants is influenced by different factors.
Role in Agriculture
The study of plant physiology is important in agriculture. It is the science and art of how plants
are cultivated. Agriculture is the base of the development of human civilization. The works
related to farming of domesticated species generate food surpluses which make people able to
live in cities. The modern agriculture deals with plant breeding, agronomy and agrochemicals
such as the use of the fertilizers and the pesticides. The technological developments have
changed the conventional agricultural processes significantly. The technological developments
have increased the number of crops. Along with it, the technological tools caused environmental
and economic changes.
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The modern agricultural practices are also shaped by depletion of aquifers, global warming,
deforestation, use of growth hormones and antibiotics. Increase demand for Genetically modified
organisms is another key trend in agriculture. The products in the agricultural industry are
broadly categorized as fibres, foods, raw materials and fuels. The food products obtained from
the agricultural industry are classified as vegetables, cereals, oil and fruit.
The knowledge of the physiological factors associated with the plants is essential for conducting
the agricultural works effectively. Crop physiology is an important part of the subject. It deals
with investigating different processes in the plants. The key areas of focus in the domain of Crop
physiology are -- the activities which drive growth in the plants, the development processes and
the production of crop plants in an economic manner.
This area of the subject includes both the basic and applied research to determine the
functionalities of the crop plants. The basic researches in the crop physiology give importance to
developing knowledge in the area. The applied researches, on the contrary, give importance to
solving practical problems. However, the crop physiology studies the plants and plant
communities as a whole. This is because the processes which control the production. The area
also gives importance to studying how the plants interact with the environment.
The key areas related to the crop physiology are—
Plant Breeding: Crop alteration is a widely used practised in agriculture. Altering crops with the
help of breeding practice brings changes in the genetic structure of a plant. It helps the farmers in
the development of the crops which possess more beneficial attributes. As an effect, these crops
become more suitable for society. The larger fruits or seeds are an example in this case as those
products are more economical. Production of the drought-tolerance crops is another useful
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application. Such crops can be produced in harsh environmental condition. The recent
developments in crop physiology and plant breeding enabling the farmers to produce pest-
resistant crops. Such products have a lower risk of getting damaged. As an effect, the losses in
agriculture reduces.
Significant Advancements in Plant Breeding: The plant breeding domain has experienced
several new advancements. These advancements are based on the studies done by Gregor
Mendel, in the area of plant physiology. His works developed knowledge of recessive and
dominant alleles. The findings were ignored for several years. Later, the same findings provided
plant breeders with a better understanding of breeding technique and genetics. The widely used
crop breeding development includes the use of techniques which enable the farmers to choose a
plant with persevered traits. The other developments in the domain include cross-pollination,
self-pollination along with the use of the molecular techniques for modifying the organism
genetically.
Domestication of Plants: Domestication is another important practice in the domain of
agriculture. It helps to enhance disease resistance. It also increases the tolerance to the drought.
Additionally, domestication leads to make harvesting easier. Taste of the crops improves which
is another benefit of the domestication. Finally, domestication increases the nutritional value of
the food. It is another benefit of the domestication.
The knowledge on crop physiology also helps the farmers to understand the effects of variation
in farming techniques such as pest control using the chemicals, use of fertilizers and controlling
growth using the chemicals. The variation in the crop is also observed due to the changes in
climate and genetics.
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Genetic Engineering of Plants: Studying the physiological feature of plants is necessary to
determine the effects of genetic engineering. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are
organisms which posses modified genes. The genetic engineering techniques are used for
altering the genetic materials It is also known as the recombinant DNA technology. These
techniques are often used to develop new crops. The other benefits of genetically modified crops
are higher nutritional value, increased level of durability, a higher level of resistance to the virus
and insect.
Development of Herbicide-resistant Seed: Development of Herbicide-resistant Seed is another
instance of the genetic engineering and its applications on the domain of physiological studies of
plants. When the gene is modified in the seeds, the plants become able to tolerate a higher level
of exposure to herbicides. Controlling weed is one of the crucial activities in farming. By using
the modified seeds, the farmers become able to g produce a crop which can tolerate the
herbicides. Therefore, controlling the weed in the fields becomes easier.
Development of Insect-Resistant Crops: genetic engineering techniques are used to develop
insect resistant crops. These crops are modified using the gene found in the soil
bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). These crops generate a toxin for the insects. In this way, the
attacks of the insects are prevented.
Coping with Global Warming: global warming is one of the key issues in the current
agricultural systems. Both global warming and agricultural practices are interrelated to each
other. Global warming impacts on agriculture by bringing changes in average temperatures. The
pattern of rainfall also changes with global warming. With the changing nature of the global
climate, weather extremes are being observed more frequently. For example, incidents like heat
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waves and storms are being observed in a frequent manner. The change in weather also brings
changes in the natural pests and diseases. The level of ground-level ozone concentrations along
with the atmospheric carbon dioxide is changing with the climate. It indicates that the plants are
being exposed to harsher weather in the modern days.
The exposure to extreme weather is impacting the crops in different ways. The
nutritional quality of the crops is being changed due to the adverse impacts of weather. Global
warming is leading to the rise of sea level. As an effect, crop production in the low-altitude
countries is being affected. Global warming might cause food insecurity in some areas. Under
these circumstances, understanding the plant physiology is especially necessary to develop
strategies for protecting the crops.
Role in Horticulture
Horticulture is another area which is closely related to the plant physiology. It is defined as the
study which includes the culture of plants. The horticulture primarily focuses on producing food
and materials for the purpose of beauty and comfort. The key areas of focus in the domain of
horticulture are-- the restoration of the landscape, conservation of plants, management of soil,
designing the garden and the landscape, development and maintenance of the garden.
Key areas of Horticulture: The primary activities in Horticulture can be classified in the
following manner—
Pomology: It deals with fruit culture. The activities in Pomology mainly include the production
of pome fruits such as pear, apple and quince. It also includes the production of stone fruits such
as cherry, peach, nectarine, plum and apricot. Production on small fruits such as raspberry,
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blueberry, grape and strawberry falls under the domain of Pomology. Finally, the production of
nut tree fruits is also one of the notable activities in the field of Pomology.
Vegetable Production: It is the activity which deals with the culture of food crops. The crops are
obtained from vegetable plants. Different parts of the vegetable plants are used as the product.
Such parts include fruits, roots, and seeds.
Floriculture: It is a domain that deals with the growing of flowers. The domain also focuses on
growing the bedding plants, potted plants, bulbs and floral design.
Environmental Horticulture: It is the domain which deals with nursery production of woody
plants and herbaceous. The domain also emphasizes on managing and designing the landscape.
Postharvest Physiology: This area of horticulture deals with harvest the crops, handling and
storing those. The crops which are managed as part of the domain include fruits, flowers, and
vegetables.
The key difference between agriculture and horticulture is the scale of production. Agriculture
aims at the production of the crop at a large scale. On the contrary, horticulture emphasizes
producing a crop at a smaller scale. However, in both the domains, having knowledge of the
physiology of plants is equally important. In horticulture, application of skills, knowledge and
technology is needed producing the plants which meet the food-related and non-food
requirements. The knowledge of the physiological attributes of the plants is required for
cultivation and propagation purpose. The application of knowledge aims at the improvement of
the growth rate of the plants, increasing the yields, improving the quality and enhancing the
nutritional value. In horticulture, the presence of the insects can damage the plants. Similarly,
plants can also be damaged due to diseases. The knowledge of physiology plays a crucial role to
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prevent such attacks. It indicates that knowledge is also useful for developing strategies to cope
with the damage.
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