I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Plant Science

2. Course Prefix & Number:
HORT 1104

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 4

4. Course Description:

This course is a survey of the biological considerations for growing and caring of plants. This class will cover plant characteristics, classification, and biology; soil considerations, components, uses, and characteristics; propagation types and strategies of woody and herbaceous plants.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:

• Advanced Standing
• Written
• Portfolio

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Landscape Technology, Diploma
Sustainable Greenhouse, Diploma
Floral Design, Diploma
Horticulture, AAS

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Create a personal resume
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Assess nutrient deficiencies related to soil characteristics and recommend a plan of action.
Work as a team member to achieve shared goals	Demonstrate interpersonal relations to work within a group to create a poster board presentation on a current horticultural trend or topic.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

Expected Outcome	MnTC Goal Area
Describe the distinctions between the taxonomy of plants from kingdom to cultivar Describe biological plant structures of flowers, stems, fruit, seeds, leaves, roots Differentiate above listed plant structures in relation to differences in species and genera
Compare and contrast biological processes related to gymnosperms and angiosperms Characterize physiological processes related to photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration Define and classify xylem, phloem, and vascular cambium in relation to their place between monocots and dicots
Identify greenhouse media by appearance Compare and contrast greenhouse media by their water absorption, compaction, and organic vs. non organic characteristics Assess proper propagation techniques in relation to plant structure both in the wild and in cultivation
Interpret fertilizer analysis of different fertilizer formulations Determine fertilizer nutrient  composition by weight of components Determine soil texture when given percentages of soil separates
Compare and contrast differences between softwood, semi hardwood, hardwood and cane cuttings in relation to timing and differences in stem tissue structure Support reasoning behind methods to break physical and physiological dormancy of seeds Explain connections between seed source and plant hardiness traits
Create a personal professional resume

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

I.          Green Plants

• Divisions of Horticulture
  • Arboriculture to Pomology
  • Ornamental crops to food crops
• Plant Classification
  • Kingdom to Species
    • Cultivar, variety, hybrid
    • Gymnosperm vs. angiosperm
    • Nomenclature

v  Linnaeus /Marshal

v  Structural /Physiological characteristics

• Plant Parts
  • Stems
    • Function and form

v  Vascular bundle scar ID and physiological purpose

v  Node and internode ID function in growth

v  Lenticel ID and gas exchange function

v  Bud ID & function relation to flowers and leaves

• Adventitious, terminal, psedoterminal, axillary 
• Woody vs. herbaceous

v  Meristematic tissue

v  Xylem, phloem, vascular cambium physiological function and organization

v  Monocot vs. dicot

• Modified stems

v  Rhizome, stolens, tubers, corms, bulbs, crowns, spurs

• Identification
• Propagation considerations
• Roots

      Root hair cellular make up

      Adventitious roots

      Apical meristems

      Root cap function and form

      Leaves

ü  Function and form

      Simple vs. compound

      Palmate, pinnate, bi-pinnate

      Margin, base and apex variety

      Epidermis function and make up

      Flowers

      Hypogynous, perigyonus, epigynous

      Ovary position

      Petal/sepal relation

• Single, inflorescence, disk type structure and form
  • Relation to production and organization of fruit
  • Organization and form related to ID

v  Spike, raceme, panicle, catkin, cyme, corymb, umbel

v  Pistal and stamen make up and function

v  Fruit

• Exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp

      Function in fruit composition and identification

• Fleshy vs. dry
• Dehiscent vs. indehiscent
• Simple, multiple, aggregate type organization and form
  • Drupe, pome, berry, hesperidium
  • Legume, capsule, achene, nut, nutlet, samara
    • Juvenility vs. maturity
    • Plant Processes
      • Photosynthesis
        • Chemical formula
        • Relation to CO2, H2O, and sun light concentrations
        • Natural vs. manmade energy source
        • Transpiration

v  Leaf stomata

v  Relation to relative humidity

v  Guttation

v  Respiration

• chemical formula
• relationship to photosynthesis
• Growth Potential

      Relationship to genetics

      Relationship to environmental factors

ü  Soil

      Nutrition, air ratio, moisture ratio

      Atmosphere

ü  CO2 levels, O2 levels, atmospheric pollutants, humidity

      Water

ü  Photosynthesis needs, control on transpiration

      Light

ü  Chlorophyll needs

ü  Phototropism

ü  Short day, long day, day neutral

      Temperature

ü  Control on germination, transpiration, respiration, flowering

ü  Cool season vs. warm season crops

ü  Air vs. ground temperatures

ü  Hardiness Zone Map

      Temperature zone break down

      Most recent update (2012 using 1976-2005 averages)

      Other factors not included

 

2.         Describing and Identifying Plants

• Woody vs. herbaceous
• Evergreen vs. deciduous vs. semi-evergreen
  • Needle vs. broadleaf
  • Relationship to hardiness zone
• Trees, shrubs, vines, ground cover
  • Height, stem count, growth habit
• Annuals, perennials, biennials
  • Annual in zone 3 but perennial in zone 7?
  • Cost differences
  • Time to maturity
• Hardy vs. tender
  • Temperatures, moisture levels, sunlight needs
• Bedding plants, foliage plants
  • Origin of indoor plants
• Native, exotic, and naturalized plants
  • Can you predict the next noxious weeds?

3.         The Soil

• Definition
  • Natural soil vs. greenhouse/nursery medium
  • How soils differ
    • Texture
    • Soil deposition
    • Weathering

v  Temperatures, water movement, root growth action

v  Soil separates

• Sand, silt, clay

      Size, shape, water holding capacity, air ratios, surface area, chemical activity, nutrition

      Soil texture

ü  Soil triangle

      Field use

      Loam

      Soil nutrition

      Essential Elements

      Macro nutrients

      Calcium, carbon hydrogen, magnesium, nitrogen oxygen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur

     Functions in plants, symptoms of deficiency

• Micronutrients

      Boron, chorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, nickel

ü  Functions in plants, symptoms of deficiency

• Leeching
• Soil structure
  • Aggregates
  • Sand, silt, clay considerations
  • Soil pH

v  Soil solution

v  Acid, neutral, alkaline

• H+ ions, OH- ions
• Optimum range for growth
• Measuring and controlling
• Relationship to mineral absorption
• Relationship to cation exchange capacity
• Buffering capacity
  • Elemental sulfur, organic matter, limestone
  • Cation Exchange capacity

v  Cations, anions, colloidal particles

v  Weathering

v  Clay and organic matter

v  Fertilizers

• Commercial vs. organic
• Complete vs. incomplete
• Fillers

      Trade secrets, micro nutrients, pH additives

• Analysis
  • High vs. low analysis
  • NPK

v  % by weight

v  Nitrogen

• Function, formation, fixation, nitrate salts, ammonium salts, nitrifying bacteria
• Phosphorus

      Function, formation, relation to aquatic systems, limiting nutrient

      Potassium

ü  Function, formation

4.         Plant Growth Regulators

• What are they?
  • Auxin
  • Cytokinin
  • Gibberellins
  • Parthenocarpy, phototropism, geotropism
  • Types of regulators
    • Growth promoters
    • Growth inhibitors
    • Rooting hormones
    • Powder vs. liquid

v  Quick dip vs. soak

v  Pre-dips

v  Commercial growth regulators vs. natural

5.         Plant Reproduction

• Sexual vs. asexual reproduction
  • Genetics
  • Plant patents
  • Natural vs. cultivated
  • Plant improvement
    • Genetic variation
    • Hybridization
    • Cultivation
    • Natural variety

v  provenance

v  Mutations

• Natural vs. forced

6.         Plant Propagation

• Media for propagation
  • Perlite, vermiculite, peat, sand, rockwool, compost, coir, charcoal
  • Seeds
    • Embryo

v  Axes

v  Monocot vs. dicot

v  Radicle, plumule, cotyledons

• Storage tissue
  • Endosperm, cotyledon storage
  • Oil, starch, protein
  • Seed coat
    • Embryonic protection
    • Gas exchange
    • Imbibitions
    • Viability
    • Periodicity
    • Dormancy
      • Physical dormancy

v  Hard and waxy seed coats

v  Scarification

• Mechanical, acid, soak
• Physiological dormancy

      Immature embryo, chemical imbalance

ü  Warm moist stratification

ü  Cool moist stratification

• Double dormancy
• Deep dormancy
• Epicotyl dormancy
• Division

      Growth habit

ü  Suckering, fibrous root systems

• Timing
• Modified stems
  • Bulblets, bulbils, scales, cormels
  • Cuttings

v  Rooting hormones

v  Root cuttings

• Length and diameter needs

      Nutrition reserves

      Shoot primordial

• Stem cuttings
  • Stem length and bud numbers and types
  • Herbaceous

v  Non woody perennials, house plants

v  Woody

• Softwood, semi-hardwood, hardwood
• Cane cuttings
• Leaf cuttings
  • Meristematic tissue
  • Veins severed, blade cutting, whole leaf (petiole considerations), leaf bud, leaf section
  • Grafting

v  Root stock vs. scion wood

v  Success vs. failure

• Compatibility
• Cambial contact
• Physical closeness of fit
• Dicot vs. monocot
• Graft rejection
• Fragility of union
• Loss to girdling
• Reasons
  • Size and shape control
  • Plant vigor
  • Multiple varieties on single plant
  • Fruit bearing age
  • Adaptations to soil conditions
  • Production
  • Repairing damage
  • Types
    • Double graft
    • Splice
    • Whip and tongue
    • Saddle and inverted saddle
    • Bark graft
    • Veneer graft
    • Cleft graft
    • Budding

v  Budwood

• Collection
• Compatibility
• Flower vs. leaf buds
• Types
  • T bud and inverted T bud
  • I bud
  • Patch bud
  • Layering

v  Natural

v  Tip layering

v  Serpentine

v  Stooling

v  Air layering

v  Tissue Culture

• Success and failure

      Aseptic conditions

      Facilities and costs

      Controlled environmental conditions

• Explants
  • Size and numbers
  • Tissue differentiation
  • Agar mix