I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Botanical Viticulture

2. Course Prefix & Number:
VITI 1112

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the plant kingdom and to examine grapevine form and function from a botanical perspective. Topics to be covered include the specific characteristics of plants that distinguish them from other forms of life, divisions within the plant kingdom with representative members of each, and plant classification. Plant cells, tissues, life cycles, structures and functions, especially as applied to grapevines will also be discussed, along with various aspects of plant and grapevine physiology, such as photosynthesis, respiration, nutrition, cold acclimation and hardiness, and dormancy.

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

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Missouri State University, West Plains, MO - VIN 112, 4 credits
Highland Community College, Highland, KS - VIN 112,  4 credits

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

The Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA); Missouri State - West Plains; 2003

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

• Military Experience
• Specialty Schools
• Written
• Oral
• Demonstration
• Portfolio

III. Course Purpose

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

Viticulture, Diploma
Viticulture, AAS Degree

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Explain the characteristics of plant life.
Demonstrate written communication skills	Identify and describe different plant life cycles.
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Apply the science of genetics to explain the development of French hybrid vines.

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

• Describe forms of life on earth;
• Define plant taxonomy;
• Identify structures and functions of plant cells;
• Identify different plant life cycles, and the structures and functions of plant tissues;
• Identify grapevine morphology, including roots, shoots and perennial wood, leaves and vine canopy, flowers and berries;
• Describe grapevine plant processes: photosynthesis (Pn) and respiration, sources and sinks, and photoassimilate partitioning & carbohydrate storage;
• Describe the vine dormant season;
• List plant nutrients and their role in grapevines;
• Define genetics including Mendelian inheritance, rediscovery in early 20th century, and potential role in hybrid grape development; and
• Describe ecology, plant variability and evolution.

V. Topical Outline

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

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Demonstrate an understanding of forms of life on earth
• Define life in scientific terms.
• Describe the characteristics of plants that distinguish them as a life form.
• Describe the various forms of plants.
• Describe the characteristics of the plant kingdom.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of plant taxonomy
• Describe the function of taxonomy.
• Describe the plant taxonomy system.
• Describe the principles used in the plant taxonomy system.
• Describe the varied forms of organisms in plant kingdom.
• Classify a grapevine species based on its name.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the structures and functions of plant cells
• Describe the structure of a plant cell.
• Illustrate the structure of a plant cell.
• Identify the organelles of a plant.
• Describe the functions of organelles of a plant cell.
• Describe the difference between a plant cell and an animal cell.
• Distinguish a plant cell from an animal cell.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of different plant life cycles, and the structures and functions of plant tissues 
• Define the terms “annual”, “biennial”, and “perennial” with regard to plant life cycles.
• Describe the characteristics and differences of an each type of plant.
• Identify the grapevine regarding plant type.
• Name and describe the different types of tissue found in a grapevine.
• Describe the functions of each type of tissue found in a grapevine.
5. Demonstrate an Understanding of Grapevine Plant Processes:
• Metabolism-(A); Photosynthesis (Pn); Sources and Sinks, Photoassimilate Partitioning & CH₂O storage
• Describe capture of light by a grapevine leaf.
• Describe how light gets converted to chemical energy.
• Describe how a vine canopy influences total light capture and thus vine Pn?
• Describe how temperature, light intensity and CO₂ level influence Pn.
• How does chemical energy produced by light convert CO₂ and H₂O to CH₂O?
• What are concepts of Source & Sink? How do they control CH₂O movement in vine?
• What are storage reserves and what is their value?
6. Demonstrate an Understanding of Grapevine Plant Processes: Metabolism (B); Respiration
• Describe the process of Respiration.
• Describe how is it involved in vine growth, and  fruit production and ripening
• 3. Contrast Pn and respiration.
7. Demonstrate an Understanding of the Vine Dormant Season. What is dormancy? What is its utility? How does it work? Vine cold hardiness.
• Define dormancy and explain how it works.
• Describe the purpose it serves for a perennial vine.
• Define cold hardiness.
• Explain the purpose it serves for a perennial vine.
• Define critical temperatures and identify critical tissues.
• List environmental factors that influence cold hardiness of a grapevine.
8. Demonstrate an Understanding of Plant Nutrients and their Role in Grapevines. What are they, how do they work in the vine? Is water a vine nutrient?
• Identify the elements required for vine growth and reproduction.
• Differentiate between macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients.
• Describe the role of macro- and micro-nutrients.
9. Demonstrate an Understanding of Genetics. Mendelian inheritance, rediscovery in early 20^thcentury.
• Potential role in hybrid grape development.
• Define and describe the science of genetics?
• What are genes and how do they control heredity?
• Who was Gregor Mendel? Correns?, DeVries? Tschermak?
• How may last three have influenced Vitis hybrid development?
10. Demonstrate an Understanding of Ecology, Plant Variability and Evolution
• Explain how genetic diversity within a species serves a plant species in the wild?
• List the kinds of natural pressures that can influence survival of an individual plant?  Plant species?
• Who was Charles Darwin? Alfred Russell Wallace? What was Darwin’s contribution to the present framework of life science understanding?
• Describe the Theory of Evolution.
• Discuss whether it applies to grapevines.

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions

Students will conduct guided laboratory/field activities and record the data and report in a Botany Journal. 

 

• Classify a grapevine species based on its name.
• Distinguish a plant cell from an animal cell.
• Identify the grapevine regarding plant type.
• Name and describe the different types of tissue found in a grapevine.
• What are genes and how do they control heredity?