Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 301357

Coordinator Jay Bose Opens in new window

Description This unit aims to provide knowledge of relationships between plant growth, controlled environment and crop physiological aspects relevant to protected crop production. The unit will provide students with relevant knowledge to explain and develop concepts that are key to understanding various areas of environmental plant physiology. The unit will also stimulate students to conceptualise interactions between the physical environment and plant functioning. The unit will compare the important parameters and concepts (e.g. plant growth, plant and fruit development, light interception, light use efficiency, biomass partitioning, and water use efficiency) in horticultural crop growth in the controlled systems.

School Science

Discipline Horticulture

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject

Assumed Knowledge

Students entering this subject should have knowledge of one of the following subject areas: horticultural production systems; environmental sustainability analytics; computing and technological applications; marketing principles and business management.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Explain physical and chemical factors that control plant growth.
2. Measure, analyse and explain advantages and disadvantages of the light environments.
3. Dissect the fundamental processes of photosynthesis and understand how leaf photosynthesis can
4. Explain the principles of leaf gas exchange and important parameters and concepts underlying
5. Explain the potential and importance of physical-physiological measurements for plant phenotyping
6. Synthesise experimental results to reach valid conclusions.
7. Appraise the interactions between the physical environment and plant function with a focus on crop
8. Communicate the findings of scientific investigations and literature reviews relating to contemporary issues in plant-climate interactions.

Subject Content

1.Plant microclimates such as air and tissue temperature, light, and air humidity.
2.Common methods for measuring soil and plant nutrition controlling crop growth and development
3.Lighting sources and the effects of the light environment (natural versus artificial light, including intensity, spectrum and duration) on crop production
4.Concepts and measurements of crop primary production for horticultural crops grown in controlled systems and the open field
5.Crop gas exchange, growth analysis and biomass allocation to estimate photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and dark respiration
6.Latest advances in plant phenotyping
7.Environmental impacts on crop growth and production under protected cropping