Fundamentals of Crop Physiology

PPHY 261 is a crop physiology course that explains the main functional processes of crop plants, including water relations, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, respiration, growth, development, and stress response.

Diffusion is the movement of molecules from higher to lower concentration in general, while osmosis is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from higher water potential to lower water potential.

Stomata and transpiration are important because they regulate gas exchange, cooling, water loss, and the movement of water through the plant, which strongly affects growth and stress response.

C3, C4, and CAM plants differ in how they fix carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, with C4 and CAM pathways helping reduce photorespiration or water loss under particular environmental conditions.

Photosynthesis is important because it is the basic process by which crops convert light energy into chemical energy and biomass, which ultimately supports economic yield.

Source-sink relationship means the movement of photosynthates from producing parts such as leaves to using or storing parts such as roots, stems, grains, fruits, or developing tissues.

Plant growth regulators are important because they influence germination, rooting, elongation, flowering, fruit set, senescence, and many other growth and developmental processes.

They study environmental stress because drought, heat, salinity, and other stresses change water relations, photosynthesis, respiration, and growth, directly affecting crop productivity.