Principles of Plant Production Practice Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards derived from the Principles of Plant Production lecture transcript, covering botany basics, physiology, and agriculture.

Cultivated crops

Plants that are specifically planted and managed by man.

Uncultivated crops

Plants that grow naturally, also referred to as wild species.

Morphology

The study of the external form and visual appearance of a plant.

Anatomy

The study of the internal structures and arrangements of a plant.

Gymnosperms

A class of plants represented mainly by narrow-leaved evergreen trees, such as pine and cupressus, characterized by naked seeds.

Angiosperms

A class of plants that are usually broad-leaved and produce flowers, with seeds covered by a fruit.

Monocotyledons (Monocot)

A subclass of angiosperms where the embryo has one cotyledon.

Dicotyledons (Dicot)

A subclass of angiosperms where the embryo has two cotyledons.

Epigeal germination

Growth caused by hypocotyl elongation resulting in the emergence of cotyledons above the soil surface, as seen in beans.

Hypogeal germination

Growth caused by epicotyl elongation where the cotyledons remain below the soil surface, as seen in peas and corn.

Coleorhiza

The protective sheath from which the primary root develops in monocots like corn.

Coleoptile

A sheath-like leaf that protects the emerging plumule (primary shoot) as it grows upward through the soil.

Pistillate flowers

Female flowers, such as the ears on a corn plant.

Staminate flowers

Male flowers, such as the tassels located at the top of a corn plant.

Hypocotyl

The hook of a bean embryo that emerges above the soil, carrying the cotyledons with it.

Epicotyl

The stem region located just above the cotyledons.

Prokaryotic cells

Cells that have no separate sub-cellular units and no membrane-enclosed nuclear material, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotic cells

Cells made of compartments bounded by membranes called organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria.

Protoplast

The organized living unit of the cell, composed of membranes, particles, and organelles; it is divided into cytoplasm and nucleus.

Tonoplast

The membrane that surrounds the vacuole in a plant cell.

Apical meristem

The actively dividing tissue at the tip of a shoot or root responsible for primary growth and increasing plant length.

Intercalary meristem

Active tissues found in monocots (especially grasses) that occur between permanent tissues at nodal regions.

Lateral meristem

Tissues such as vascular cambium and cork cambium that increase the thickness or girth of stems and roots.

Adventitious roots

Roots that arise from any place on the plant other than from the radicle (root tip) of the seed, such as those originating from the shoot axis.

Xylem

Complex tissue responsible for conducting water and mineral nutrients upward from the roots.

Phloem

Complex tissue responsible for conducting photosynthates (organic food) throughout the plant.

Rhizome

An underground modified stem, typical of plants like Iris and certain grasses.

Stolon

An above-ground modified stem, also called a runner, capable of developing roots at nodes, such as in strawberries.

Corm

A thick, compressed underground stem that grows vertically, as seen in Gladiolus.

Tuber

An enlarged, fleshy underground stem used for storage, such as the white potato.

Climacteric fruit

Fruit that shows a sudden increase in respiration and ethylene production at a certain growth stage and can finish ripening after being picked, such as bananas or avocados.

Parthenocarpy

The formation of fruits without the stimulation of pollination and fertilization, resulting in seedless fruits.

Cultivar

A group of plants valuable in agriculture that can be propagated with little or no genetic change in the offspring.

Clone

A group of plants originating from a single individual and reproduced exclusively by vegetative means.

Line

A group of self-fertilizing plants that naturally maintains its genetic identity from generation to generation.

Breeder seed

Small amounts of seed produced under the control of a plant breeder, labeled with a white tag.

Foundation seed

Seed multiplied from breeder seed available in limited amounts, labeled with a white tag.

Registered seed

The seed source for growers of certified seed, labeled with a purple tag.

Certified seed

Seed available in large quantities for general crop production, labeled with a blue tag.

Scarification

A process of breaking, scratching, or softening the seed coat to make it permeable to water and gases.

Stratification

A method of handling dormant seeds by subjecting imbibed seeds to a period of chilling ($1-10\,^\circ C$) to after-ripen the embryo.

Phototropism

The movement or bending of plant parts, such as stems or leaves, toward a light source.

Photoperiodism

The physiological responses of plants to relative variations of light and darkness.

Vernalization

Exposure of plants to low temperatures ($1-10\,^\circ C$) to induce or promote flowering.

Short Day Plants (SDP)

Plants that flower only when the night length is longer than their critical night length.

Long Day Plants (LDP)

Plants that flower when exposed to night lengths shorter than their critical night length.

Auxin

A plant hormone originating in meristems that moves downward (basipetal), causing apical dominance and root formation.

Gibberellins (GA)

Hormones synthesized in the shoot apex and embryos that stimulate growth, overcome cold requirements, and increase fruit size.

Abscisic acid (ABA)

An inhibitor hormone that induces leaf abscission, dormancy, and stomata closure.

RUBISCO

Ribulose $1,5$-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, the enzyme responsible for the initial step of carbon fixation in the dark reaction.