BIO-101: Plant Forms and Functions

[Compulsory], [2 Credits], [1st semester]

Three basic plant organs: Roots, Stems, Leaves; Common Types of Plant Cells; Examples of Differentiated Plant Cells: Parenchyma Cells, Collenchyma Cells, Sclerenchyma Cells, Water-Conducting Cells of the Xylem, Sugar-Conducting Cells of the Phloem;

Meristem generate cells for new organs; Primary Growth lengthens roots and shoots: Primary Growth of Roots, Primary Growth of Shoots;

Tissue Organization of Leaves; Secondary growth adds girth to stems and roots in woody plants: The Vascular Cambium and Secondary Vascular Tissue, The Cork Cambium and the Production of Periderm;

Growth, morphogenesis and differentiation produce the plant body: Revolutionizing the Study of Plants, Growth: Cell Division and Cell Expansion, The Plane and Symmetry of Cell Division, Orientation of Cell Expansion, Microtubules and Plant Growth, Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation;

Difference between monocots and dicots; Gene Expression and Control of Cellular Differentiation; Location and a Cell's Developmental Fate; Genetic Control of Flowering

BIO-102: Cell and Genes

[Compulsory], [2 Credits], [2nd semester]

The Cell: The Basic Unit of Life, Comparing Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells;

Eukaryotic Cells: Compartmentalization of eukaryotic cell function,

Organelles and their functions: nucleus, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus, lysosomes, mitochondria, plastids, vacuoles, other organelles;

Extracellular structure: cell wall, plasma membrane;

Different Modes of Cell Reproduction: Mitosis, Meiosis, Meiotic error: Nondisjunction, polyploidy, programmed cell death;

Genes; Inheritance of genes; Mendel’s Experiments and the Laws of Inheritance; Mendel’s first law and second law, multiple alleles, codominance, linkage, crossing over, sex-determination and sex-linked,

DNA: The Genetic Material, The Structure of DNA:

Central Dogma: Replication, Duplication, Transcription, Translation, Transition, regulation processes of gene expression, post translational control,

Mutations: Heritable Changes in Genes.

BIO-105: Evolution of Plants/Animal Cell and Tissue

[Selected], [1 Credits], [1st semester]

Defining Biological Evolution, Mechanism of evolution, Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, The Origins of Agriculture, Early Crop Dispersals, Transcontinental Crop Distributions, The Dynamics of Plant Domestication, Evolution of Farming, Origins of Crops, Origins of Species, Speciation, Crop Evolution, Changes During the Domestication Process, Artificial Selection, Natural Selection, and Adaptation, Genetic Regulation of Domestication Syndromes.

BIO-106: Biodiversity of Plants/Animal Form and Function

[Selected], [1 Credits], [2nd semester]

Definition, Why Biodiversity Is Significant?, Biodiversity in the World: Genetic Diversity, Species Diversity, Ecosystem Diversity, Forest Ecosystem, Grasslands, Wetland Ecosystem, Coastal and Marine Ecosystem, Desert Ecosystems, Hotspots of Biodiversity, Species Extinction, Threats to Ecosystem, Conservation of Biological Diversity, In Situ Conservation, Ex SituConservation, Climate Change and Biodiversity, The Convention and Indigenous and Local Communities, Biodiversity Prospecting, International Conservation.

BPE-101: Introduction to Plant Breeding, Physiology and Ecology

[Compulsory], [2 Credits], [3rd semester]

Morphology, anatomy and phenophase of rice, maize, legumes, sesame, ground nut, sunflower; Photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, flowering physiology, Plant Growth Regulators, Physiological plant breeding; Homeostatics, Biomes, History of plant breeding, Achievements of plant breeding, Future of plant breeding; Introduction to mutation breeding, Introduction to polyploidy breeding; Plant Genetic Resources, Germplasm collection, in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, Introduction to molecular breeding: Introduction to genetic engineering:

BPE-102: Fundamentals of Plant Physiology

[Selected], [2 Credits], [4th semester]

Plant and Water Relationship: Importance of Water, Diffusion, Water Potential, Osmosis, Osmotic Potential, Diffusion Pressure Deficit, What is Imbibition?, Transportation of Water in Plants,

Absorption of Water: Structures involved in Absorption, Absorption of Mineral Nutrients, Translocation of Inorganic Solutes,

Translocation of Water: Rate of Direction of Transportation, Vital Theories, Root Pressure Theory, Passive or Physical Force Theories, Atmospheric Pressure Theory, Capillary Force Theory, Cohesion/Transpiration Pull Theory,

Loss of Water: Guttation, Transpiration, Theories, Factors Effecting Transpiration,

Photosynthesis: What is photosynthesis, Struture of Plant leaves, Process of Photosynthesis, Summary of Light-dependent Reactions, Light-dependent reactions Animation,

The Process of Respiration in Plants: Simple definition, Glycolysis, Over of the Kreb’s cycle, Steps of the Citric Acid Cycle, Aerobic Respiration process, Anaerobic Respiration Process, The difference between Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration.

BPE-103: Principles of Plant Breeding

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [5thsemester]

Introduction: mode of reproduction in sexual group, self-incompatability, male sterility.

Genetic basis of self-pollinated crops breeding: pure line theory, the genetic basis of pure line, the composition of population derived from hybrid.

Genetic basis of cross-pollinated crops breeding: Hardy-Weinberg Law.

Breeding system in self and cross-pollinated crops: measurement of heterosis, causes of heterosis, transgressive segregation, factors affecting heterosis, fixation of heterosis.

Principles of cross-pollinated crops: principles of production hybrid variety, genetic structure of different types of cultivars (population structure).

Introduction to polyploids in plant breeding: polyploidy, autoploidy and alloploidy. Introduction to mutation breeding: spontaneous vs induced mutation, artificial induction of mutation and radiation breeding.

Problem exercises: self-incompatability, pure line theory, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and measurement of heterosis.

BPE-104: Methods of Plant Breeding

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [6thsemester]

Origin, domestication and introduction of crop plants: centre of origins, domestication and plant introduction.

Breeding of self-pollinated and wide heterozygosity crops by selection: single plant selection, mass selection, comparison between pureline and mass selection, and clone and clonal selection.

Breeding of self-pollinated crops by hybridization: pedigree method, bulk population method, back cross method, single seed descent method and double haploid method.

Breeding of cross-pollinated crops by hybridization: hybrid variety, synthetic variety, composite variety.

Introduction to fundamental of hybrid rice: cytoplasmic genetic male sterility in rice, steps in the production of single cross hybrid seed by three lines method.

Plant genetic resources: genetic erosion in gene bank, constraints of gene banks and germplasm regeneration.

Qualitative and quantitative characters: heritability.

Different methods of Emasculation and hybridization in crops, panicle selection, selection methods in rice (pedigree selection method, bulk population method, single seed descent method). Hybrid rice seed production by 3 lines method. Rice breeding, corn breeding, groundnut breeding, sugarcane breeding, sesame breeding, sunflower breeding, breeding for horticultural crops.

BPE-105: Plant Growth and Development

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [6thsemester]

Growth, differentiation, and development, control of development, early plant development: plant embryo development, a survey of plant development, kinetic analysis of growth through time, how plant grows in response to their environment, plant growth is often guided by environmental cues, the hormones that guide growth are keyed to the environment, the environment influences flowering and short-term responses to the environment do not require growth.

Measurement of leaf area and leaf area index, measurement of chlorophyll content, phenology of crop plants (rice, maize, groundnut and sunflower)

BPE-106: Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [7thsemester]

Plant ecology is the study of plants in relation to their environment. The course covers both autecology and synecology so that students learn about the spectrum of environmental factors and how these factors influence individual organisms as well as communities and ecosystems. The course includes local and global examples of subject matter studied. Basic Ecological Concepts, Nature of Ecosystem, The Concept of Ecosystem, Ecosystem Processes, Ecosystem Ecology, Water Cycle, Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Phosphorus Cycle, Calcium Cycle, Introduction to Environmental Stress, Plant Adaptations, How Plants Grow in Response to their Environment, Plant stresses and responses.

What is Sustainability? What is Sustainable Development? What is Agriculture? Features of Agriculture: Sustainable and Unsustainable, Sustainable Agriculture, Why is Sustainable Agriculture important? Fifth Important Elements of Sustainable Agriculture,

Sustainable Land Use: Maintaining Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity, What is Sustainable Agriculture? Farming and Natural Resources, Integrated Water Resources Management, Water Allocation Principles, Balancing Demand and Supply, Selecting and Using Cover Crop: Use of Cover Crops? Estimate N contribution from a Cover Crop.

Soil, Nutrients and their Management: Best Management Practices for Nutrient Management Using Manure, Nutrient Management for Typical Crop, A simplified illustration of the Nitrogen Cycle.

Soil Fertility Management: Sustainable Agriculture Practices.

Climate Change and Agriculture: Effect Climate Change Agriculture, Impacts of Climate Change, Predict Climate Change Impacts, Agricultural Impacts and Tradeoffs, Agriculture Adapt.

Ecological Farming: Properties of Sustainable Systems, Properties of Sustainable Agriculture.

Applying the Principles of Sustainable Farming: Introduction, Economics Sustainability, Social Sustainable, Environmental Sustainability.

Farm as Ecosystem: Energy Flow, Water Cycle, Mineral Cycle, Ecosystem Dynamic.

BPE-107: Biometrical Analysis in Plant Breeding

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [7thsemester]

Review of the some statistical concepts and procedures. Experimental trial in crop breeding. Gene effects and variances. Biometrical analyses in crop breeding: diallel cross, line x tester analysis, path analysis, Generation mean analysis. Heritability and genetic gain from selection: concept of heritability, genetic gain from selection.

Exercise on some basic statistics. Estimation of genetic parameters. Exercise on biometrical analysis in crop breeding (diallel analysis, line x tester analysis, path analysis and generation mean analysis). Use of software for biometrical analysis. Crossing and breeding exercise in the field. Calculation of heritability and genetic gain from selection bases on field data.

BPE-108: Stress Physiology

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [8thsemester]

Responses of Plants to Environmental Stress: What is plant stress? Plants respond to stress in several different ways. Too much light inhibits photosynthesis; the D1 repair cycle overcomes photodamage to PSII. Water stress is a persistent threat to plant survival; water stress leads to membrane damage, photosynthesis is particularly sensitive to water stress, stomata respond to water deficit. Plants are sensitive to fluctuation in temperature; many plants are chilling sensitive, high temperature stress causes protein denaturation. Insect Pests and Diseases Represent Potential Biotic Stresses; Systemic acquire resistance represents a plant immune response, Jasmonates mediate insect and disease resistance. There are features common to all stresses.

Acclimation to Environmental Stress: Plant Acclimation is a Time-Dependent Phenomenon. Acclimation is initiated by rapid short-term responses; State transitions regulate energy distribution in response to changes in spectral distribution, carotenoids serve a dual functions (Light harvesting and Photo protection), Osmotic adjustment is a response to water stress, Low temperatures induce lipid unsaturation and cold regulated genes in cold tolerant plants, Q10 for plant respiration varies as a function of temperatures. Long-term Acclimation Alters Phenotype, Freezing tolerance in herbaceous species is a complex interaction between light and low temperature, Plants adjust photosynthetic capacity in response to high temperature, Oxygen may protect during acclimation to various stress.

Adaptations to the Environment: Sun and shade adapted plants respond differentially to irradiance, C4 plants are adapted to high temperature and drought, Crassulacean acid metabolism is an adaptation to desert life, C4 and CAM photosynthesis required precise regulation and temperature integration, Plant biomes reflect myriad physiological adaptations.

BPE-109: Molecular Plant Breeding

[Compulsory/Selected], [3 Credits], [8thsemester]

Introduction about molecular plant breeding; Basic Molecular Biology (Nucleic acid structure, Base paring, Nucleic acid synthesis, gene expression);

Polymerase Chain Reaction(differences between Genetic Markers and Classical markers); DNA-based Markers Popularly Used in Genetic Mapping such as RFLP, SSR, SNP;

Molecular Breeding Tools(Gel Electrophoresis) ;

Techniques of Molecular Biology; Genetic Mapping (Mapping Populations and Principles of Genetic Mapping, ; Identify Marker Traits Association;

Applications of Molecular Markers in Plant Breeding (Trait-Based Selection, Whole Genome Selection);

Quantitative Trait Locus and Marker Assisted Breeding for biotic and abiotic characters.

BPE-110: Crop Improvement for Climate Change

[Compulsory], [3 Credits], [9th semester]

Breeding Strategies for climate change: Factor associated with climate change, Effect of climate change, Climate change and breeding, Sources of resistance, Breeding approaches, Screening techniques, Future breeding goal;

Breeding for Resistance to Abiotic Stresses, Breeding for Drought tolerance: Importance of abiotic stress, Characteristics of Abiotic Stresses, Minimun losses due to abiotic stresses, Breeding for drought resistance, Types of drought environment, Drought resistance, Genetics of Drought resistance, Sources of drought resistance, Relationship between drought resistance traits and yield, selection criteria, relation of droguth environment, breeding methods and approaches, Difficulties in breeding for drought resistance, drought hardening;

Heat and Cold Resistance / Tolerance: Heat stress, Heat stress resistance, genetics of heat tolerance, Sources of heat tolerance, selection environment, Cold resistance, Chilling stress, Chilling tolerance, Genetics of chilling tolerance, Sources of chilling tolerance, Selection environment, Selection criteria, Freezing stress, Freezing resistance, Genetic of Freezing Resistance, Genetic Resources for Freezing Tolerance, Selection environment, Selection Criteria;

Breeding for Disease Resistance: Application of Resistance Breeding, Genetics of Disease Resistance, Methods of Breeding for Disease Resistance;

Participatory Plant Breeding: Type of PPB, Stages of participation, Objectives of PPB, Advantages of PPB, Role of farmers in PPB, Degree of participation;

Organic Plant Breeding: Breeding objectives, Breeding techniques, Organic Breeding vs Organic Farming, Organic vs Non-organic Breeding, Advantages and disadvantages of Organic Plant Breeding,

Adaptation in crop plants: Adaptation and adaptability, Types of Adaptation, Causes of adaptation, Factors affecting adaptability, Types of environment, Model for stability analysis, Applications in Crop Improvement, Practical Achievements, Limitations

BPE-111: Environmental Plant Physiology

[Compulsory], [3 Credits], [9th semester]

Introduction: The physiological basis of Ecology; Favorability and toxicity, The significance of growth rate, The influence of environment, Strategies of Response, Physiological Tactics.

The Acquisition of Resources: Light; The light environment, Effect of light quality of plants, Effects of radiant flux density on plants.

Mineral Nutrients; Introduction, Physiology of ion uptake, Nutrients in the soil system, Plant responses to nutrient supply, Soil micro-organisms, General patterns of response to soil nutrients.

Water; Properties of water, The water relation of plants and soils, Adaptation favoring successful germination and seedling establishment, Adaptations favouring survival and reproduction under conditions of water shortage, Some special problems in tree/water relations.

Responses to Environmental Stress: Temperature; The temperature relations of plants, Plant adaptations and resistance to low temperature, Plant adaptation and resistance to high temperatures.

Ionic Toxicity; The nature of toxicity, Effects of toxins on Plants, Resistance to toxicity, The origin of resistance.

Gaseous Toxicity; Anaerobiosis in soils, Aerial Pollution.

Interactions between Organisms: Introduction, Competition, Predation and Parasitism, Mutualistic associations, Allelopathy.

BPE-112: Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Management

[Compulsory], [3 Credits], [9th semester]

Introduction of Food Security, Available Genetic Resources, Adapting to Climate Change, Heat, High daytime temperatures, High night-time temperatures, and Overcoming stresses, Drought, Flash flooding, Salinity tolerance, Combined drought, submergence and salt tolerance, Changing distribution of rice production and emerging pests. Genetic Resources and Conservation Challenges under the Threat of Climate Change, State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources, International Mechanisms for Conservation and Use of Genetic Resources,

The First Formal International Attempts to Promote and Regulate Conservation and Use of PGRFA, International Instruments Establishing the Legal Basis for Intellectual Property over Innovations in the Area of Plant Genetic Resources, The UPOV Conventions, The International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, The Convention on Biological Diversity, The Nagoya Protocol, The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Crop Wild Relative and Climate Change, Evidence of Threats to Crop Wild Relative Diversity, IUCN Red List assessment, ‘Risk of extinction’ modeling, Methods of Crop Wild Relative Threat Assessment, Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, Climate change susceptibility assessment, Using species distribution modeling, Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives, Ex situ CWR conservation, In situCWR conservation.