Appendix A - Courses
Plant Agriculture
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PLNT*6010 Physiology of Crop Yield W [0.50]
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| Physiological and environmental principles as they relate to the growth of crop plants and communities. Plant and environmental characteristics determining transpiration, photosynthesis, leaf growth and reproductive growth and development. Simulation of plant growth. |
| External Course Code(s): |
Offered in even years. |
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PLNT*6030 Food Safety Policy W [0.50]
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| This course will examine the interplay between science, risk, economics and politics that lead to food safety policy development. Students will be introduced to national and international approaches to food safety policy, as well as in-depth case studies. Lectures, readings and resource material will focus on real-life development of food safety policy, drawing on the experience of a number of distinguished lecturers who have participated in a broad range of food safety policy developments. |
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PLNT*6050 Principles and Application of Plant Tissue Culture F [0.50]
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| The course involves lecture and discussions of fundamental and applied aspects of plant tissue culture. Topics will include the role of tissue culture in understanding plant development, physiology and genetics, and its commercial applications in horticulture and forestry. |
| External Course Code(s): |
Offered in odd years. |
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PLNT*6100 Advanced Crop Breeding F [0.25]
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| The practical application of genetic theory and biological limitations to improving plant populations as germplasm and for cultivar development will be presented and discussed. Sources of variation, selection methods, genotype evaluation and cultivar multiplication will be addressed in lectures and discussions. |
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PLNT*6110 Postharvest Physiology W [0.50]
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| Discussion of the physiological effects of controlled and supplemental environments or treatments on horticultural crops. Emphasis is on current problems and research. |
| External Course Code(s): |
Offered in odd years. |
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PLNT*6120 Protein and Oilseed Crop Breeding F [0.25]
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| This course will address both theoretical and practical aspects of protein and oilseed crop breeding. Current and emerging breeding methodologies to achieve major agronomic and compositional goals will be examined from the perspective of theoretical, technical and financial efficiencies. |
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PLNT*6130 Corn Breeding W [0.25]
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| Principles of corn breeding with emphasis on germplasm enhancement and methods of improving breeding populations as sources of inbred lines for hybrid programs and for direct use as improved varieties |
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PLNT*6150 Plant Breeding -The Profession W [0.25]
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| The course will address professional aspects of plant breeding including: legal/regulatory issues, ethical issues related to germplasm, and rights and responsibilities related to intellectual property under UPOV and World Patent Organization conventions. |
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PLNT*6160 Quantitative Genetic Variation in Crop Populations F [0.25]
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| Fundamentals of quantitative genetics. Topics will include gene and genotype frequencies, forces affecting equilibrium, small population size, inbreeding, means, variances, covariances and resemblance among relatives. Lecture topics will be expanded through discussion of classic and current papers. |
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PLNT*6170 Statistics in Plant Agriculture W [0.50]
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| The application of statistical techniques to research in plant agriculture. SAS will be the software used to perform data analysis. Emphasis will be placed on statistical principles, the design of experiments, the testing of hypotheses, and communication of findings to other scientists. |
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PLNT*6260 Advanced Crop Genetics W [0.50]
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| A lecture and discussion course on some of the recent advances in genetics as they pertain to crop improvement. Topics will include: the molecular basis of selected agronomic traits, molecular marker assisted selection, isolation of plant genes and plant transformation systems. |
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PLNT*6400 Seminar F,W [0.25]
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| All graduate students present a departmental seminar on their research proposal no later than the second semester. PhD students present an additional seminar on their thesis research before the end of the sixth semester (or the equivalent). Each student is expected to participate in the seminars of colleagues and faculty. |
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PLNT*6410 Advanced Seminar F-W [0.25]
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| PhD students present a seminar on their research to date before the end of the sixth semester (or the equivalent). Each student is expected to participate in the seminars of colleagues and faculty. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
PLNT*6400 |
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PLNT*6500 Applied Bioinformatics W [0.50]
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| The goal of this course is to provide an introductory understanding of the databases and methods used in computational molecular biology research. Topics covered will include: reviewing major molecular databases and their structures, constructing sequence alignments, constructing phylogenics, and finding motifs and genes in biological sequences. Lab sessions will include an introduction to Unix and Perl for the biologist and hands-on use of several molecular data analysis programs. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
Undergraduate level statistics class (such as STAT*2040 or STAT*2100) and undergraduate level molecular biology class (such as MBG*2020). |
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