Plant Reproduction and Breeding

BREEDING Selective Breeding Selective Breeding: People choose specific plants with specific characteristics and encourage these plants to reproduce - Canola was made by the selective breeding of rapeseed Genes Genes: The part of the cell that controls plants’ characteristics (DNA)

TYPES OF REPRODUCTION Sexual Sexual : Involves the specialized seeds and fruits of two plants. ? ? ? ? ?

TYPES OF REPRODUCTION Asexual/vegetative reproduction Asexual/vegetative reproduction : Occurs when a parent plant grows plants from its roots, stems, or leaves. -E.g. Grafting – taking the branch of one tree and attaching it to another.

SEED PLANT REPRODUCTION Cones Cones: The part of the tree that has a series of wooden scales. Female cones contain ovules (eggs); Pollen grains containing sperm develop on the smaller male cone. When the two meet the sperm swims down the pollen tube and fertilizes the egg. Pollination: The process of pollen traveling to the female cone.

FLOWERS A flower’s main job is to attract insects that will spread the plant pollen to other plants.

PARTS OF A FLOWER Stamen Stamen: Male part of the flower Pistil Pistil: Female part of the flower Petals: Usually brightly coloured Sepals: Green parts found underneath the flower. The pistil has 3 main parts… Stigma: Sticky tip of the pistil that catches pollen Style: The tube connecting the stigma and the ovary Ovary: A tiny chamber that holds the ovule (eggs)

CONTINUED The Stamen has 2 parts… Filament: The stalk Anther: The tip produces the pollen

PARTS OF THE FLOWER

SEED TO FRUIT Once a plant is pollinated a seed is formed, inside the seed is a tiny living plant called an embryo which is surrounded by food to keep it alive. Fruit: A growing ovary of a plant, which swells and protects the seeds until they are ripe.

POLLINATION 3 STEPS 1) Pollen grain lands on the stigma 2) A pollen tube grows down the style into the ovary and enters an ovule 3) A sperm travels down the tube to fertilize the egg.

PATHWAY FROM POLLINATION TO GERMINATION

HOW SEEDS ARE DISPERSED Germination: The development of a seed into a new plant -Animal Transportation -Caught in fur -In their droppings -Insects -Bees spread pollen -Humans -Throwing seeds -Caught on clothes -Heat Exposure -Trees burn down launch seeds -Cones explode under heat -Wind -Blows pollen around -Blow spores and/or seeds -Water -Seeds / cones fall in water and swept to other fertile locations

Meeting the Need for Food & Fibre

AGRICULTURE Canada is one of the leading exporters of food and fibre in the world. Sustainability… Being able to grow food and fibre while keeping our natural systems healthy for long term.

CROPS IN ALBERTA Wheat: Ground up for flour Barley: Fed to livestock, Used for making malt Oats: Mostly fed to livestock some for breakfast cereals Legumes: Such as peas and lentils, all high in protein. Canola: Used to make margarine, salad dressing, vegetable oil, etc. Potatoes: French fries, potato chips Alfalfa: Feeds livestock, strong root system Specialty Crops: Ginseng, beans, sunflowers and spices

Wheat Barley Oats Legumes Canola Potatoes Alfalfa CROPS IN ALBERTA Name That Crop!

FARMING PRACTICES Irrigation: Watering crops using a system of large pipes and sprinklers. Monoculture: Growing only one type of plant in the field for greater efficiency

What are the disadvantages and advantages of greenhouses? GREENHOUSES It ProsBothCons -You can control all variables -Water -Wind -Temperature -Soil (sort of…) -It can be very expensive -You cannot grow all crops / plants in any greenhouse -It can keep bugs out which is good for limiting pesticide use however you cannot have the pollen or seeds spread naturally because of it

FORESTRY Forestry in a major industry in Canada. Diversity: Variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem. How many different trees can you think of??

COMMON TREES FOUND IN ALBERTA Lodgepole Pine: Largely used in construction. White Spruce: Used in plywood, pulp and paper Black Spruce: Lumber and strong paper Aspen: Good for furniture, pulp and paper White Birch: Furniture and firewood Tamarack (Larch): Has a fungus that resists decay, so it is used on fence posts and railway ties.

STEPS IN HARVESTING TREES 1)Planning the cut (based on careful review of the site) 2)Building a road into the area 3)Felling and delimbing trees 4)Dragging the logs to a central loading point 5)Hauling the logs to a sawmill 6)Preparing the site for reforestation 7)Reforestation

GLOBAL PROBLEMS Erosion: Soil that is blown away by wind and water. - Is that it? Human Activity! Desertification: As a result of drought, desert takes over agricultural land.

Sustaining The Soil

TOPIC 5: SUSTAINING THE SOIL Developing Soils – 5 main factors that affect how soil develops. 1)Parent material: piece of matter (non-organic) formed by layers of rock, soil, clay and sand 2)Vegetation 2)Vegetation: determines the amount and type of organic matter in, and on, the soil 3)Landscape: a healthy area that has a healthy balance of water and nutrients 4)Climate: determines what kind of plants will grow and how fast they will decompose 5)Time: all of these processes happen over time so they occur at different paces in different places

SOIL CONTINUED… Humus: A dark soil rich in nutrients and holds water well. Healthy soil needs decomposers to break down dead organisms so plants can use the nutrients. There are 4 key types, which work differently… 1)Bacteria – actively break down dead material 2)Fungi – make nutrients available to plants 3)Microscopic actinomycetes - special kind of bacteria that help to create humus 4)Earthworms – Grind, digest and mix soil

HEALTHY PLANTS Healthy plants require six nutrients 1)Nitrogen 2)Sulfur 3)Phosphorous 4)Calcium 5)Potassium 6)Magnesium

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS Salty Soil: Caused by too little vegetation and too much water (salinization) Solution?? Replant areas so the water can’t dissolve the salt and leave it behind Soil Erosion: Caused by too much cultivating mixed with water and wind Solution?? Leaving a root system in place to hold the dirt, shelter belts, crop rotation

Different ways of preparing fields Using “Seed Drills” Using “Wide Shovel Cultivators” Being Shelterbelts (Rows of trees that surround crops to protect from wind, encourage wildlife and retain moisutre) Reshape and seed waterays HOW DO WE SAVE SOIL

HYDROPONIC TECHNOLOGY Growing plants without dirt! Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, expanded clay pebbles or coconut husk.hydrocultureplantsnutrientsoilrootsperlitegravelmineral woolexpanded clay Seems good but any cons? High energy cost!! High initial start up cost!!

TOPIC 6: PESTS AND PEST CONTROL Pest: Any organism that humans find annoying or harmful. Dandelions – the most successful plant pest, here’s why… 1)Powerful roots 2)Broad leaves 3)Super seeds 4)Adaptable 5)Chemical weapons

In normal systems there are pests - Insects - Typically eat crops - Fungi - Cause infections / disease in plants - Weedy Plants - Steal moisture/nutrients/space Pests consume, on average, over 50% of Canada’s annual harvest Farmers spend millions on eliminating & controlling them PESTS

INTRODUCED SPECIES Introduced Species: Species not common to an area (often with no natural enemies) Pests were controlled by herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and a bunch of other “cides”. Problems are associated with all of these chemicals E.g. Bioaccumulation, and poisoning “innocent” species. On top of this, some pests are becoming resistant to chemicals Biological Control: introducing a pest’s natural enemy to control it What are introduced species to Canada?

ORGANIC FOOD Organic Food: Food grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The need for chemicals is reduced by: 1)Sowing good quality seeds 2)Removing weeds early 3)Cutting weeds along property edges 4)Cleaning equipment so that it doesn’t transfer weeds 5)Using biological control