1. Plant Reproduction and Breeding
Topic 3
Plant Reproduction and Breeding

2. 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: The part of the cell that controls plants’ characteristics (DNA)

3. Types of Reproduction
Sexual: Involves the specialized seeds and fruits of two plants. ? ? ? ? ?

4. Types of 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.

5. Seed Plant Reproduction
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.

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

7. Parts of a Flower
Stamen: Male part of the flower
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)

8. Continued The Stamen has 2 parts… Filament: The stalk
Anther: The tip produces the pollen

9. Parts of the Flower

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Pathway from Pollination to Germination

13. 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

14. Meeting the Need for Food & Fibre
Topic 4
Meeting the Need for Food & Fibre

15. 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.

16. 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

17. Name That Crop! Crops in Alberta
Wheat Barley Oats Legumes Canola Potatoes Alfalfa
Name That Crop!

18. 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

19. What are the disadvantages and advantages of greenhouses?It
Pros Both Cons
You can control all variables
Water
Wind
Temperature
Soil (sort of…)
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
It can be very expensive
You cannot grow all crops / plants in any greenhouse

20. 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??

21. 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.

22. Steps in Harvesting Trees
Planning the cut (based on careful review of the site)
Building a road into the area
Felling and delimbing trees
Dragging the logs to a central loading point
Hauling the logs to a sawmill
Preparing the site for reforestation
Reforestation

23. 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.

24. Topic 5
Sustaining The Soil

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

26. Humus: A dark soil rich in nutrients and holds water well.
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…
Bacteria – actively break down dead material
Fungi – make nutrients available to plants
Microscopic actinomycetes - special kind of bacteria that help to create humus
Earthworms – Grind, digest and mix soil

27. Healthy plants require six nutrients Nitrogen
Sulfur
Phosphorous
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium

28. 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
Leaving a root system in place to hold the dirt, shelter belts, crop rotation

29. How do we save soil 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

30. 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.
Seems good but any cons?
High energy cost!!
High initial start up cost!!

31. Topic 6: Pests and Pest Control
Pest: Any organism that humans find annoying or harmful.
Dandelions – the most successful plant pest, here’s why…
Powerful roots
Broad leaves
Super seeds
Adaptable
Chemical weapons

32. Pests 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

33. E.g. Bioaccumulation, and poisoning “innocent” species.
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?

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