Scope of Crop Physiology

 

Man has been dependent on plants since birth for fulfilling his needs. Plants not only provide food for man and animals but also clothes, houses, fuel, oil, medicines and all other essential items for life. This is the reason that since ancient times scientists and common people have been engaged in acquiring knowledge about plants. Today, when many problems are hindering our progress like rapidly increasing population, shortage of food material, pollution, imbalance of atmospheric gases, many diseases of man, animals and plants, drought at some places and excessive rainfall at others, etc., the importance and scope of plant physiology expands further. We can solve these problems only by the right use of the knowledge of plant physiology. The reality is that as a result of the discoveries made for the solution of these problems, the growth and development of plants have been controlled to such an extent that they can be grown whenever and wherever we want. Fruits in every season

 

can produce flowers

 

And it can be grown even without soil.

 

The field of plant physiology is not only to control the growth and development of plants as per the wish but also helps in keeping the prepared seeds, fruits and vegetables safe for a long time. To keep these things safe for a long time, it is necessary to keep the respiration rate very slow. From plant physiology we come to know that the rate of respiration is very low at low temperatures. Hence, to keep the seeds of agricultural crops safe for a long time, they are kept in temperature controlled refrigerators and vegetables are kept in cold storages. Apart from low temperature, the respiration rate is also reduced by reducing the amount of moisture in the seeds. The amount of moisture in the seeds at which the seeds are kept safe in the storage houses for a long time is called safe storage moisture content.

 

It is called moisture content and it varies for seeds of different crops.