| Department of Agricultural Sciences | |||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1 semester | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 6 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | MSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | evaluation of project report Aid allowed Description of Examination: 13-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, practical and theoretical exercises, excursions, group work. | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | 3-week course January | ||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | Basic course in plant physiology | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||
| Seed quality is increasingly important in the marketplace, and production of high quality seeds begins with understanding of the biological factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of seed viability and vigour.The aim of the course is to give students an understanding of seed morphology, identification and physiology, modern seed treatment technologies, international seed rules and techniques for testing seed. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||
| The course will deal with several aspects of seeds biology and technology: morphology, anatomy and identification of seeds of common crops, woody plants, and important weeds of the world. Seed structure and composition, development and maturation of seeds, dormancy and germination and the environmental and hormonal regulation mechanisms. The course also emphasises seed tests and technology such as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules, vigour and viability, seed testing equipment, seed cleaning equipment, coating and priming of seeds and seed certification and quality. Maintenance of genetic purity and identity using biotechnology methods to identify gene manipulated crop (GMO) seeds will also be introduced. Commercial aspects concerning import and export of seeds, seed health and phytosanitation, storage and longevity of seed are also included as are future directions in seed biology and technology. Both general principles and recent advances in the subject are introduced, making the course useful for people with a various backgrounds and experiences. The course is useful for professionals in the seed industry and public service, including those in breeding, seed production, seed quality assurance, seed conditioning, seed technology and marketing as well as crop consultants. | |||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||
| Lectures are given to introduce various issues. Practical and theoretical exercises concerns seed morphology of various type of seeds, seed identification of common crop and weed seeds. Germination experiments are conducted to illustrate seed tests following ISTA rules and methods to measure vigor will be used. Germination curves will be estimated using statistical models. Methods to identify gene manipulated crop seeds (GMO) will be introduced. There will be excursions to the Danish Plant Directorate, Danida Forest Seed Center and private companies working with seed treatments and plant breeding. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||
| Bewley J D & M Black (1994) Seeds. Physiology of development and germination. Second Edition. Plenum Press, New York and London, ISBN 0-306-44747-9. M. Black & J D Bewley (Eds.) (2000) Seed Technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield, England, ISBN 1-84127-043-1 or CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA, ISBN 0-893-9749-9.Publications from ISTA (The International Seed Testing Association) | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| Christian Andreasen, can@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Crop Science, Phone: 35333453 Jens Carl Streibig, jcs@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Crop Science, Phone: 35333457 | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||
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