Download The Importance of Plant Science

Animal, Plant & Soil Science
E1-1
The Importance of Plant Science
Interest Approach
• Ask students to name the top five crops in terms of amount
produced in your state. Refer to the state department of
agriculture’s annual agricultural summary for a listing of
these crops and the amount of each crop produced. Create
five vertical columns on the writing surface. Put the name of
one of the top five crops at the top of each column. Then ask
students to name some possible uses of each of the various
crops. Compile a list of uses for each crop in the appropriate
column.
Objectives
• 1 Describe the various uses of plants in everyday life.
• 2 Identify and describe the various segments of plant
science.
• 3 Identify important types of plants and explain their uses.
• 4 Explain the impact of agricultural plants on U.S. economies.
Terms
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agronomy
cereal grain
fiber crops
fibers
field crops
floriculture
foliage
food crop horticulture
forage
forestry
fruit
Terms
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grain crops
grasses
herb
horticulture
legumes
nursery/landscape
nut crops
oil crops
olericulture
ornamental horticulture
Terms
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plant domestication
plant science
pomology
spice
sucrose
sugar crops
tree farms
turf
vegetable
vegetable, fruit, and nut crops
What are the various uses of plants in
everyday life?
• I. Plants are the base of the food chain
for all living things. Plants are able to
utilize inorganic elements and incorporate
them into living tissues. Many organisms
rely on plants for the energy to carry out
life processes. The roles that plants play
in the everyday lives of all living things
are numerous. A few of the most
important uses are food, industrial,
medicinal, and oil.
What are the various uses of plants in
everyday life?
• A. Many plants are edible. Whole plants or
portions of plants, such as seeds and fruits,
are used as a food source for many types of
animals, including humans.
• 1. The most important food plants are the
grains of the grass family, particularly wheat,
rice, corn, sorghum, and barley. In parts of
the world where these crops do not grow
well, such as countries found in the tropics,
starchy root crops are grown for the same
purpose. Examples of these crops are yams,
sweet potatoes, and manioc (or cassava).
What are the various uses of plants in
everyday life?
• 2. About 88 percent of the world’s total caloric intake and
about 80 percent of its protein intake comes from plant food
sources.
• 3. In addition to food, plants are also used in the production
of beverages. Some of the major beverages derived from
plants are coffee, tea, and fruit juice.
What are the various uses of plants in
everyday life?
• B. Plants have industrial uses. There are several
important products produced from plants, such as
wood, fibers, oils, and rubber.
• 1. Many of the fibers used in textile manufacturing
come from cotton, flax, and hemp plants.
• 2. The wood from timber production is used to
make furniture, homes, and many other products.
• 3. Many chemicals, such as acetic acid, methanol,
and turpentine, are obtained from trees.
What are the various uses of plants in
everyday life?
• C. Since early human development, plants have
served medicinal purposes. The importance that
plants play in the development of medicines is
becoming increasingly evident.
• 1. Scientists continue to study many different types
of plants to try to understand the various chemical
compounds found within them.
• 2. Many people believe that the key to curing many
of our most deadly diseases, such as cancer and
AIDS, may lie within plant compounds that have
yet to be discovered.
What are the various uses of plants in
everyday life?
• D. Many plants store oil as a food reserved in the
seeds and fruits of the plant. Most of these plant oils
are used in the production of food for humans, but
some are used in industry.
• 1. The soybean is the most significant oil plant.
• 2. Others, such as coconut, sunflower, peanut,
cottonseed, and rapeseed, also play an important role
in plant oil production.
What are the various segments of plant
science?
• II. Plant science is the study of the
structure, functions, growth, and protection
of plants. Plant science can be divided into
three major segments: agronomy,
horticulture, and forestry.
What are the various segments of plant
science?
• A. Agronomy is a specialized area of plant
science that deals with field crops. Agronomy
includes the relationship between plants and
the soil.
• 1. Field crops include plants grown in large
fields and are used for oil, fiber, grain, and
similar products.
• 2. Field crops, such as corn and wheat, are
often grown for their seeds, but other parts
may also be used.
What are the various segments of plant
science?
• B. Horticulture is the production and use of plants
for food, comfort, and beauty. The two major areas
of horticulture are ornamental and food crop
production.
• 1. Ornamental horticulture involves growing
and using plants for their beauty. Two main
divisions of horticulture are floriculture and
nursery/landscape.
– a. Floriculture is the production and use of plants for
their flowers and foliage. Foliage refers to the stems and
leaves of a plant.
– b. Nursery/landscape involves growing and using plants
to make the outdoor environment more appealing. It
includes shrubs, flowering plants, and lawn areas.
What are the various segments of plant
science?
• 2. Food crop horticulture consists of
growing plants for food. This can be
divided into the two areas of olericulture
and pomology.
– a. Olericulture is the science of producing
vegetable crops.
– b. Pomology is the science of producing
fruits and nuts.
What are the various segments of plant
science?
• C. Forestry is the science of growing trees and producing
wood products.
• 1. Tree farms are cultured forests that have been carefully
planned, established, and maintained.
• 2. A great deal of labor and management goes into assuring
high-quality timber.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• III. Very few plants that play an important role in everyday
life are harvested in the wild. Most of the important plants
have been domesticated. Plant domestication refers to
removing plants from their native wild environment and
growing them under controlled conditions. The important
field and horticultural crops of North America can be divided
into different categories. Major categories are grain crops;
sugar crops; oil crops; fiber crops; vegetable, fruit, and nut
crops; forage crops; ornamental crops; and forest crops.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• A. Grain crops include plants grown
for their edible seeds, not including
the horticultural crops.
• 1. Cereal grain is the seed of grasstype plants grown for food and
animal feed.
• 2. Important grain crops include rice,
corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, and
sorghum.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• B. Sugar crops are used as a source of sucrose
sweeteners. Sucrose is a carbohydrate that provides
energy for physical activity by the body.
• 1. The major sugar crops are sugar beets and sugar
cane.
• 2. Other sources are honey, maple syrup, and some
kinds of sorghum.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• C. Oil crops are plants grown for the vegetable oil
contained in their seeds and fruit.
• 1. Some of the major crops of this area are
soybeans, cotton, canola, and corn.
• 2. Other common oil seeds are sunflower, safflower,
peanut, coconut, linseed, and palm.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• D. Fiber crops are grown for the fiber
produced in their fruit, leaves, or stems.
Fibers are tiny, threadlike structures
used in manufacturing cloth, paper, and
other materials.
• 1. Cotton is the major fiber crop.
• 2. Others include flax, kenaf, hemp, jute,
and ramie.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• E. Vegetable, fruit, and nut crops are
grown primarily for food. There are many
different types of plants in this category.
• 1. A vegetable is typically a herbaceous
plant that is grown for its edible parts, such
as leaves, stems, seeds, or roots. These
edible parts are usually eaten as part of a
meal. Examples of vegetables include
lettuce, asparagus, and carrots.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• 2. A fruit is a succulent, reproductive
body of a seed plant used chiefly in a
dessert or sweet course. Common
fruits are apples, raspberries, and
bananas.
• 3. Nut crops are botanically unrelated
plants that are grouped together
because their fruit type is a nut and
their harvesting, post-harvest
processing, nutritional value, and
marketing characteristics are relatively
similar. Nut crops include walnuts,
macadamia nuts, and pistachios.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• F. Forage crops are primarily grasses and legumes.
• 1. Grasses are nonwoody plants that have parallel veins in their
leaves. Grass plants used for forage include Bahiagrass, ryegrass, and
fescue.
• 2. Legumes are broadleaf plants that have the potential of fixing
nitrogen from the air in the soil. Examples of legumes are alfalfa,
clover, and soybeans.
• 3. Forage refers to the leaves and stems of plants used for animal
feed. It is most nutritious while the plants are still young, before seed
maturity. These crops are harvested by animals grazing in a pasture
or are cut, dried, and stored to be fed later.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• G. Ornamental crops include bedding
plants, shrubs, trees, vines, turf, and
other species grown for their beauty
and personal appeal.
• 1. Turf comprises plants used to
present a pleasing appearance and to
protect the soil.
• 2. These plants are low-growing,
fine-leaved grasses used in lawns and
to cover the ground to prevent soil
erosion.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• H. Forest crops consist of trees planted for the
purpose of harvest. Some purposes include
lumber, pulpwood, furniture, and paper. Valued
timber species include Douglas fir, longleaf pine,
and black walnut.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• I. There are many other crops
grown for a variety of specific
uses.
• 1. Beverage crops, such as
coffee, tea, and cocoa, are
typically grown in tropical areas.
What are some important types of plants
and what are their uses?
• 2. Herbs and spices are grown in small quantities
throughout North America. These crops have little food
value but are used to improve the flavor of food and to
make it more attractive.
– a. An herb is a non-woody plant with leaves, seeds, or other
parts used as medicine or to enhance food.
– b. A spice is an aromatic plant part used to season food.
– c. Distinguishing between herbs and spices is difficult. Even with
the best definitions, some overlap exists.
• 3. Medicinal plants are those used in making human
medicines.
What is the impact of agricultural plants
on the U.S. economy?
• IV. Agricultural plants have a
huge impact on the U.S.
economy.
What is the impact of agricultural plants
on the U.S. economy?
• 1. In 2005, there were about 72,500 Illinois
farms collectively covering 77 percent of the
state.
• In 2005, cash receipts from marketing all
crops totaled $6.9 billion.
What is the impact of agricultural plants
on the U.S. economy?
• B. According to the USDA National
Agriculture Statistics Service, there were
more than 434 million acres of cropland and
1,362,608 farms in the United States in
2002.
• 1. The market value of crops, including
nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled
approximately $95.2 billion.
• 2. About 19.2 percent of the United States is
covered by cropland.
What is the impact of agricultural plants
on the U.S. economy?
• C. Along with crops, cropland, and farmers,
plant production supports millions of
Americans. Many people are employed in
the processing, packaging, distributing, and
marketing of crops.
REVIEW
• 1. What are the various uses of plants in everyday life?
• 2. What are the various segments of plant science?
• 3. What are some important types of plants and what are
their uses?
• 4. What is the impact of agricultural plants on the U.S.
economy?