Methods and Techniques in Plant Physiology

Contents: Preface. 1. Importance of plant/crop physiology in agriculture. 2. Plant physiology laboratory. 3. Osmotic pressure potential by plasmolytic method. 4. Separation of plant pigments by chemical method. 5. Determination of stomatal frequency and stomatal index. 6. Transpiration. 7. Oxygen evolution during photochemical reaction. 8. Measurement of photosynthetic rates by gas exchange techniques.  9. Growth regulators.  10. Seed physiology. 11. Tissue culture techniques. 12. Growth analysis. 13. Hydroponics and plant nutrition. 14. Tests for various stresses in crop plants. 15. Analysis for Carbohydrates. 16. Nitrogen and protein analysis. 17. Analytical methods for fats and fatty acids. 18. Micronutrient analysis. 19.  Determination of phytochemicals. 20. Climate change, phytotron and rhizotron. References.

Techniques related to various physiological phenomenon are subject of tremendous interest and importance to plant physiologist, agronomist, horticulturist, ecologist and biochemists. This book is intended to provide recognized methods related various plant processes in a comprehensive form. Techniques on crop physiology such as hydroponics and plant nutrition, test for various stresses, water potential and water flow in plants, canopy gas measurements (Photosynthesis, Respiration and Transpiration), basic equations for growth studies and methods for estimations of plant products, microclimate. Efforts were also made to incorporate the topic like Climate Change and theory of phytotron as well as rhizotron in this book.

The book will make the reader familiar with latest procedure to elucidate the problems. The validity of the results based on fundamentals principles of physics. This book is meant to be used in conjunction with a standard text of plant physiology though elementary principles relating to the techniques are briefed. The subjects on hormones, tissue culture and seed technology are useful for students.