Description
Scientific Publishers Plant Physiology Research Methods by S S Narwal
This book 28 Chapters, is divided into 7 Sections. Section I. Seed Physiology, includes 5 chapters describing the structure of seed, optimum conditions for seed germination, physiological and biochemical changes at cellular level. Section II. Growth and Development, describes leaf area, growth indices, senescence and abscission. Allelochemicals, present in soil or plant, can create chemical stress which may change the plant water status, plasma membrane properties, chlorophyll stability and waxes present on the organ surface. Methods to determine all these parameters are described in next 4 chapters in Section III. Stress Physiology. These sites can be explored by estimating chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, photo-systems I and II activity, carbon dioxide exchange rate, activity of CO2 fixing enzymes, intermediate metabolite level, photosynthate partitioning, respir-ation and finally the crop growth dynamics. Methods to determine extent of all these sites are explained in 7 chapters in Section IV. Gas Exchange Processes. The main cause of changed physiological process is at the gene level, for which estimation of nucleic acids is very critical. It is briefly expl-ained in section V. Biochemical Estimation. Section VI. Microtomy and Histochemistry, has 7 chapters. Basic procedure to process the test plant material for microtomy, use of light and electron microscopy to study cellular changes, measurement of cellular dimensions, stomatal index and frequency, pollen viability and in vivo pollen germination and histochemical localization of important enzymes metabolites are the core topics. Currently, tissue cultures are commonly used to study the precise effect of allelochemicals on callus growth and differentiation. To achieve these objectives techniques of tissue cultures is described under section VI. Tissue Culture.