SylbV01-00-00. pmd

I. Course Title
: Economic Botany and Crop diversification*
II. Course Code
: PGR 603
III. Credit Hours
: 2(1+1)
IV. Why this course ?
Deeper understanding of origin and cultivation of all major crop plants and potential
crops is essential for students.

---

Plant Sciences–Plant Genetic Resources
145
V. Aim of the course
To apprise students about economic uses of plants including in fields such as
Ethnopharma-cology as well as potential/ new commercial crops.
VI. Theory
Unit I
Structure, development and chemical constituents of plant parts- cereals, pulses
and oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, nuts.
Unit II
Origin, history, evolution, domestication, botany, genetic resources activities,
cultivation, production and utilization of various crops- cereals, pulses and oilseeds,
vegetables, fruits, nuts, ornamental plants, underutilized plants.
Unit III
Economic uses and commercial importance of crop plants- cereals, pulses and
oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, nuts, ornamental plants, underutilized plants, fodder
and forage crops. Current topics on potential crops, biofortified crops, lost and
neglected crops, revival of lesser known crops, the marketing of potential crops.
Unit IV
Importance of plants with respect to society and environment- Social and religious
significance of plants in environmental amelioration. Case studies of massive
economic gains due to use of lesser known crops/ genes in history of agriculture.
VII. Practical
• Structure, development and chemical constituents of plant parts-cereals;
• Structure, development and chemical constituents of plant parts-pulses and
oilseeds;
• Structure, development and chemical constituents of plant parts-vegetables, fruits,
nuts;
• Structure, development and chemical constituents of plant parts-ornamental plants,
underutilized plants.