This course explains the principles and practices of plant physiology. The course is designed for all those that need to know plants in depth, how they work, how they grow, which factors promote their development and which factors hinders their growth.

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Flower physiology
2. Phytochrome
3. Photoperiodism
4. Control of flower bud initiation and development
5. Dormancy
6. Effects of plant associations and competition
7. Respiration and post harvest physiology
8. Post harvest storage, transport, retailing and shelf life
9. Endogenous and synthetic growth regulators
10. Risks involved with plant growth manipulation

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

• Investigate the physiology of growth development and flowering.
• Examine the nature of phytochrome and its effect on flowering in the phytochrome reaction.
• Examine the photoperiodic responses of flowering plants to differing dark and light periods.
• Examine the effect of temperature on the onset of flowering and flower development.
• Understand and describe the causes of dormancy in seeds and plants and describe the methods of breaking dormancy.
• Understand plant associations and competition and their effects on quality and marketable yield.
• Explain the process of respiration in plant cells and its effect on post-harvest storage and transportation of crops.
• Describe physiological processes in post-harvest crops in relation to the storage conditions.
• Investigate the effect on plants of endogenous and synthetic growth regulators.
• Understand risk assessments relevant to plant growth manipulation.