SEM V (Minor) Syllabus

Title of the Course : Economic Botany 

Nature of course : Minor-V 

Course code : BOT-MIN-05 

Total Credits 04, Marks : 100 [End: 60 (Theory: 45, Pract: 15), In: 40]

Unit 1:                          09 lectures

Origin of Cultivated Plants: Concept of Centres of Origin, their importance with reference to Vavilov’s work. Examples of major plant introductions; Crop domestication and loss of genetic diversity; evolution of new crops/varieties, importance of germplasm diversity. 

Unit 2:                         09 lectures 

Cereals: Wheat and Rice (origin, morphology, processing & uses); Brief account of millets. Legumes: Origin, morphology and uses of Chick pea, Pigeon pea and fodder legumes. Importance to man and ecosystem. Sugars and starches: Morphology and processing of sugarcane, products and by-products of sugarcane industry. Potato – morphology, propagation & uses.

Unit 3:                         09 lectures 

Spices: Listing of important spices, their family and part used. Economic importance with special reference to fennel, saffron, clove and black pepper Beverages:Tea, Coffee (morphology, processing & uses) Oils and fats: General description, classification, extraction, their uses and health implications; groundnut, coconut, soybean, mustard and coconut (Botanical name, family & uses). 

Unit 4:                         09 lectures 

Natural Rubber: Para-rubber: tapping, processing and uses. Drug-yielding plants: Cinchona, Digitalis, Papaver and Cannabis; Tobacco (Morphology, processing, uses and health hazards).

Unit 5:                         09 lectures 

Timber plants: General account with special reference to teak and pine. Fibers: Classification based on the origin of fibers; Cotton, Coir and Jute (morphology, extraction and uses). 

Lab activities

1. Collection and submission different cereals, pulses, spices, drug yielding plant parts and timber (in the form of albums) 

2. Identification of locally available economically important plant species 

3. Qualitative detection of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in plant samples  

Suggested readings 

1. Kochhar, S.L. (2012). Economic Botany in Tropics, MacMillan & Co. New Delhi, India.

2. Wickens, G.E. (2001). Economic Botany: Principles & Practices. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands. 

3. Chrispeels, M.J. and Sadava, D.E. 1994 Plants, Genes and Agriculture. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.