PLANT FORMS AND DISTRIBUTION E-NOTE

SUBJECT:AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

WEEK: FOUR

CLASS: GRADE 7

TOPIC: PLANT FORMS AND DISTRIBUTION

PARTS OF CROP PLANT

  Two main parts of crop plants are the shoot and the root. The shoot consists of all parts of the plant above the ground, which include the leaves, stem, branches, buds, flowers and fruits, while the root is the part of the plant below the ground. The organs of the plant can be divided into two:

a. Vegetative organs: This includes the root, stem and leaves.

b. Reproductive organs: This includes flowers and fruits.

Root system: The functions of roots are to anchor the plants to the soil, absorb mineral water and mineral salts from the soil and in some plants they serve as storage organs, for example, onions, potatoes and cassava. There are two types of root systems;

a. Tap-root system

b. Fibrous root system

In a tap root system, there is one major root from which various branches or lateral roots arise. A fibrous root system consists of similar fine roots all of which grow from the base of the plant stem.

Stem: The stem bears the leaves, buds, flowers and fruits. Its functions include support to the leaves, flowers and fruits. It also transport water and nutrients from the soil and sugar from the leaves.

Leaves: A typical leaf consists of a stalk called a petiole and a blade called the lamina. They contain a very special substance called chlorophyll, which helps in manufacturing food for plants in the presence of sunlight, through a process called photosynthesis.   

Flower: The flower is the reproductive part of flowering plants. It is the region where the male and female organs produce the pollen grain and ovary respectively.

MONOCOTYLEDON AND DICOTYLEDON

A crop is any cultivated plant, fungus, or alga that is harvested for food, clothing, livestock fodder, biofuel, medicine or other uses. Crop plant can exist in the forms below:

(a) Monocotyledons

These are crop plants which usually have long, narrow leaves. They include certain families of grasses, lilies, and orchids. The commonly found trees in this group are the palms, namely, oil palm, coconut palm, royal palm and raffia palm. Food crops in this group of plants include rice, wheat, rnillet, maize and guinea Corn. Sugarcane is an industrial crop which belongs to the same group.

(b) Dicotyledons

Crop plants in this group usually have broad leaves. They include most trees such as the silk cotton, iroko, kola, mango, grapefruit, pawpaw and guava trees. Food crops in the group include most vegetables, for example, sokoyokoto (Gelosia argenta), okro, ewedu, water leaf (Talinum triangulare), as well as sweet potatoes, melon, cowpeas and yam. Industrial crops in the group include cocoa, cashew and cotton.

ASSIGNMENT

1. Write short notes on.

a. Monocotyledon crop.

b. Dicotyledon crop.

2. List five crops that are monocotyledons and five crops that are dicotyledons.

 

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