The Nature of:

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

OBJECTIVES

Identify the various roles of plants in everyday life;

Identify the various segments of plant and soil science; and

Identify important types of plants and their uses.

ROLES OF PLANTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Why do we need plants? Food Food Chain Oxygen

Let’s list the most important uses of plants

ROLES OF PLANTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Edible Plants Whole plants Portions of plants

The most important – can you guess? Grains

Wheat, rice, corn, barley

About 88% of the world’s total caloric intake comes from plant food sources

About 80% of the world’s protein intake comes from plant food sources

Some plants are used to make beverages

ROLES OF PLANTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Industrial Uses Wood

What is it use for? Fiber

What is it use for? Chemicals

What is it use for? Rubber

What is it use for?

ROLES OF PLANTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Medicinal uses Plants have played a very important role in

developing medicines

Scientists are still studying plants to understand the chemical compounds found within them

Some believe that some of our most deadly diseases will be cured by an undiscovered plant compound

ROLES OF PLANTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Oils Many plants store oils as food in the seed or

plant itself Some oils are used to make or produce food

for humans Others are used in industry

What are some oil producing plants?

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

What makes up the top layer of the earth’s crust? Soil

What is soil science? Study of structure, composition,

fertility, use, and protection of soil.

What is plant science? Study of structure, functions, growth, and protection of

plants Can be divided into 3 categories

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

3 categories of Plant Science

Field Crops Forestry Horticulture Crops

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Field Crops Plants (other than fruits and veggies) grown in

large fields and are used for agricultural purposes oil, fiber, grain, etc…

Corn and wheat are often grown for their seed but other parts of the plant can be used

Agronomy specializes in field crops and their relations with the soil

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Forestry Science of growing trees and producing wood

products What are some wood products?

Tree Farms are cultured forests that are carefully planned

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Horticulture Crops Grown for food, comfort, and beauty Two major areas of horticulture are

Ornamental Horticulture Food Crop Horticulture

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Ornamental Horticulture Plants used for their beauty Floriculture

Use of plants for the flowers and foliage Foliage is the stems and leaves

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Ornamental Horticulture Landscape Horticulture

Growing and using plants to make outdoor environment more appealing

Shrubs, flowering plants, lawn areas

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Ornamental Horticulture Interiorscaping

Plants inside buildings to create an attractive indoor environment

SEGMENTS OF PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE

Food Crop Horticulture Growing plants for food Includes orchards and gardens

FOOD CROP HORTICULTURE

Food Crop Horticulture Olericulture

Science of producing vegetable crops Pomology

Science of producing fruit and nuts

TODAY’S ASSIGNMENT(NEED A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER)

For each area of plant science, list 5 crops that are grown. Field crops, Floriculture, Landscape,

Interiorscape, Olericulture, Pomology, Forestry. Circle the plant in each section that you

would be most interested in learning about. Choose 2 areas of plant science that interest

you and write a paragraph about each one explaining why you are interested, what kind of crops do you want to grow, etc…

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Very few wild plants play an important role in everyday life

Plant Domestication is removing plants from their native environment and growing them under controlled conditions

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Seven categories of important domesticated plants in North America They are all field and horticulture crops

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Grain Crops Plants grown for an edible seed

Does not include nuts Cereal Grains is the seed of grass-type plants

grown for food and animal feed

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Sugar Crops Source of sucrose

Sucrose is a carbohydrate that provides energy Major sugar crops

Sugar beets Sugar cane

Can you think of other sources of sugar?

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Oil Crops Grown for the vegetable oil in their seeds and

fruits

Major oil crops for the U.S. are: Soybeans Cotton Canola Corn

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Fiber Crops Grown for the fiber harvested from their fruit,

stems, or leaves

What are fibers? Threadlike structures used to manufacture cloth,

paper, and other things

What is the major fiber crop? Cotton Others include flax, hemp, jute, and ramie

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Vegetable, Fruit, and Nut Crops Primarily grown for food

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Forage Crops Forage: leaves and stems of plants used for

animal feed Primarily grasses or legumes

Grasses are non-woody plants that have parallel veins in their leaves

Legumes are broad-leaf plants that have the potential to fix nitrogen from air in the soil

Forages can be grazed or harvested and stored for later feeding

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Ornamental and Turf Crops Ornamental Crops: flowers, shrubs, vines, and

other plants grown for beauty and appeal

Turf Crops: provide a pleasing look and protect the soil Usually grasses What are they protecting the soil from?

TYPES OF PLANTS AND THEIR USES

Other crops These just don’t fit in any other group Beverages

Coffee, tea, use your imagination Herbs, spices, or medicine