Studying the characteristics of the life cycle of plants is the basis of their successful cultivation. Gardeners, summer residents and agronomists should know at what level of development the plant is at the moment.
Information of this kind is primarily necessary for the timely application of fertilizers and protective agricultural chemistry. And be sure the gardener must have an idea about the concept of "vegetation": what it is and what life period of plants characterizes.
Vegetation in the scientific and popular context
In the generally accepted botanical glossary, the concept of vegetation characterizes the period of green mass gain before fruiting. In other words, the better this period passes, the more, in theory, the expected harvest or the receipt of one or another plant material. However, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance.
Many consider the growing season of plants to be the most important and crucial stage; that this is a guarantee of crop productivity. However, in most cases this opinion is wrong. First of all, this is due to the main biological purpose of fruiting, reproduction. It is known that atunder adverse conditions, the individual tends to increase the number of the species in order to increase the chances of its survival. But if the plant does not experience any stress in artificially created agrotechnical productions, is there an incentive for its abundant fruiting? Initially, no. That is why breeders and agricultural technicians are not sitting idle.
Vegetation of plants: what is it from the point of view of biology
The period of growth characteristic of the annual cycle of a particular species, starting from the germination of seeds (for seeds) or the maturation of buds (for perennial, fruit) and until the cessation of development of the vegetative organs of the plant. As a rule, after the cessation of the development of plant organs, its next cycle begins - fruiting.
Many do not take into account the interconnectedness and interdependence of vegetation and fruiting, which is why the result is not always encouraging. The introduction of a large amount of bio- and mineral fertilizers, although it has a positive effect on green mass, is not a decisive factor for productivity, contrary to the manufacturer's advertising statements on the package.
Young-green. Factors affecting vegetation
Any agricultural process should be based in its theory on the natural order of things and move away as little as possible from the program laid down by nature: as you know, "you can't argue against it." The time of vegetation of plants and the result (yield) depend on many factors that are often ignored in closed agro-complexes. Such omissions turn into colossalagrochemical costs. In addition, the quality of the products produced in this way is questionable. Take, for example, the natural succession of crops on a given piece of land. Any summer resident knows that after potatoes it is advisable to cultivate peas or pumpkins. But manufacturers focused on a certain commercially viable product will not take such measures, and the circle is closed.
How does vegetation work?
What kind of process, we already know. Let's consider this phenomenon in more detail.
The above examples do not fully cover the spectrum of factors affecting the growth and development of plants. Cultivated plants, obtained by breeding from their wild predecessors, have a number of properties that are unique to their taxonomic group.
For example, tomatoes are very dependent on ambient temperature and light. A sharp change in the light regime can be perceived by the plant as the end of the summer signal. And at the level of the programmed program, the plant understands that if the summer ends, then it's time to throw the seeds into the environment. And this means that fruiting begins with insufficient maturity of the plant. This is one of the popular examples that describes what plant vegetation is and how improper recreation of natural conditions can cost wasted effort and money.
Hi-tech cultivation
In the foreseeable future, humanity wants to get rid of agricultural work by creating a robotic system for cultivation and harvesting. Genetic engineering also contributescreating species that are resistant to many diseases. In the near future, wheat and oats, for example, will “learn” to go through a full growing season regardless of weather conditions.
Currently, much attention is paid to such an extended issue as vegetation. What is it in the understanding of agricultural technologists, biologists, genetic engineers and product manufacturers? For everyone - his own. For specialists working with genetic material, this is primarily a set of traits that affect the productivity of a species. For agricultural technologists, this is a difficult task that needs to be solved based on the profitability of production. For a product manufacturer, this is the period for which it is possible to carry out a growing cycle and make a profit.
Vegetation in terms of ecology
Vegetation - what is it from the point of view of ecology? The creation of the biosphere billions of years ago is largely due to the appearance of the desired concentration of oxygen in the air. Oxygen was released during the photosynthesis of algae, and the right concentration played a large role in the formation of creatures with a high level of organization of the nervous system.
So, speaking the scientific language of ecology and evolutionary biology, plant vegetation is one of the main stages in the formation of highly organized life forms. This stage, like evolution, continues to this day. And if, due to environmental reasons, there is a failure in the vegetation of plants, the planet Earth will become unsuitable for the life of multicellular creatures that breathe oxygen. And us humansconcerns first.
