Studying the characteristics of the life cycle of plants is the basis for their successful cultivation. Gardeners, summer residents and agronomists should know at what level of their 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 the landscaper must have an idea of the concept of “vegetation”: what is it and what kind of plant life span 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 yield or receipt of one or another plant material. However, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance.
Many consider the period of plant vegetation to be the most important and crucial stage ; that this is the key to crop productivity. However, in most cases this opinion is erroneous. First of all, this is due to the main biological purpose of fruiting, reproduction. It is known that under adverse conditions an individual tends to increase the number of species to increase the chances of its survival. But if a 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 do not sit idle.
Plant vegetation: what is it from the point of view of biology
The growth period characteristic of the annual cycle of a particular species, from seed germination (for seed) or ripening of the buds (for perennial, fruit) to the cessation of the development of the plant’s vegetative organs. 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 happy. The introduction of a large number of bio- and mineral fertilizers, albeit positively affects the green mass, but is not a decisive factor for productivity despite the manufacturer's advertising statements on the packaging.
Young green. Factors Affecting Vegetation
Any agricultural process should in its theory rely on the natural order of things and as little as possible away from the program laid down by nature: as you know, you can’t “argue against it.” The vegetation time of the plants and the result (yield) depend on many factors, which are often ignored in closed agricultural complexes. Such omissions turn into colossal costs for agricultural chemistry. In addition, the quality of the products thus produced is in question. Take, for example, the natural alternation of crops on a particular plot of land. Any summer resident knows that after potatoes it is advisable to cultivate peas or pumpkin. But manufacturers focused on a certain commercially viable product will not go for such measures, and the circle is closed.
How does vegetation happen?
What this process is, we already know. Let us consider this phenomenon in more detail.
The above examples far from completely cover the spectrum of factors affecting the growth and development of plants. Cultivated plants obtained by selection from their wild predecessors have a number of properties that are characteristic exclusively for their taxonomic group.
For example, tomatoes are very dependent on ambient temperature and light. A sharp change in the light regime of the plant can be perceived as the completion of the summer signal. And at the level of the established program, the plant understands that if summer ends, then it is time to throw 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 be worth the wasted effort and money.
High 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 contributes to creating species that are resistant to many diseases. In the near future, wheat and oats, for example, will “learn” to go through the full growing season, regardless of weather conditions.
Currently, a lot of attention is paid to such an expanded issue as vegetation. What is this in the understanding of agricultural technologists, biologists, genetic engineers and product manufacturers? For each - his own. For specialists working with gene material, this is primarily a set of features that affect the performance of a species. For agricultural technologists - a difficult task that needs to be solved based on the profitability of production. For the manufacturer of products - the period for which you can spend the growing cycle and make a profit.
Ecology Vegetation
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 oxygen concentration in the air. Oxygen was released during the photosynthesis of algae, and the desired concentration in many respects played the role of 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 will be a failure in the vegetation of plants, planet Earth will become unsuitable for life of multicellular creatures breathing oxygen. And we, people, this concerns first of all.