MASTERS (M.Sc.)
Master Programs:
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MSc. in Horticulture Sciences (Pomology, Vegetable Crops, and Ornamental Horticulture)
Additionally, the department participates in an interdisciplinary joint MSc. program in Biodiversity.
Requirements
MSc. students are required to successfully complete the following:
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ENG 055 : English Language Course (non-credit). Students scoring a minimum of 450 points in TOEFL are not required to take this course.
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Compulsory courses equivalent to 17 credit-hours (See study plans for specific details).
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At least 12 credit-hours of elective courses related to student research topic. Student may from available elective courses subject to approval by the department.
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A written thesis based on original research in his field of interest. A student may register for the thesis PLPR 600 (0+1) for more than one semester.
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The department board members review and approve the suggested research proposal for each graduate student.
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Please consult the Graduate School for further information and regulations.
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PLPR 501 Physiology of Horticultural Crops 3(2+1)
Growth. Growth phases. Growth measurements. Effects of climate and soil on growth and flowering of horticultural crops (temperature – light – air humidity and soil moisture – biological factors). Growth regulators and their relation to growth, flowering, and fruit setting of horticultural crops.
PLPR 502 Agricultural Applications of Growth Regulators 2(1+1)
Historical background of discovery. Chemical structure, synthesis and movement in plant tissues. Role in growth and development of plants and applied aspects in shoot and root growth, dormancy, multiplication, senescence and abscission. Preparation and means of applications.
PLPR 503 Plant Water Relations and Crop Productivity 2(2+0)
Mechanism of water absorption and movement within plants. Crop-water requirements. Water stress. Effects of water stress on some metabolic processes of plants. Drought physiological drought. Response of plants to drought in relation to crop productivity.
PLPR 504 Morphology and Classification of Horticultural Crops 3(2+1)
Morphology and classification of horticultural crops. Importance of defining: clone, cultivar, species and genus. Importance of classification of horticultural crops. Morphology of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees. Classification of vegetable crops and characters of their families. Classification of ornamental, fruit and forest trees. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 505 Environmental Stresses and Horticultural Crops 2(1+1)
Types of environmental stresses (temperature, light, salinity etc.). effects of stresses on plant growth and development. Application of scientific research work on different horticultural crops.
PLPR 506 Advanced Handling and Storage of Horticultural Crops 3(2+1)
Physiological changes associated with fruit maturation and ripening that occur during handling and storage of important horticultural fruits.
PLPR 507 Tissue Culture 2(1+1)
Introduction to tissue culture and its development. Current applications and future prospects and their comparison with conventional methods. Study of the chemical components and physical state of nutrient media and explants selection, preparation, disinfection, culture and morphogenesis in different media. Problems and disadvantages. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 508 Advanced Plant Breeding 3(2+1)
Gene frequency. Gene equilibrium. Methods of estimating variance components: Environment, and Genetic variances and Genetic components. Environment and genetic interaction. Genetic acclimation to environmental changes. Selection for multiple characters. Selection index analysis of single hybrids, trihybrids, and double hybrids. Prediction of hybrids yield. Use of heritability, and environment estimates in planning of ideal breeding program.
PLPR 510 Advanced Breeding of Horticultural Crops. 3(2+1)
Methods of preservation of genetic resources. Special methods of hybridization. Mutation breeding. Polyploidy. Tissue culture uses. Response to selection. Chimera types and clonal selection. Breeding for special purposes. Evaluation of selection and methods of their distribution.
PLPR 511 Rangeland and Forest Ecosystems 3(2+1)
Rangeland and forest ecosystems defined. Rangeland and forest ecosystem components and functions. Ecological relationships among biotic components in the rangeland and forest ecosystems. Biodiversity in rangelands and forests. Local and international trends and regulations in ecosystem conservation.
PLPR 521 Orchard Cultural Practices 2(1+1)
Fruit tree pruning methods (manual, chemical). Physiological effect of pruning. Rejuvenation of trees of trees by severe pruning. Fertilization and fertilizer requirements of fruit trees. Deficiency symptoms of some elements. Fertilization programs, methods, timing, and types of fertilizer to be used. Irrigation of fruit trees: water requirements, timing of irrigation as related to stages of growth, soil type and water quality.
PLPR 522 Viticulture 2(1+1)
Vine structure and morphology. Classification. Factors affecting growth, flowering and yield. Propagation. Training and pruning methods. Fertilization, irrigation and cultural practices. Treatments used for fruit set and fruit quality improvement.
PLPR 523 Citriculture 2(1+1)
Classification. Environmental and biological factors affecting growth, flowering and yield. Propagation and root stocks. Fruit growth, structure and chemical constituents. Effect of environmental factors on fruit physical and chemical characters. Fruit physiological disorders. Genetic variation in relation to variety improvement. Fertilization, irrigation and cultural practices. Special methods for improving fruit set and characters.
PLPR 524 Advanced Date Palm Production 2(1+1)
Morphology, anatomy and classification of date palm. Flowering, pollination and importance of male selection. Fruit growth and changes in physical and chemical characters and factors affecting it. Pruning and its physiological effects. Water and fertilization requirements and research work in this respect. Variety improvement. Important results and research concerning date palm productivity improvement.
PLPR 525 Flowering and Fruit Set in Fruit Trees 2(1+1)
Flowering habits. Factors affecting flower induction. Stages of flower differentiation and flowering. Methods to control flowering intensity and fruit set percentage. Flowering date manipulation in fruit trees. Methods for shortening juvenile stage in fruit trees. Importance of seeds in fruits. Problems in pollination and fruit set and methods to overcome.
PLPR 531 Advanced Vegetable Crop Production 2(1+1)
Studies on the economical and nutritional aspects and the effect of ecological factors on the production and storage of important vegetable crops in the following families: Amaryllidaceae, Liguminosae, Cruciferae, Umbelliferae, Compositae, Malvaceae and Chenopodiaceae. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 532 Production of Cucurbitaceae Crops 2(1+1)
Studies on the economical and nutritional aspects and the effect of ecological factors on the production and storage of important vegetable crops in the Cucurbitaceae family. Application of research results of modern production techniques. (Faculty 1)
PLPR 533 Production of Solanaceae Vegetables 2(1+1)
Studies on the economical and nutritional aspects and the effect of ecological factors on the production and storage of important vegetable crops in the Solanaceae family. Application of research results of modern production techniques.
PLPR 534 Protected Agriculture of Vegetable Crops 2(1+1)
Economical importance of protected agriculture and its development in the Kingdom. Types of constructions of controlled environment agriculture used in the production of vegetables. Control of environmental factor in protected agriculture. Cultivation practices in greenhouses.
PLPR 535 Propagation of Vegetable Crops 2(1+1)
Types of propagations for vegetable crops. Fundamentals of the production and storage of seeds. Economical importance for seed production under the Kingdom's conditions. Effect of ecological and physiological factors on the initiation, development and seed viability and storage ability. Principles of seed production and certification. Production of hybrid vegetable seeds.
PLPR 541 Advanced Crop Breeding 3(2+1)
Germplasm resources and methods of reservation. Definition of base population and base population build up. Genetic variance components. Genetic and environment interaction. Heritability ratios and factors which affect the estimations. Selection response in relation to genetic variations. Inheritance of physiological characters that are related to yield. Hybrid vigor. Genetic improvement of photosynthesis and plant nutrients efficiency. (Instructor 1, 2, 3)
PLPR 542 Advanced Ecology and Field Crop Physiology 3(2+1)
Crop environment and productivity. Environmental influences on crop growth and distribution. Quantitative analysis of crop growth. Physiological changes in plant growth. Physiological stress. Harvesting.
PLPR 543 Advanced Cereal Crop Production 2(1+1)
Study of ecological factors affecting productivity of principle cereal crops. Estimating the response of wheat, barley, maize, sorghum, millet and rice crops to cultural practices and determining the optimum level of each factor.
PLPR 544 Advanced Legume Crop Production 2(1+1)
Effect of ecological factors and cultural practices on productivity and quality of legume crops. Methods of studying response to different levels of cultural practices. Determining the optimum environment for producing the important winter and summer legume crops in the Kingdom. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 545 Advanced Sugar and Oil Crop Production 2(1+1)
Effect of ecological factors and cultural practices on productivity and quality of sugar and oil crops. Methods of studying response to different levels of cultural practices. Determining the optimum environment for producing these crops.
PLPR 546 Advanced Forage Crop Production 2(1+1)
Effect of ecological factors and cultural practices on productivity and quality of forage crops. Methods of studying response to different levels of cultural practices to estimate their optimum dose for perennials (alfalfa and rhodesgrass) and seasonal forage crops. Methods of increasing total nutritional value of forage crops. Designing forage crop rotations.
PLPR 547 Advanced Seed Production 2(1+1)
Conditions of seed production. Pollination, fertilization and seed development and structure. Seed storage and dormancy. Seed viability and its physiological changes. Methods of seed production for some important crops. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 548 Weed Biology 2(1+1)
Weed characteristics. Weed origin. Weed and crop competition. Relationship between ecological factors and weed growth and dispersal. Cultural practices and weed dispersal. Effect of weed on crop productivity.
PLPR 549 Field Evaluation of Cultivars and Cultural Practices 3(2+1)
Types of field evaluation experiments for practices. methods of selecting cultural practices. experimental error and their control. Field crop characteristics and precision of field evaluation. Use of standard cultivars in their evaluation. Common methods of evaluating large number of cultivars. Use of analysis of variance for increasing evaluation precision. Relative efficiency of evaluation methods.
PLPR 551 Forest Breeding and Improvement 2(1+1)
Breeding and improvement of forest trees and stands through exploration, evaluation and selection of the best provenance of most adaptable species. Improvement of seed sources. Improvement of tree growth by applying principles of biotechnology. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 552 Forest Management 2(1+1)
Definitions. Tree measurement equipments and units. Sampling techniques. Calculations and statistical analysis. Volume tables. Yield tables. Preparation of management plans. The use of aerial photography and remote sensing for collecting data and information.
PLPR 553 Physical and Mechanical Properties of Wood 2(1+1)
General definitions. Wood-water relation. Density of wood. Thermal, electrical and acoustical properties of wood. Methods of drying wood and their effects on wood properties. Wood deterioration. Wood preservation. Mechanical properties of wood. Factors affecting strength. Stress grading of wood.
PLPR 554 Chemical and Structural Properties of Wood 2(1+1)
Chemical composition of wood. Properties of various wood components. The role of these components in wood industries. Wood formation. Anatomical constituents of wood. Wood identification. The structure of cell wall. Quantitative anatomy. Structure-property relations.
PLPR 555 Wood Industries 2(1+1)
Wood-working properties and equipment. Sawmilling. Planning. Turning. Moulding. Peeling and slicing of wood. Plywood. Particleboard. Fiberboard. Paper and paper boards.
PLPR 557 Forest Ecology 2(1+1)
Man and forests. Biological basis for forest management. Abiotic factors ad their effects on forests (solar radiation, temperature, wind, water and fire). Biotic factors and their effects on forests development of plant communities and their importance in forest management. Renwability of natural resources and the role of forest management.
PLPR 561 Range Ecology 2(1+1)
Advanced study of the effect of ecological factors on rangeland productivity. Range plant community structure in relation to ecological factors and grazing management. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 562 Range Improvement 2(1+1)
Range improvement methods. Cultural and ecological factors affecting range improvement. Noxious plant control. Effect of range improvement on wildlife. (Instructor 1, 2)
PLPR 568 Range Management for Multiple Use 2(2+0)
Rangeland use for livestock production. Rangeland and wildlife development. Conservation of genetic resources for economic plants. Watershed management. Recreational use of rangelands. Conflicts in multiple use of rangelands and conflict resolution to maintain biodiversity. Systems related to multiple use of rangeland. (Instructor 1, 2)
PLPR 570 Woody Ornamental Plants 2(1+1)
Classification of woody ornamentals. Study of the important species of ornamental palms and other trees grown successfully under the environmental conditions of Saudi Arabia. Production, growth and maintenance of woody plants in arid zones. Important shrubs, hedges, screens and climber; their production methods, and care under the environmental conditions of the Kingdom. Different ways of using woody ornamentals in landscape for gardens and parks. Important studies and researches carried out for introduction and adaptation of exotic woody ornamentals in Saudi Arabia. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 572 Herbaceous Ornamental Plants 2(1+1)
Study of important herbaceous plants including foliage and flowering herbaceous plants (summer and winter annuals and perennials). Important medicinal and aromatic herbs grown successfully in the Kingdom. Flowering bulbs. Types of climbers and creepers. Aquatic semi-aquatic plants. Cacti, succulent, and desert plants. Turfgrasses and ground cover. Herbaceous shade and greenhouse plants. Important research and studies on production, cultural practices and maintenance. (Instructor 1)
PLPR 573 Production of Shade and Indoor Plants 2(1+1)
A study of the different species of indoor plants. factors affecting their growth. Environmental requirements of shade and indoor plants. methods of the use of these plants in different interior designs. Special designs (hanging, baskets, glass gardens, plant screens etc.). Methods of flower arrangement. Study of the different designs of interior designs. Greenhouses and nurseries and researches concerning the production and maintenance of shade and indoor plants.
PLPR 574 Production of Commercial Flowers 2(1+1)
A study of important researches concerning the production of the most economical cut flowers. Detailed explanation of the important physiological phenomena affecting the production under the local environmental conditions of Saudi Arabia. General studies of the production of and growth of flowers in beds, pots and hanging baskets. Studies of the applied aspects of flower postharvest physiology. The use of growth regulators on the important economical flowers.
PLPR 575 Landscape Design and Establishment of Gardens and Parks 2(1+1)
Historical study of gardens development. Comprehensive studies of various garden designs and styles. Principles and elements of landscape for private and public gardens. Kinds of gardens and parks. Different classification, specification and design styles. Practical methods of landscape design and establishment of gardens and parks.
PLPR 590 Special Studies 2(2+0)
A detailed theoretical study and lectures on selected topics in the field of plant production related to the student's research subject.
PLPR 595 Seminars 1(1+0)
Discussion of specific topics suggested by student's advisor.
PLPR 600 Research and Thesis
Thesis
