Department of Botany

Objectives

• To introduce students to plants as an integral part of life on the planet.
• To develop an aptitude for science and nature.
• To equip students with basic skills in identifying and labelling plants.
• To impart quality education in botany so that students can face the job market with confidence.
• To let students study the subject outside the classroom through end-of-semester activities: algae and lichen collection, mushroom cultivation, visits to tissue-culture labs, plant-collection trips, project work and maintaining plant diversity on campus.

History of the department

Recognising the need for higher education in science, the management started the B.Sc. course in 1991, and the Department of Botany was established with it. Prof. Kusuma G. Shetty, M.Sc., already a lecturer in biology at the college, joined the department.

The department remembers with gratitude the services of Shri R. M. Bhat, M.Sc. (1994-2000), Shri Shashidhar Madival, M.Sc. (1996-2003) and Madhukeshwar Hegde, M.Sc. (1997-2004). Ranjana S. Prabhu and Smitha Shanbhag served together from 2010 to 2013. Guest lecturers have included Vinayaka Y. S. (2013-15), Madhura Naik (2015-16), Kavya S. Naik (2016), Khushbu H. S. (2017-19), Kavya P. (2019-20), Anuradha Naik (2021-22), and Kavya P. and Dr. Veena Hegde (2022-23).

Kavya P. is the present Head of the Department. Under the guidance of dedicated past and present teachers, students have done remarkably well in examinations. The department is well furnished with the necessary equipment, chemicals and furniture.

Vision and mission

Vision: To instil scientific temper and environmental awareness in students and prepare them to face the challenges of life.

Mission: To impart quality education in plant sciences and sensitise students to the need to conserve natural resources.

The B.Sc. Botany curriculum supports broad educational goals and the changing demands of higher education. A three- or four-year degree in botany prepares students for postgraduate study or an entry-level career.

Subjects taught

• Fungi, microbiology and plant pathology
• Algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes and gymnosperms
• Plant ecology and taxonomy
• Plant anatomy and embryology
• Plant physiology, metabolism and phytochemistry
• Cell and molecular biology
• Genetics and plant breeding
• Economic botany and biotechnology
• Bioinformatics and research methodology
• Herbal technology and medicinal plants in healthcare
• Mushroom cultivation, floriculture, nursery, gardening and landscaping

Learning resources

• Central library with 275 reference books in botany, about 40 of them by foreign authors
• Periodical: Vijnanadaloka

Best practices and activities

• Planting and maintaining medicinal plants
• Project and field work
• Free books for students who need them
• Career guidance for young minds
• Special lectures; faculty attend refresher courses and have presented research at the international level
• Student seminars on algae and their economic importance, gardening and nursery techniques, orchids, and transcription and translation
• Student projects on the diversity of medicinal plants in Siddapur, phytochemical screening of Calotropis gigantea, and vitamin C