Chapter 1 ICAR Intro_Horticulturte_FoH_.pdf

Chapter 1 ICAR Intro_Horticulturte_FoH_.pdf

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  1 | Pa g e Dr. Sharad Bisen Horticulture (Pomology) College of Agriculture Balaghat Lecture Note Horticulture • The term “Horticulture” first appeared in written language in the seventeenth century. • The word horticulture is derived from the latin words hortus means garden and cultura means to cultivate. • Horticulture means garden cultivation. • Thus, Horticulture is a part of agriculture which is concerned with cultivation of “garden crops”. • Garden crops traditionally include fruits, vegetables and all the plants grown for ornamental purposes as well as spices, plantation, medicinal and aromatic purposes. • The cultivation of garden plant is in contrast to the cultivation of field crops which is practiced in an extensive manner. • Horticulture relies on growing and manipulating plants in a relatively intensive manner. • The horticultural crops require very intense care in planting, carrying out cultural operation, manipulating growth, harvesting, packing, marketing, storage and processing. • Many horticultural products are highly perishable, their water content is essential to their quality and hence mostly utilized in living stage. • In contrast, the products of field crop and forestry are often utilized in non-living state and are usually high in dry matter. DEFINITION OF HORTICULTURE Horticulture can be very broadly defined as the science with deals with the production utilization and improvement of (fruits, vegetables, ornamental plant spices and condiments, medicinal and aromatics, plantation crops) as well as gardening, protective cultivation and value addition. Horticulture as a science Over and above agriculture it involves the application of physics, chemistry and other fundamentals sciences and plant sciences viz. biochemistry, plant physiology, botany, genetics and plant breeding etc. Horticulture as an art Artistic application of technical knowledge gained e.g. raising flowering plants in small pot, budding roses with varied colours, pruning trees for shapes, designing gardens, growing flowers of matching colours and according to the seasons etc.
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  2 | Pa g e DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 1. Pomology: The term Pomology is derived from the Latin word ‘pomum’ meaning ‘fruits’ and the Greek term ‘logy’ meaning Science. Thus, pomology is the science of production of fruit crops. OR The science of growing fruit crops. (a) Tree fruits: Fruits are produced on tree e.g. Mango, Chiku, Citrus etc. (b) Small fruits: Fruits are produced on shrubs or vines e.g. Phalsa, Raspberry, Mulberry, Grapes, Gooseberry, Strawberry 1. Olericulture: The term Olericulture is originated from Latin word ‘oleris’ meaning pot herb and the English word culture meaning raising of plants. Thus, olericulture is the science of vegetable crops. OR The cultivation of vegetable crops. e.g. brinjal, tomato, potato, radish, carrot, chilli, bottle gourd. 2. Floriculture: It is a science of cultivation of flowers and ornamental plants for commercial purposes or merely for getting pleasure and as a hobby. 3. Landscape gardening: It is a science of designing and laying out home gardens, public gardens, parks, road side plantation, avenues etc. 4. Preservation of fruit and vegetables: It is a science of canning of fruits and vegetables. e.g. fruit juice, jam, marmalade, candy, dehydration etc. 5. Silviculture: Cultivation and management of forest tree e.g. teak wood, neem, ficus, eucalyptus etc. 6. Plantation crops: Cultivation of tea, coffee, coconut, arecanut, rubber, oil palm etc. 7. Spices and condiments: Cultivation of crops which products are used as adjunct in food for flavor, aroma and taste. e.g cardamom, clove, nutmeg, coriander, cumin etc. 8. Aromatic and medicinal plants: cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants like gugal, aonla, beheda, harde, lucorice, lemon grass etc. 9. Sericulture: Deals with rearing of silkworm and production of silk. 10.Apiculture: Bee keeping rearing for honey production. 11.Mushroom production: Production of different edible species of mushroom like Agaricus bisporus (button),pleurotus sp. (oyster), Calocybe indica (Milky), Volvariella volvacea (paddy straw). importance and scope; 6 IMPORTANCE OF HORTICULTURE • Fruits and vegetables play an important role in the balance diet of human being by providing vital protective nutrients. • They not only adorn the table but also enrich health from the most nutritive menu and tone up the energy and vigour of man. • Fruits and vegetables have a key role in neutralizing the acid produced during digestion of protein rich and fatty foods. • They provide valuable roughages which promote digestion and helps in preventing constipation. • From unit are of land more income is obtained by growing fruits and vegetables crops.
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  3 | Pa g e • From energy point of view the fruit crops give very high amount of calories per acre e.g. wheat 1034880 calories/acre and banana 15252800 calories/acre. • Horticulture is mother of several industries like canning, essential oil, dehydration, refrigeration, wine, cashew nut, transport etc. which provide work for many people. Farmers and labours can keep themselves engaged busy throughout year. • Growing of horticultural crops is an art as well as science which help in mental development of farmers. • The fruits and vegetables are chief source of vitamins and minerals which help in proper health and resistant to disease. • The flowers, ornamental plants and gardens play a very important role in refreshing the minds of people and reducing air pollution. • The growing of horticultural crops also contributes to the aesthetic side of rural and home life of community. • Generate employment opportunities. • Wide source of medicine. • Effective utilization of wasteland through hardy fruits and medicinal plants. 32.7 SCOPE OF HORTICULTURE • India has great variety of climate and edaphic conditions which can be exploited by growing horticultural crops. • Climates are varying from tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. From this humid, semi-arid, arid and varying temperature trees are also grown. • Likewise soils like loamy, alluvial, laterite, medium black, rocky shallow heavy black sandy etc are also available. From this, large crop areas can be grown with very high level of adaptability. • To meet the requirements in terms of vitamins and minerals, minimum of 85 g of fruits and 200 g of vegetables per head per day with population of above 1000 million people, fruit and vegetables are to be grown on large scale. • For providing raw material to small scale industries like silkworm, lack, honey, match, paper, canning, and dehydration etc. horticulture has wide scope. • In India larger area of lands are waste land, problematic soil, desert land which can be utilized for hardy fruits and medicinal plants. • The fast development of communication and transport system create wide scope for horticulture development particularly in transporting the perishable commodities and products. Thus horticulture has great scope for the following reasons: • To exploit great variability of agro-climatic conditions. • To meet the need for fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices beverages in relation to population growth and nutritional requirement. • To meet the requirement of processing industries. • For increasing export and import of horticultural products. • To improve economical condition of the farmers. • To generate employment opportunity for labour and human being. • To protect environment.