Definition of Horticulture:
Horticulture may be broadly defined as the Science and art of growing fruits, vegetables and flowers and crops
like spices condiments and other plantation crops.
It is a science of cultivation of Garden plants.
The word Horticulture in derived from the Latin word Hortus meaning enclosure (garden) and culture -meaning, cultivation.
Thus Horticulture mans culture or cultivation of garden crops.
Branches of Horticulture:
Horticultural Science is the most distinct branch of Agricultural Sciences and call be divided into
four differentbranches as follow.
A) Main Branches:
1. Pamology It deals with cultivation of fruit crops.
2. Olericulture It deals with cultivation of vegetable crops
3. Floriculture It deals with cultivation of ornamental flowers and land scaping.
4. Fruit and vegetable preservation:It deals with the principles of fruit and vegetable
preservation.
B) Sub Branches
1. Plantation crops : cultivation of coconut, arecanut, rubber, coffee, tea, etc.
2. Spices crops : cultivation of cardamom, pepper, nutmeg etc.
3. Medicinal and aromatic crops: cultivation of medicinal and aromatic crops.
4. Post harvest technology: deals with post harvest handling, grading, packaging, storage processing, value addition, marketing etc, of horticulture crops.
5. Plant propagation : deals with propagation of plants.
Importance of Horticulture
Horticulture is important for the following considerations:
1. As a source of variability in produce.
2. As a source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, flavour, aroma, alkaloids, oleoresins, fibre,
3. As a source of medicine.
4. As an economic proposition as they give higher returns per unit area in terms of energy, money, job, etc.
5. Employment generation 860 man days/annum for fruit crops as against 143 man days/annum for cereal crops and the crops like grapes, banana and pineapple need 1000- 2500 man days per annum.
6. Effective utilization of waste land through cultivation of hardy fruits and medicinal plants.
7. As a substitute of family income being component of home garden.
8. As a foreign exchange earner, has higher share compare to agriculture crops.
9. As an input for industry being amenable to processing, especially fruit and vegetable preservation industry.
10. Aesthetic consideration and protection of environment.
11. Religious significance.
- In short and sweet horticulture supplies quality food for health and mind, more calories per unit area, develops better resources and yields higher returns per unit area.
- It also enhances land value and creates better purchasing power for those who are engaged in this industry. Therefore, horticulture is important for health, wealth, hygiene and happiness.
Scope of Horticulture
There is a great scope of Horticulture. Horticulture production is less as compared and hence very high demand in market.
1. Increasing Investigation Facilities:
The agricultural sectors getting priority in the new five year plan outlay. There is definitely positive factor in keeping hope for bringing area under irrigation, Many irrigation projects, major and minor are in progress and many would be undertaken in near future. Number of percolation tanks is being constructed and new schemes.
2. Area Under Rain Fed:
Horticultural crops are not required the perennial irrigation.
3. Transport and Marketing Facilities:
It is obvious that horticultural produce is perishable and mostly consumed as fresh and need quick disposal after harvest.
4. Cold Storage Facilities and Preservation:
During peak period of a particular crop there is glut in market and prices realized are very low. This can be overcome by storing the fruits in cold storage. Many preserved products have export potential e.g. Jam, Jelly, Juices syrups etc.
5. New Techniques for Maximization of Production:
This helps in increasing the yield.
i) Use of Growth regulator and gurdling increasing yield by 50% in grapes.
ii) Use of growth regulators.
6. Availability of Cheap Labour:
In India because of large population man power is easily available and as compared to other countries the labour is cheap which definitely help in keeping down the production cost.
7 . Loan Facilities:
Many Commercial Banks and Government provide loans at low interest for the promotion of Horticultural Industry.
8. Sloppy, undulated land can be brought under cultivation by growing rain fed horticultural crops.
9. The average production of the Horticultural crops is more than the agronomic crops and therefore, the net returns are also more.
Nutritive Value of Fruits and Vegetables
As said earlier fruits and vegetables is the important energy giving material to the human body. Importance of the fruits and vegetables in the human diet is universally recognized. They are the major sources of vitamins without which the human body cannot maintain proper health and resistance to diseases. Besides they also contain minerals, salts, protein, cellulose which protects human body against various disorders, Extent of the Vitamins in various fruits / vegetables and how they are important can be judged by the following information.
A. Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid):
It is responsible for sever pains in the joints, blooding of gums, tooth decay and the humanisms, Ascorbic acid, loss in energy, delay in wound healing, increased susceptibility to disease enlargement of heart and damage to heart muscles.
Anona 600, Guava 299, Citrus 63 - 68 mg/100 gms is the richer source of Vitamin C in case of fruits.
Vegetables like Methi, Palak, Lettuce, Cabbage, Green pepper, Chillies contain appreciable quantity of Vitamin C. Potato and Sweet potato also supplies ascorbic acid.
B. Vitamin B -1 (Thiamine):
Deficiency of this causes Beriberi, loss of sensitivity of skin, paralysis, loss of appetite, loss of weights, and fall in body temperature fruits like Banana (150 mg / 100 g), Apple (120 mg/100 gms) and Cashew nut (630 mg/100 gm), Almond (240 mg/100 gms) are the good source of this Vitamin B - 1.
Apart from this Methi, Cabbage, Onion, Green vegetables, Lettuce, green chillies, carrot, peas and beans (in seeds) are also rich in Vitamin B.
C. Vitamin B -2 (Riboflavin):
This vitamin is important for growth and health of skin, its deficiency causes loss of appetite, loss in weight, sore throat, swollen nose etc. Papaya (200 mg/ 100 gms), Bael (191 mg/100 gms), Pomegranate (100 mg/100 gms), pineapple (120 mg/100 gms) More or less vegetables listed above are the major suppliers of this Vitamin.
D. Vitamin - A (Carotene):
Absence of this Vitamin in diet results cessation of growth in young ones, night blindness, drying up tear
glands of eyes, eruption of skin, brittleness of teeth and susceptibility to disease.
Mango (4800 i.e., per 100 gm), Papaya (2020 i.e. per 100 gms), Jack fruit (540 per 100 gms) are the richer source of this vitamin. In vegetables carrot, peas, turnip, beats, tomato, Sweet potato green vegetables, cabbage are observed to be very good supplier of this Vitamin.
Though the Vitamins are quite important in maintenance of the human body, the role of minerals cannot be ignored also. Minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus, and Iron are required for living body.
Calcium:
Calcium is badly lacking in Indian diets. It is needed for healthy bones and for resistance to infections. In its absence children suffer from rickets, pigeon chest, ignitability and retarded growth. Their teeth become bad. It also acts as an coordinator among the mineral elements and helps to correct proportion of other elements. Fruits viz. Litchi, wood apple, dried grapes, oranges, straw berry, are the source of Calcium. However, vegetables like cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, lettuce, onion, spinach, tomato also supply Calcium in minor quantities.
Phosphorus:
Regarding Phosphorus, which is essential for all active tissues of the body. It is actually required for cell
multiplication of both bones and soft tissues the for the maintenance of proper liquid content of the tissues. It also plays an important role in oxidation of carbohydrates which liberates energy. Phosphorus in enough quantities in vegetables like potatoes, carrot, tomatoes, cucumber, pinch, cauliflower, lettuce than most of the fruits. However, almonds, cashewnunt and litchi are the more suppliers of the Phosphorus.
Iron:
Vegetables are richer in iron than fruits and found in green leaves. Iron is essential part of the red blood
carpusles and is the best known oxygen carrier in the body. It is essential element in the body and can be had from Spinach, truce, Cabbage, Peas, Bean and Tomatoes. In fruit crops karonda, Dates, cashewnunt, Raising etc. are the major suppliers of this element.
Till Area under Fruit Cultivation is not increasing at Faster Rate Why?
The question arises as to why the development of fruit industry is slow in our country of vegetarishism in spite of above advantages over agronomical crops. The answer lies in the facts that,
1. Fruit growing is a long term venture requiring a high initial investment and high recurring expenditure.
2. Most of the fruit trees are woody perennials with deep roots, which take several years to bear fruits.
3. They require intensive cultivation including specialized methods of propagation.
4. Lack of technical knowledge such as pruning training etc.
5. Poor transport and irrigation facilities.
6. Availability of guinine, planting material.
7. The low purchasing power of the consumers.
8. Lack of cold storage facilities, packing as the fruits and vegetables are perishable in nature.
9. Defective marketing system. Lack of co-operative marketing societies, Middlemen are getting more profit than the growers.