The term Horticulture is derived from the Latin word "Hortus" meaning garden and culture. In today’s word Horticulture is a broad terminology. It is defined as a science that deals with production, utilization and improvement of fruits, vegetables flowers ornamental plants, spices, condiments, plantation crops, medicinal and aromatic plants.
Scope and importance of horticulture
1. Horticultural crops contribute the wealth of nation as well as important exportable commodities to many countries which include fruits, vegetables, spices and plantation crops.
2. Fruits and vegetables are important source of protected food. They supply vitamins and essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus etc. They are good laxatives. Those can be eaten as raw and cooked form as well. Fruits have high calorific value. (An adult would require 11, 00,000 calories per year which could be obtained from 0.03 ha of fruits like banana. The fruits can reduce the quantum of food grain requirement).
3. Horticultural crops are highly remunerative. Fruits occupy 1.0% of the total cultivable area with 4.9% of the total income. This is in the rise. The plantation crops occupy 2% of the cultivable area with third position in total export of agricultural commodities.
4. The horticultural produce is raw material for many industries eg. Tea, Coffee, Rubber, cashew, coir, and sago industries.
5. The horticultural crop production, possessing and marketing employ direct and indirect labor which provides to improve the per capita income.
6. In a highly civilized economy in developed countries, the finest sense of horticulture is widely developed. By offering flower to God, flowers adorning of by women and offering flowers to others show the symbol of affection in those countries.
7. Horticulture is used as a therapy to treat people who are in stress and unhappy conditions. This would lead them to disrepair their mental disorder. Here they are taken to a garden where ornamental plants and flower decorations are source to relieve their stress.8. The horticultural crops serve as a source of medicine for human beings and animals, eg. Tulsi leaves taken raw can cure respiratory disorders.
9. Horticultural crops help to preserve the environment. The fruit trees form the source to reduce the soil erosion, moisture conservation and increase the productivity in a given system.Factors Limiting Horticultural Crop Production
1. Horticultural crops require large area for production. The land is fragmented into small fields because of social reasons in our country. Large area management is essential for better production.
2. The horticultural crops require technical guidance to produce and process them. It also requires technical man power which is a limiting factor.
3. Horticultural crops require a regulated marketing channel, which is in poor practice in this country. It is available for a few crops.
4. Horticultural crops are in wide ranges. They range from annuals to perennials on wide range of soils. These soils are not available in large extent as required for the particular crops.
5. The horticultural produces are perishable in nature. Hence, it requires good post harvest handling methods. There are only few crops that have been standardized. Most of the crops require this standardization.
6. There are a variety of crops which have different types of pests and diseases. There are dreadful pests and diseases which need to be controlled. Hence this will hinder the production.7. There is less number of processing industries. Only very few crops could be processed. This requires processing technology and industries.
8. The crops being highly perishable in nature. This would require cold storage facilities for large quantity of fruits, vegetables and flowers produced which is also a set back in this country with very few cold storage facilities available.
9. Horticultural crops require good research support for production. There are number of fields in which research capabilities have to be worked out. Which will pave way for better production technology.10. The availability of quality planting material is important for quality production. There is a lack of good nurseries in this country for getting quality planting stocks and seeds.
11. The finance is an important resource constrain since this requires large sum. This is to be provided only by nationalized banks. The process of getting loans takes a long time.
13. Many horticultural crops are export oriented. This requires proper package of practice and careful post harvest management. Hence, this has to be developed as high tech methodologies, which are recently being imported.
14. The government must help farmers by giving subsidies for production, marketing and export.15. The government agency / institution must provide consultancy service to help farmers in taking up horticultural crop production, marketing and export.
