1. FUNDAMENTALS OF HORTICULTURE1. Introduction Horticulture is the art and science of cultivating, processing and marketing fruits, vegetables, nuts, and ornamental plants. In popular parlance, it is simply "garden cultivation" (L.hortus = garden; cultura = cultivation). Unlike agronomic and forest products, which are generally utilized in the non-living state (e.g., as grains, fibre, timber, etc.), horticultural produces are largely used afresh. The returns from investment per unit area are generally higher for horticultural plants than for agricultural and forest plants.Nowadays, many colleges and universities have educational programmes in horticulture. Such institutions not only provide training but also conduct research works in various fields of this discipline. Horticulturists gather informations from other branches of Botany to raise elite cultivars and to evolve best cultural practices for their successful production. Modern horticulture is a big business. It provides employment for skilled people and supports a number of industries, such as fertilizers, chemicals, machineries and implements. Also, it beautifies the environment and arouses our aesthetic imaginations. Presently, many people, who do not care to grow food crops, often enjoy growing flowers outdoors and indoors for aesthetic purposes.Divisions of horticulture Horticulture has four major divisions namely pomology (fruit culture), olericulture (vegetable culture), floriculture (ornamental horticulture) and landscape architecture.This is the branch of horticulture that deals with the production, harvesting, processing, preserving and marketing of fruits and nuts. The farm land, where only fruit trees are grown, is called an orchard. Growing fruits is a long-term operation. Fruit trees take long time to come into bearing. They also require more growing space than what is required by vegetables Pomologically important fruits are of different types. Some of them are succulent and juicy (mango, pine apple, grape, etc.), whereas the others are dry (cashew, pista, walnut, etc.).This is the branch of horticulture which deals with the production of vegetables Some vegetables are grown for their fruits (e.g., tomato, brinjal), some others for leaves (e.g.. spinach, amaranth), still others for tubers (e.g., carrot, beetroot), and yet others for pods (e.g., peas, beans). Unlike fruit plants, vegetables are generally short- duration plants and so they have to be cultivated every growing season. Vegetables must be harvested and used afresh. Vegetable production is one of the most popular hortiultural activities of common man.* This is the cultivation and use of ornamental plants. So, it is generally called ornamental horticulture. * Ornamentals may be cultivated in open spaces or in indoors. * They can be grown, arranged, and displayed in different ways for decorative purposes.4. Landscape ar ectureLandscaping is the use of ornamental plants, together with other elements, to beautify a given area. The professionals who design such places are called Jandscape- architects. Landscaping is an integral part of the construction of houses, commercial complexes and other public places. Playgrounds and parks are examples of public place, where ornamental plants are grown to beautify the environment. An important aspect of landscaping is ground carpeting, usually with grass. A lawn is the basic landscape element in most cases. Other plants are then added to this ground cover. The branch of horticulture, concerned with the planting of trees, is called arboriculture. Trees are perennial elements in a landscape design. They are large in size and hence require more space than annual plants. The use of plants in beautifying indoors is called interioscaping.Scope of horticulture Horticulture is important to society in a variety of ways. It acts as sources of food, employment, income and ornamentals. . Horticulture as a source of food Mankind makes use of horticulture as a source food materials, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries. These food items are rich in carbohydrates, proteins vitamins and minerals. For example, legumes are rich in carbohydrate eins. Horticultural products provide balanced diet for human beings. Commercial horticulture accounts for most of the horticultural produces in our county. Neumerous house owners are engaged in gardening for fresh fruits and vegetables . It is a hobby and a recreation for many others.2. Horticulture as a source of ornamentals Ornamental plants are cultivated and maintained both as indoors and outdoors. Plants used in landscaping include trees, shrubs, bedding plants and grasses. Ornamentals are formally displayed in arboreta, parks, botanical gardens, etc. for the amusement of the public. Botanical gardens are designed to exhibit a large variety of plant types for cultural and educational purposes. Flowers feature very prominently on several occasions, such as receptions, funerals and weddings. The golf course industry is a major horticultural enterprise that involves not only turf grasses but also a wide variety of trees, shrubs, bedding plants and other ornamentals. Nowadays, landscaping has become an integral part of home designs.3. Horticulture as a source of income and employment Horticulture fetches substantial income by way of selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds, seedlings, etc. Also, it offers plenty of job opportunities, directly or indirectly. Many of such jobs require knowledge and training in horticulture. The training should be at vocational level or at college level. The work may be in indoors or outdoors. Collegiate education gives a sound knowledge of the field, offers job Opportunities at supervisory or managerial levels, and provides opportunities for undertaking investigatory projects or research programmes. The selected categories of jobs that require varying degrees of familiarity with horticulture include flower grower, extension officer, farm manager, sales or marketing officer, teacher and researcher. These jobs can be obtained by persons trained in other fields also, such as basic science, engineering, economics, marketing, agribusiness, genetics, and post-harvest physiology.Horticulture industry Horticulture is, in fact, an industry which depends largely on a variety of chemicals, including fertilizers, pesticides, and growth hormones. Many companies are involved in the manufacture of chemicals that are used to enhance the growth and field of plants and to improve the quality of the produces. Chemicals (called agro chemicals) constitute an integral part of modern high-input production practices However, crop production using little or no synthetic chemicals, called organic farming, is steadily gaining popularity nowadays.e ° Horticulture industry needs the service of engineers to design and produce tools and machineries. Machineries and implements are essential for land preparation, planting, weeding, spraying, harvesting, storing, and packaging. These aids enable the growers to undertake large-scale production of horticultural plants. Home garden versions of some of these machineries and equipment are also available.Fruits, nuts, berries, tubers, etc. Vegetables Home gardening Hobt ete eaeE Vegetable gardening Amusement places Omamentals Horticulture _— Farm management Sales management Employment Research and extension Pesticides Fertilizers Machineries Flow chart showing the scope of horticultureHorticultural produces and products are to be transported from the areas of production to marketing outlets. Due to their quick perishable nature, horticultural produces and products require special handling in transportation to retain their quality for a long time. Hence, the industry needs effective transportation facility. Certain items require refrigeration during transportation and storage. As most horticultural produces are harvested and used afresh, the ability to preserve their quality in transit is critical to the industry. In certain cases, the produces are harvested before they ripen in order to increase their shelf life. Home gardeners have the advantage of ready access to vine- ripened and fresh produces.