eChapters

Preserving plant materials in a dried form is not a new idea. It has been considered as an art for hundreds of years. Fragrant dried herbs were placed in Egyptian pyramids. Dry flower arrangements have been popular in Europe for several centuries. During 1700 A.D, the early American settlers used dry flowers to brighten their homes. Any plant material can be preserved for use as dry flowers (Al Pertuit, 2004). Though enormous work is being done in this field, most of the literature is published by horticulture amateurs. Scientific work in this area is less. However, a review of the research work done in dry flower technology is discussed in detail.

9.1 Introduction

The world is facing various challenges, including climate change, population growth, and decreasing fertile land. It is necessary for the agricultural sector to shift towards sustainability and innovation. To revolutionize traditional farming practices, alternative cropping systems and advanced technologies like plant tissue culture in greenhouses are being explored. The goal is to optimize resource utilization, enhance crop resilience, and reduce the environmental impact. By adopting cutting-edge technologies, such as plant tissue culture, crops can be propagated and cultivated within controlled environments like greenhouses, ensuring global food security and meeting the growing population’s demands.

Rhododendron belongs to family Ericaceae. The word “Rhododendron” is derived from the ancient Greek word “rhódon” which means rose and “déndron” which means tree. This genus is characterized by shrubs and small to (rarely) large trees. The smallest species grow up to 10–100 cm tall and the largest Rhododendron giganteum is reported to grow over 30 m tall. They are noted for their clusters of large flowers. The alpine species have small flowers and small leaves and tropical species grow as epiphytes. The colour of the rhododendron flower is available in nearly every colour of the rainbow including various shades of blue, yellow, pink white, red, orange and purple. Rhododendron flower from January through August, depending on the location and the climate.

Rhododendron belongs to family Ericaceae. The word “Rhododendron” is derived from the ancient Greek word “rhódon” which means rose and “déndron” which means tree. This genus is characterized by shrubs and small to (rarely) large trees. The smallest species grow up to 10–100 cm tall and the largest Rhododendron giganteum is reported to grow over 30 m tall. They are noted for their clusters of large flowers. The alpine species have small flowers and small leaves and tropical species grow as epiphytes. The colour of the rhododendron flower is available in nearly every colour of the rainbow including various shades of blue, yellow, pink white, red, orange and purple. Rhododendron flower from January through August, depending on the location and the climate.

Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja has been used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of various ailments such as cough and cold, insect bites, rheumatism as well as a repellent. The essential oil of wild rosemary with rich polyphenolic fraction which possesses analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, insecticidal, antidiabetic, antioxidant and anticancer properties (Dampc et al., 2013).

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION

Majority of Rhododendron species are native to the eastern Himalaya and southeast Tibet, Asia, North America, Europe and Australia along with the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea and the Philippines. The highest species diversity is found in the Himalayas from Uttarakhand, Nepal and Sikkim to Yunnan and Sichuan with other significant areas of diversity in the mountains of Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The rest are broadly spread throughout the northern hemisphere in relatively small isolated populations in Japan, northwestern North America, the Appalachian and the Caucasus Mountains. The tropical Rhododendron species range from south-east Asia to northern Australia with 55 known species in Borneo and 164 in New Guinea. Interestingly, the species in New Guinea are native to subalpine moist grasslands at around 3000 metres above sea level in the Central Highlands. Relatively fewer species occur in North America and Europe. The genus Rhododendron of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) has been enumerated a total of 87 species, 12 subspecies and 8 varieties and have been recorded in IIHR. Among these 6 species and one subspecies are reported from Western Himalaya. The maximum concentration of 86% was observed in Arunachal Pradesh (75 species). The species of Rhododendron exhibit significant diversity in habit and broad range of distribution from the altitude of 800-6000 m and the best range is observed in 3001-3500 m altitudes. An analysis revealed that 20 taxa are endemic, 30 are rare, 24 are endangered, 3 are vulnerable and 47 taxa have to be assessed (Sekar and Srivastava, 2010). More than 50 hardy species of Rhododendron have been introduced from the wilds of China, Tibet, Bhutan and Vietnam since 1981 (Cox, 2012). George Forrest collected more than 400 Rhododendrons in China in between 1904 to 1932 for introduction to the western world (Geng, 2010).

In urban areas, there are spaces along the roads which can be beautified by planting various groups of plants by proper planning. In addition to that, there are large traffic islands in metropolitan cites which are ideal for developing gardens. Even narrow central verge of the two way roads provide ample scope for plantation. These kinds of plantations sometimes in the form of gardens are very useful and fulfill dual purposes - beautification and amelioration of environment.

Roadside Gardens

Scope - Vacant areas along both sides of the metal roads in semi-urban and urban places are ideal for plantation. Depending upon the space available, trees and shrubs can be planted in various ways.

Rock gardens and pool are two most attractive features of the garden. These together can transform any part of the garden into a pleasing spot. Both are quite different from other common features and increase beauty of the gardens in manifold.

Rock Garden

The term rock garden refers beautification of a portion of the garden in combination with rocks and plants. Rock garden provides height and a rugged grandeur. A flat area can be converted into an elevated and graded one in combination with rocks and plants. This breaks monotony of the plain land and creates a feature of interest. The plants grow in the rock garden are different from others and add variety to the existing groups.

I. General information

1. Cacti plants suitable for rock garden are Opuntia, Cereus and Mamillaria
2. Succulents suitable for rock garden are Agave, Aloe, Euphorbia splendens, Sedum, Sempervivum, Stapelia, Yucca, Furcraea
3. Ferns suitable for rock garden are Drynaria, Nephrodium, Nephrolepis, Polypodium
4. Famous rock garden of India is located at Chandigarh
5. The founder of Rock garden in Chandigarh is Nek Chand
6. Annuals suitable for rock garden are

Micronutrients play an active role in the plant metabolic processes from cell wall development to respiration, photosynthesis, chlorophyll formation, enzyme activity, hormone synthesis, nitrogen fixation, etc. Micronutrient requirements of crops are relatively small. Use of chemical fertilizers with accompanied changes in soil management practices resulted in steady decrease in micronutrient content in soil. The future of agriculture depends on sustainable management of land, water, flora, fauna and the atmosphere. In order to produce 240 m tones of food grains by the end of twentieth century, removal of major nutrients from soil will be to the tune of 7 m tones N, 2.7 m tones P2O5 and 11.2 m tones K2O. Similarly, a good amount of secondary (Ca, Mg, S) and micronutrients would also be removed proportionately which should be compensated through application of well rotten FYM or micronutrient fertilizers in soil.

There has been increasing demand of plant based raw materials for manufacturing pharmaceuticals, flavours, fragrances, cosmetics & other related products. Among these, ginsenosides, taxol, artemisinin
etc. are some of the biomolecules used in making drugs with great demand in the market. Aromatic plants are an integral component of research and development in the pharmaceutical and aroma industry.
In India, the annual growth in this sector is around 15-20 percent. There are approximately 7500 plant species of medicinal value, including aromatic plants having significant scope for phyto-pharmaceuticals and cosmetic & perfumery industry. Because raw materials are still harvested from wild growing populations in the forests, introduction of these plants in agriculture is need of the hour for further research efforts to bring them into commercial cultivation as these plants also promise large benefits to farmers, if brought under cultivation. This can be achieved by screening germplasm from natural flora to select suitable genotypes for sustainable use in the prevalent cropping system.
Plant tissue culture technically known as micro-propagation and broadly defined as a collection of methods used to grow large number of plants in vitro (in an aseptic and closely controlled environment). This technique is effective because almost all plant cells are totipotent, meaning thereby that each cell possesses the genetic information and cellular machinery to generate an entire organism. Micro-propagation, therefore, can be used to produce large number of plants, which are genetically identical to parent plants as well as to one another (Raveen et al., 1999).

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Life cannot be sustained without adequate nourishment. Human beings need adequate food for growth, development and to lead an active and healthy life. Animals satisfy basic food requirement mainly through natural selection. But human beings have access to a wide range of foods to choose to make up their diet. Since all foods are not of same quality from nutritional point of view, man’s ability to meet his nutritional need and maintenance of good health depend upon type and quantity of foods he is able to include in his diet to satisfy hunger. Human beings need a wide range of nutrients to perform various functions in the body and to lead a healthy life. Several reports have shown that adequate intake of fruits and vegetables forms an important part of a healthy diet and low fruit and vegetable intake constitutes a risk factor for chronic diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and cataract formation. The nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. The foods containing these nutrients which we consume daily are classified as cereals, legumes, nuts and oil seeds, fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products and f lesh foods like fish, meat and poultry. Some foods provide only a single nutrient and some multiples. Scientific evidence indicates that frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables can prevent oesophageal, stomach, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers and that a diet high in fruits and vegetables could prevent 20% of most types of cancers. Reports indicate that increasing individual fruit and vegetable consumption by 600 g per day could reduce the global burden of stroke by 19% and decrease the risk of coronary heart diseases by 31% respectively. Realizing the food value of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends per capita use of 120g fruits and 280g vegetables per day.

Introduction

Fungicides are those chemical substances which helps to prevent or kill the growth of fungal spores. Fungicides play a vital role in floriculture, safeguarding ornamental plants from devastating fungal diseases. These diseases, such as leaf spots, blights, root rots and powdery mildew, can significantly diminish the aesthetic and economic value of flowers. Fungicides are indispensable in f loriculture, ensuring the health and beauty of flowers from seedlings to full bloom. They not only protect plants from debilitating diseases but also support the economic viability of flower production. By integrating fungicides with other management practices, floriculturists can achieve a balanced approach that maintains plant health, preserves environmental quality and promotes sustainable production practices. This balanced approach is crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of the floriculture industry. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices in floriculture often incorporate fungicides as part of a comprehensive strategy to control fungal diseases. Fungicides, available in various formulations like sprays, dusts and systemic treatments, function by either inhibiting fungal growth or eradicating the fungi entirely. Some fungicides are absorbed by plants, providing extended protection, whereas some fungicides offer immediate, albeit shorter-term relief.

Information is a basic resource essential for individual and organization in order to survive and succeed in society. Floriculture is a technology driven industry needing technological advancement. The new technologies that are being developed at various places the world over, needs to be disseminated through proper and quick linkage between the researchers and the beneficiaries i.e. the farmers. This demand can be met out by information technology. Information is data put into a meaningful and useful text. Today, information technology (IT) is a metaresource and computers are being used as a metatool and a metamedia.

COMPONENTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

An information technology architecture is an integrated framework for acquiring and evolving IT to achieve strategic goals. It has both logical and technical components. Logical components include mission, functional and information requirements, system configurations and information flows. Technical components include IT standards and rules that will be used to implement the logical architecture.

Input devices: The advent of touch screen monitors has made it possible to develop user-friendly interface for farmers. It is now possible to capture and store good quality graphics and video clips with digital cameras.

Output devices: Output devices like monitor screen, printers and plotters, data projectors support high resolution and good quality output.

Processors: The processing speeds of computers have improved a lot these days. At present, Intel P-IV based processors @ 3.3 Ghz are available in the PC range.

Storage devices: To store substantial information at local level. Capacity of 40 GB and higher are common in hard disk devices, besides floppy disk drives and CDs; all making it possible to transfer large amount of data to locations which cannot be connected to networks quickly.

Microbes play a crucial role in floriculture by enhancing plant health, growth and resilience. Beneficial microbes such as bacteria, fungi and mycorrhizae, form symbiotic relationships with plants, aiding in nutrient uptake and improving soil structure. These microorganisms decompose organic matter releasing essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are vital for flower development. They also produce growth-promoting substances such as hormones and enzymes, stimulating root and shoot growth. Moreover, certain microbes act as biological control agents, protecting plants from pathogens and pests by outcompeting harmful organisms or producing antimicrobial compounds. The use of microbial inoculants and biofertilizers in floriculture can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, promoting sustainable and eco-friendly practices. By fostering a healthy microbial community in the soil, floriculturists can enhance the aesthetic quality, color and longevity of flowers, contributing to the overall success and sustainability of the floriculture industry.Different microbes can be used for the floriculture has been discussed.

1. Introduction

Agriculture in India is livelihood for a majority of the population and can never be underestimated. Increasing population, increasing average income and globalisation effects in India will increase demand for quantity, quality and nutritious food, and variety of food. Therefore, pressure on decreasing available cultivable land to produce more quantity, variety and quality of food will keep on increasing. India’s food security depends on producing cereal crops, as well as increasing its production of fruits, vegetables and milk to meet the demands of a growing population with rising incomes. To reach world-wide food security, improved food production and food productivity, we need to approve innovative and futuristic advances and technologies to improve crop cultivation, yield and productivity.

National Horticulture Board

Commercial floriculture includes production of cut flowers, foliage plants, bedding plants and growing and forcing bulbs and corms of flowering plants for whole and retail sales. The floriculture industry has become highly specialized. Floriculture industry uses many devices to ensure steady supply of flowers and foliage plants irrespective of the season and minimum loss to industry, because of perishable nature of flowers.

Introduction

Ornamental plants, prized for their aesthetic appeal and vital role in horticulture and landscaping, enhance both private and public spaces with their beauty, contributing significantly to mental well-being and environmental health. These plants, encompassing a diverse array of species and varieties are cultivated not just for their visual splendour but also for their aromatic, structural and ecological benefits. The successful cultivation and maintenance of ornamental plants however require meticulous care and expertise, especially in managing their growth and development. This is where plant growth regulators (PGRs) become indispensable tools in ornamental horticulture Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are a class of naturally occurring and synthetic compounds that play a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth and development. These substances, even when applied in minute concentrations, can have profound effects on various physiological processes within plants, including cell division, elongation, differentiation, flowering, fruiting and senescence. The primary categories of PGRs include auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene and abscisic acid, each contributing uniquely to plant development and stress responses. Auxins, such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), are pivotal in cell elongation, apical dominance and root initiation, making them indispensable in rooting cuttings and maintaining plant structure. Cytokinins, including kinetin and benzyladenine, promote cell division and shoot formation, thus enhancing branching and delaying leaf senescence.

Any kind of garden established on roof top of the building is known as ‘Roof Garden’. The concept of roof gardening is not new. There are references that in ancient Mesopotamia (600 BC) plants were grown on terraces. During Roman period also ‘Villa of the Mysteries’ in Pompeii had plants on elevated terraces. However, in 21^st century, scarcity of land has driven us again towards development roof gardens.

With the advancement of time, necessity and utility, the concept of roof gardening has also completely changed. In urban environment, development of ornamental roof garden or green roof top is a necessity as it helps in temperature reduction, minimizing environmental pollution and, above all, a source of unlimited enjoyment with greens and flowers. Therefore, building architects are now include roof gardens while planning new building. The environmental issues and aesthetic benefits of the cities by way of developing roof gardens are the prime consideration.

A family of approximately 91 genera and 4,828 species which are cosmopolitan in distribution but particularly abundant in Eastern Asia, North America and Europe. About 25 genera and 230 species of Rosaceae have so far been reported from India. Some of the largely represented genera along with their common names and approximately reported species include Potentilla (Cinquefoil, 500), Prunus (peach, plum, almond, cherry, apricot, 430), Rosa (Rose, 250), Rubus (Raspberry, blackberry, 250), Alchemilla (250), Crataegus (Hawthorn, 200), Sorbus (Chokeberry, 250), Acaena (100) and Spirea (100). Named after the universally famous flowering plant, rose, the Rosaceae show great diversity in types of fruit (Fig. 48.1).
Roses, universally acclaimed as the ‘queen of flowers’, have played major role in human culture and artistry from ancient times. Among the ornamentals, roses occupy very important position both as garden plants and cut flowers for their beauty and fragrance. This unique position is attributed to great amount of variation in flowers and plant characteristics as well as their wide adaptability to varied agro-ecological conditions. Damask rose (R. damascena) and Edouard rose (R. bourboniana) are cultivated for extraction of essence, rose attar or rose oil, otto and other products, gulkand, gulab jal and pankhuri from petals. Rose oil has a significant place as an ingredient in pharmaceutical preparations viz., ointments, lotions, perfumes, creams and soaps and in food products including beverages, baked foods, puddings and frozen dairy desserts. Characteristics of damask rose oil as anti-HIV, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant have been established.

Rose the ‘Queen of flower ’is undoubtedly the world’s most favourite and popular romantic flower. It occupies a prestigious position in cut flower industry and as a garden plant. For thousands of years, the rose has been a symbol of love, adoration, innocence and all other virtues. Countries like England adopted rose as their national flower. In India, rose adorned the gardens of not only the rich and the famous, but also the ashramas of the saints. Rose cultivation initially developed with the distillation of rose for essential oil. Today the importance of rose is in its value as a cut flower. It is one of the most important commercial flowers throughout the world. Roses are also used for preparation of rose water and ‘Gulkhand’ 

Modern rose (Rosa x hybrida) belongs to family Rosaceae. Rose is derived from Greek word “Rhedon” means fragrance. From the ancient time its beauty and attractiveness drag the attention of breeders to create new colours and types. Present cut roses are complex hybrids developed through interspecific hybridization, polyploidy with male and female sterility and these heterozygous genotypes are propagated vegetatively. Rose occupies the first rank among the cut flowers in international market and in India it occupied first position in cut flower export trade.

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION

Roses have been in cultivation since the origins of civilization (Wylie, 1955). The evidence of rose cultivation is found about 5000 years ago in ancient civilization of China, western Asia and northern Africa (Shepherd, 1954). About 120 known wild species, all indigenous to temperate regions of northern hemisphere have been reported to be growing. Eleven species are reported to be growing wild in India. Among the rose species used for perfume extraction purpose Rosa alba originated perhaps in Crimea in Russia, R. borboniana originated in Isle of Reumon in 1817, R. centifolia is native to eastern Caucasus and is under cultivation since 1596. Original home of R. damascena is unknown and it was introduced to Europe from Damascus in Asia Minor during the sixteenth century. R. moschata is native to Middle East and Himalayas and is found at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 4700 meters extending from Europe. The Persian Musk, one of the forms of R. moschata is very common in India. It was introduced into England in 1599. Rosa gallica, known as French rose is native to central and southeast Europe and is in cultivation prior to 1542.

Significant information about roses in antiquity can be seen in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus (490-420 B.C.), the Greek philosopher Theophrastus (372-287 B.C.) and the Roman naturalist Pliny (23-79 A.D.).

Originally all roses grew wild. About 120 known wild species of roses, all indigenous to the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, have been reported. The species growing wild in India are Rosa brunonii (Himalayan Musk rose), R. eglanteria, R. gigantea (syn. R. odorata var. gigantean), R. involucrate (syn. R. clinophylla), R. leschenaultiana syn. R. sempervirens, R. longicuspis, R. macrophylla, R. moschata (Musk rose), R. rubiginosa (Sweet Briar, Eglantine rose), R. walpoleana, R. sericea (Ladakh rose). Till the nineteenth century only four species, R. gallica (Red rose), R. canina (Dog rose), R. moschata (Musk rose) and R. phoenicia (Phoenician rose) played a role in the development of cultivars grown at that time.

INTRODUCTION

The rose is one of the oldest flowers in cultivation and most popular of all garden flowers throughout the world. It is one of the nature’s beautiful creations and is universally known as the Queen of Flowers.

Th e cultivation of th is f lower h as developed with the distillation of rose as mentioned in Ayurveda by Charaka around 100 A.D. At present, it has become the most important commercial flower. A large quantity of rose flowers is used for decoration purpose. Beside, it has been growing for centuries for the extraction of its essence. The rose water is frequently used for flavouring sweets and other food articles as well as for sprinkling over guests on festive occasions. Hips of some rose species are rich in vitamin C while its petals are used for preparing Gulkand and Pankhuri.

Domestic demand for roses has two components; the demand for stemless roses supplied by field grown roses and demand for stemmed roses, mainly grown under protected conditions. In most parts of India, rose flowers throughout the year, in a succession of flushes of blooms, without having any true dormant period. Good quality blooms are produced in winter when local market demand is good. There is a growing demand of value added floral extracts in world market, hence there is great scope for commercial cultivation of rose for production of floral extracts.

The fragrance of rose is said to be the only fragrance that never tires the human olfactory system. Export of rose water started in 8^th century from Iran and later in 9^th century from India and China, mostly to Arabian countries. Rose cultivation was introduced as an industry in Turkey in 17^th century and later spread to other countries like Egypt, Morocco, France, China, India, etc. About 80% of rose flower are utilized for rose water, 10% for attar, 1 to 2% for pankhuri and remaining for manufacture of gul-rohan and gulkand. Rose oil is used primarily as a fragrance component in pharmaceutical preparations e.g. ointments and lotions and is extensively used as a fragrance ingredient in perfumes, creams and soaps. Food products in which they are used include beverages, frozen dairy desserts, sweets, baked foods, gelatins and puddings.

Rose is most popular of all garden plants and regarded as queen of the flowers. Various colours, forms, fragrance of the flowers are major attraction. Roses are generally grown as bedded plants but can successfully be grown in pots also. Therefore, those who do not have land for bedding purpose may grow them in pots. Every kind of garden has scope for growing roses in various forms. In home garden, growing roses is always preferred. A single bloom of rose creates a tremendous sensation and enjoyment to the house owner. Similarly, public parks, institutional, factory and temple gardens have equal scope for growing roses in beds. There are large numbers of cultivars available in the horticultural trade and one has to select them depending upon the garden type, climatic conditions and purpose of the garden.

Species and Cultivars

Rose (Rosa sp.) is a woody perennial belongs to the family Rosaceae. There are about more than 100 species having varied growth habit ranging from erect shrub to climbing and miniature. Similarly, flowers have different forms, size, colour and fragrance. Majority of the species are native to India while a smaller number is native to Europe, North America and northwest Africa. Species found in India are - Rosa clinophylla (R. involucrata), R. foetida, R. gigantea (R. odorata var. Gigantea), R. leschenaultiana, R. moschata, R.macrophylla etc.

For development of garden roses, following eight species had main contribution as parental species - Rosa chinensis, R. damascena, R. foetida, R. gallica, R. gigantea, R. moschata, R. multiflora and R. wichuraiana. Inter-species crosses between Chinese roses and European started the development of modern roses.

Abstract: Rose is a popular cut flower and flowering garden plant. Fragrance, wide colour range, plant forms and wide adaptability make it a versatile floriculture crop. The diagnostic traits of the different classes are described with reference to their potential commercial value. Increasing genetic information and trait heritability has been established for this crop and molecular genetic techniques are valuable tools aiding modern rose breeders, cultivars are almost exclusively asexually propagated. A gametophytic self incompatibility is found within this species. Numerous cultivars developed through hybridization and mutation techniques are discussed. Rose breeding efforts have been focused on miniature forms, floral fragrance, recurrent blooming, diverse colours, thornlessness, potential rootstocks, mutilple disease, pest resistance and winter hardiness. Transgenic research is highlighted. The journey of rose is endless and rose breeding may continue forever.

Keywords: Rose, intervarietal hybridization, mutation, inheritance, self incompatibility, rootstock, seed production, genetic transformation.

Introduction

The rose is one of the oldest flower in cultivation and rank 1^st position worldwide as cut flower. There are two types of roses; first stemless rose supplied by field grown roses for making garlands or extraction of rose oil or rose water. Second is stemmed rose, which is mainly grown under protected conditions for cut flower production used for making bouquets or interior decoration.

The cultivation of this flower has developed with the distillation of rose as mentioned in Ayurveda by Charaka around 100 A.D. At present, it has become the most important commercial flower. A large quantity of rose flowers is used for decoration purpose.

Rose (Rosa x hybrida L.) is the most beautiful creations of nature and is commonly known as queen of flowers. It occupies first position in the international trade. Rose is known for its beauty and is used in worship, bouquets, cut and loose flowers, preserves, garlands, decorations, landscaping, etc. It has gained wide acceptability due to varied growth habits, beautiful shape, dissimilarity in size and form, attractive colour, pleasant fragrance and abundant varieties. These can fulfill the requirement of climbers, trees, hedges shrubs, and edges in the landscape gardening. Commercial products of rose such as rose water, rose attar, gulroghan, gulkand, rose dry petals, rose oil, etc play a vital role in international and national market. Rose hips are one of the imperative sources of Vitamin C and are used for preparation of rose tea. With the ever-increasing demand of novel varieties in the world trade, a large number of varieties are being bred every year with many novel traits. Its share is around 51 per cent of the whole of European markets. In India, 29.41 thousand ha area, producing 301.95 thousand MT is under rose cultivation in the states of West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra (NHB database, 2017). Cultivation of rose such as Rosa damascena, R. bourboniana, R. centifolia is also done for essential oil extraction from rose petals.

Origin and Taxonomy

Rose belongs to the family Rosaceae. The genus is divided into four sub genera of which sub genus Rosa includes nearly all the species (Gudin, 2000). The sub genus Rosa is further divided into different sections of which the actual number is arguable. There are about 100 to 300 species in rose based on various reports. The rose genome is complex consisting of five haploid chromosome sets each made of seven chromosomes. (Nybom et al., 2005). The chromosome number of wild species varies from 2n = 2x=14 to 2n= 8x=56, with most of the species being diploid or tetraploid (Nybom et al, 2005). Rosa x hybrida L. is not a species in botanical terms, however, is a highly complex artificial species (Gudin, 2003) that may be used to describe the modern rose cultivars.

Rose is one of the most important and versatile flower crops, with a distinct role in both loose and stemmed flower production. Loose roses are harvested as fully open flowers for garlands, religious offerings, cosmetics and numerous value-added products. The chapter discusses the traditional importance of rose in India and its applications in rose water, gulkand, essential oil, concrete, absolute, incense and other products. It covers origin, distribution, genetics, botanical characteristics and commercially important varieties. Production practices include climate and soil requirements, propagation, planting, nutrient management, irrigation, pruning and pest and disease management. Harvesting, postharvest handling, yield and value-addition opportunities are also discussed.

This chapter introduces rose as the world's leading commercial cut flower, with high year-round demand and major importance in international floriculture. It examines origin, distribution, genetics, botanical characteristics and important greenhouse varieties. The chapter covers protected cultivation, temperature, humidity, light, carbon dioxide, irrigation, nutrition, pruning, disbudding, pest and disease management, harvesting, grading, storage and postharvest practices. Modern greenhouse technologies and precision production approaches for export-quality roses are also highlighted.

A family of about 611 genera and 13,150 species, Rubiaceae are chiefly distributed in tropics, but some are distributed in temperate or even arctic regions. About 75 genera and 275 species have been reported from India, chiefly in tropical and sub-tropical eastern Himalayas. Some of the largely represented genera with their approximately reported species (Hickey and King, 1988) include Psychotria (700), Galium (400), Ixora (400), Gardenia (250), Mussaenda (200), Asperula (200), Cephaelis (180), Rondeletia (120), Coprosoma (90), Guettarda (80), Rubia (60), Coffea (40) and Cinchona (40). Two most important plants of the family are Coffea arabica (coffee-yielding plant) and species of Cinchona (quinine-yielding plant).
Economic Importance of Selected Genera and Species
Some of the common ornamental plants grown in gardens and roadsides include Anthocephalus cadamba (Kadam), Cephalanthus occidentalis, Galium verum (Ladies Bedstraw), Gardenia jasminoides (Jasmine), Hamelia patens, Hamiltonia suaveolens (Padera), Ixora arborea, I. coccinia, Morinda tinctoria, M. frondosa, M. luteola, Pentas lanceolatea and Rondeletia.

For a researcher, laboratory is another home where he/she spends much time every day. As we take care of cleanliness, safety, and design of our home, we must take care on these aspects of laboratory too. It is the responsibility of the laboratory personnel to ensure cleanliness/safety of the laboratory. Since every laboratory chemical and equipment have the potential to cause harms if not used with appropriate precautions. Hence, as a laboratory user, it is our responsibility to follow the basic safety/biosafety rules and regulations set up by the Principal Investigator of the laboratory, Institutional Biosafety Committee, as well as by other regulatory authorities, if any. We must be aware of the general/personal protective measures, cleanliness and laboratory waste disposal prior to joining a research laboratory. In this chapter we will briefly discuss about personal safety, chemical safety, cleanliness, waste disposal, etc.

A. Personal Safety

1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is special arrangement to protect the worker from specific hazards because of using a hazardous substance. PPE does not reduce or eliminate the hazard, but protects the wearer from exposure to hazardous material. PPE should not be reused or brought outside the laboratory as these might increase the risk of spread hazardous material or contamination. Used PPE must be kept inside the laboratory in a designated waste storage area adjacent to the work area.

Salvia belongs to family Lamiaceae. The genus Salvia comprises about 900 species which are grown for their ornamental flowers since they make excellent and showy borders in gardens. One of the species most commonly grown is Salvia splendens is a tender herbaceous perennial, but grown in India as winter season annual flowering plant. It bears racemes of bright scarlet flowers of large size. It has ability to grow under partial shade condition. It is commonly grown as bedding plant due to varying colours mostly scarlet, purple, orange, lavender and yellow and long lasting flowers. The word salvia was derived from Latin word ‘Salvare’ meaning ‘to heal or to be safe and unharmed’ (Blumenthal et al., 2000 and Kamatou et al., 2008) later it was translated in French as “sauge” or “sage” and in old English “Sawge” (Kamatou et al., 2008).

Salvia belongs to family Lamiaceae. The genus Salvia comprises about 900 species which are grown for their ornamental flowers since they make excellent and showy borders in gardens. One of the species most commonly grown is Salvia splendens is a tender herbaceous perennial, but grown in India as winter season annual flowering plant. It bears racemes of bright scarlet flowers of large size. It has ability to grow under partial shade condition. It is commonly grown as bedding plant due to varying colours mostly scarlet, purple, orange, lavender and yellow and long lasting flowers. The word salvia was derived from Latin word ‘Salvare’ meaning ‘to heal or to be safe and unharmed’ (Blumenthal et al., 2000 and Kamatou et al., 2008) later it was translated in French as “sauge” or “sage” and in old English “Sawge” (Kamatou et al., 2008). Salvia has several ornamental, culinary and medicinal species (Codd, 1985, Paton, 1991, Gali-Muhtasib et al., 2000, Kamatou et al., 2008 and Bruna et al., 2006). It is also used in preservation of food, mainly meat and cheese, due to its antioxidant properties, as well a spice for flavouring food articles (Topuc, 2006). Chinese use its species to increase longivity and Roman use it in ceremonies as scared herb (Kamatou et al., 2008). The salvia species contain secondary metabolite the main are terpenoids and flavonoids and monoterpenes present in aerial parts of plant like flower and leaves and diterpenoids mostly in roots (Topuc, 2006).

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION

The centre of origin of salvia is considered to be Afghanistan and Soviet Central Asia as a large number of primitive morphological species are present but the most of the diversity or species are present in Mexico (Paton, 1991 and Kamatou et al., 2008). The genus is sub-cosmopolitantly distributed worldwide, but is absent in the North and most of the low-lying tropical areas of the world such as the Amazon basin and central and west Africa (Paton, 1991), Jager and Van Staden (2000) and Kamatou et al. (2008) reported its absence not only in western Africa but also in central tropical Africa, Hedge (1974) and Kamatou et al. (2008) reported that West and the southern parts of Africa has greatest number of species (Kamatou et al., 2008).

The genus Salvia contains at least 900 species, because they readily cross pollinate, innumerable hybrids - both natural and manmade. Salvias are found on almost every continent in the world. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, wrote about their healing qualities back in the first century. In the early 17^th century, the English botanist John Gerard, in his famous Herbal, described a number of sages, including common garden sage and one that sounds similar to what we now call ‘Tricolor’ sage. He referred to the healing powers of these herbs as well. Until the 19^th century, most gardeners focused on growing plants for medicinal or culinary purposes; beauty was a secondary, much less important consideration.

The results of plant exploration in the 18^th and 19^th centuries brought scores of new salvias to English and European gardeners from Mexico, China and Africa. One, Salvia buchananii, was found in Mexico by an English woman, who gave it to a man serving in the army. Salvia coccinea, indigenous to Mexico and South America, was grown for decades as a wildflower. Both scarlet sage and mealy cup sage were discovered in the early 1800’s, the former in Brazil, the latter in Texas.

Abstract: Ornamental salvia, native to Brazil is cultivated as bedding plant in the world. Many species have horticultural, commercial and medicinal values. Continued breeding and improvement of salvia is focused on disease resistance, new flower colours, seed oil content and abiotic stress tolerance. Interspecific hybridization is hampered by genomic differences, heterostyly, self incompatibility and low seed set. Breeders have created polyploid cultivars and mutants which have high ornamental value. Continued use of these and other modern techniques will ensure creation of new phenotypes for the market.

Keywords: Salvia, polyploidization, male sterility, inheritance, seed production.

In the backdrop of a predominantly agrarian economy, India has made tremendous advances in modern agriculture to meet both the food and nutritional security. In recent years, horticulture has assumed great importance mainly to augment nutritional security and secondarily as a highly cost-effective, remunerative and eco-friendly enterprise having vast export potential. To meet the challenges of research and development, tracer techniques have added the much needed fillip as they can be ingeniously applied to resolve issues which are not ordinarily possible using conventional techniques.

Heifers are future cows of the herd. Production and reproduction performance of cows depends on the care and management during calf and heifer stage. Rearing period of heifers can be divided into two stages, viz. from weaning to first service and service to calving.

Care of calf before birth

During the last 2-3 months of gestation the fetus grows rapidly. Calf draws a significant quantity of nutrients from the mothers system. It has to be replenished by additional feeding of the cow. A cow should be fed well-balanced ration for maintenance.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

India is the seventh largest country in the world in total geographical area and has second largest population next to China. Around 55 to 60 per cent of its population depend on agriculture and allied activities. Horticultural crops constitute a significant component of total agricultural production in the country. They require very intensive care in planting, carrying out different cultural operations, manipulating growth, harvesting, packing, transportation, marketing, storage and processing.

1.2 AGRICULTURE

The term agriculture broadly refers to the technology of raising plants and animals. Agriculture is the science, art or practice of cultivating soil, producing crops and raising livestock in varying degree of proportion followed by marketing. In other words, it is the activity of man to produce three basic needs of human being, i.e., food, fuel and fibre (3F) by using terrestrial resources optimally. The term agriculture is derived from two Latin words ager meaning field or land and cultura meaning cultivation or growing.

Introduction

Organic farming in floriculture represents a transformative shift towards sustainable and environmentally responsible agricultural practices, responding to the increasing demand for eco-friendly products worldwide. As awareness of the detrimental impacts of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and monoculture farming grows, consumers and producers alike are increasingly embracing organic methods. This transition is not merely a trend but a necessary evolution towards preserving ecological balance, promoting biodiversity and ensuring the long-term health of both human populations and the planet.The organic farming in floriculture is expansive, encompassing a holistic approach that integrates ecological principles into every aspect of f lower cultivation. Organic floriculture avoids synthetic chemicals, opting instead for natural alternatives that foster healthy soil, robust plant growth and resilient ecosystems. Key practices included in organic farming are crop rotation, green manuring, composting and biological pest control, all of which contribute to maintaining soil fertility and preventing pest outbreaks without harming the environment. These practices help create a self-sustaining system where natural processes regulate plant health, reducing the need for external inputs and enhancing the resilience of the agro-ecosystem.

1. Introduction

Gloriosa superba L. (Liliaceae) is a striking tuberous climbing plant with brilliant wavy-edged yellow and red petaled flowers. Glory lilies are grown commercially for a chemical compound, colchicine. The annual foreign exchange through the export of glory lily seeds is estimated to be Rs.100 crores (Alice and Sundravadana, 2012). It is used as anthemirtic, alexiteric and useful in ulcers, piles, abdominal pains and itching. It has abortifacient, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-leprotic properties (Gupta et al., 2005). Leaf blight disease was first noticed in  G.. Superba in West Bengal, India in 2004. The leaf blight disease was observed during June to September. Early symptoms appeared as small, circular to oval, light brownish spots, 2-6 per leaf, scattered at the tip, margin and midrib of the leaves. Subsequently the spots enlarged and usually developed into concentric rings. At an advanced stage, the spots became dark brown to blackish in colour, gradually coalesced and became irregular in shape, then the affected leaf blighted completely. The causal organism was found to be a fungus namely Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler. The pathogen is greatly influenced by weather with the highest disease incidence reported in wet seasons and in areas with relatively high rainfall (Meena et al., 2010). The growth of A. alternata was maximum in pH range of 6-6.5 and temperature range of 25-30°C (Hubballi et al., 2010).

1. Introduction

Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds found in plants, which act as a resistance system for host plants and protect them from biotic and abiotic stresses. Phytochemicals act as antioxidants, which react with the free radicals present in the cell. Free radicals are formed in the cell as a result of aerobic metabolism and these radicals are biologically active that damages the macromolecules like DNA, proteins and lipids resulting in oxidizing chain reactions (Moussa et al., 2011). Oxidative stress damage leads to various disorders like autoimmune disorders, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, cataract, aging, cardiovascular diseases and other neurodegenerative disorders (Uttara et al., 2009). The major actions of antioxidant in the cells are to protect them against the damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Medicinal plants are good sources of antioxidants such as vitamin E, ascorbic acid and carotenoids. There are huge numbers of medicinal plants that are veiled in the environment. In ancient times, different plant species have been used for the treatment of human ailments from fever to cancer (Devendrakumar et al., 2009).

Represented by about 65 genera and 1,730 species, Scrophulariaceae are cosmopolitan in their distribution. About 60 genera and 360 species have been reported from India, chiefly from the Himalayas. Some of the genera along with their approximately reported species from world over are Pedicularis (500), Calceolaria (300-400), Scrophularia (300), Verbascum (300), Veronica (300), Penstemon (280, Linaria (150), Castilleja (150), Selago (150), Sutera (130), Mimulus (100), Antirrhinum (40) and Digitalis (20). The common names of the family (snapdragons, foxglove or figwort family) are because of its genera Antirrhinum (snapdragons), Digitalis (foxglove) and Scrophularia (figwort).
Selected Indian Genera
Antirrhinum, Digitalis, Linaria, Lindenbergia, Mazus, Verbascum, Veronica.
Economic Importance
1. Ornamental plants: Include Angelonia angustifolia, Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon), Calceolaria scabiosaefolia (slipperwort), Castilleja (Indian paintbrush), Chelone glabra (turtlehead), Collinsia grandiflora, Digitalis purpurea (foxglove), Linaria vulgaris (toadflax), Mimulus luteus (monkey flower), Nemesia versicolor (Nemesia), Paulownia tomentosa, Pedicularis canadensis (housewort), Russelia juncea (coral blow), Torenia asiatica and Veronica bungifolia (speedwell).

Seabuckthorn or Siberian pineapple or Leh Berry is an emerging new horticultural crop of temperate region in the world. In India, its importance was realized in 1992 when the author found its wild abundance in cold desert of Leh /Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir State and named it as Leh Berry. Perhaps Chinese were the first to use this plant as medicine even before 8th century. In traditional Chinese medicines, seabuckthorn products are used as health drinks, for cardiovascular and digestive diseases and ailments related to lungs and skin. Chinese Olympic athletes were served seabuckthorn based health drinks to improve their physical performance and endurance. Seabuckthorn figures in folklore medicines of China, Mongolia, Tibet, India ,Russia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ancient Greeks were taken by surprise before 12th century to find their horses, strong and energetic again with a shine on their hair, which were let loose to die a natural death. These horses used seabuckthorn wild growth as their fodder.

Seasonals or annual flowers refers to the group of herbaceous plants which complete their life-cycle i.e. both vegetative and reproductive phase within one year or one season. They are most popular among garden lovers and amateurs as they are easy to culture and moreover they also provide a beautiful and instant display of colours in the garden. Seasonals are mostly preferred for growing in pots, beds, borders, window boxes, hanging baskets or as cut flower for interior decoration. They enhance the aesthetic value of a place within a short span of time and create the instant landscape. Seasonals are generally grown in beds either individually with or without perennial plants in borders. They are also grown for cut flowers for interior decoration or for loose flower purpose. Some of the seasonals are valued for their naturally dried flowers like straw flower, paper flower etc. Some of annuals the annuals also provide sweet fragrance to the garden.

Fruits and vegetables are important supplement to the nutritional requirements in the human diet as they provide the essential minerals, vitamins, flavonoids/ antioxidants and dietary fiber required for maintaining health. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. During 2012-13, fruits and vegetables have registered a production of about 77.7 million MT and 159.5 million MT respectively (NHB, 2013. However, increase in production has not matched with the improvement in infrastructure for post-harvest management and processing. Fruits and vegetables are highly susceptible to deterioration owing to their high moisture content and delicate nature. Besides, most of the fruits and vegetables are seasonal in nature leading to glut in the local market during peak season resulting in huge economic losses to the growers. According to an estimate, 6-18% of fruits and vegetables are lost in the supply chain right from harvest to consumption due to lack of infrastructure for postharvest management, processing and value addition (Nanda et al., 2012).

21.1. Aim

To familiarize the students with the machineries and equipments used in fruit and vegetable processing.

21.2. Theory

The students will visit the processing unit/pilot plant and familiarize with different machineries and equipment used in fruit processing units. The students will observe the layout and the details of the machinery for different unit operations viz; raw material receiving, washing, sorting/grading, peeling, slicing, pulping, heating, filling, exhausting, sealing, sterilization/processing, labelling and storage for different products. The list of the machineries and equipments and important chemicals used in fruit preservation is as under:

21.3. Apparatus/machineries/equipments used in food industries

21.3.1. Basic equipment/ accessories

1.1. Terms and definitions

1.1.1. Landscape gardening

• Branch of floriculture deals with the study of ornamental gardening or garden features.
• Bringing an area or piece of land into a garden using naturally existing features like undulations, terraces and plain surface to have more naturalistic effect than artificial.

1.1.2. Ornamental gardening

• Place for growing plants which are consciously directed for ornamental or practical use.

1.1. Origin and distribution

• Also known as balsam pear or bitter cucumber.
• Old world origin and native of tropical Asia, particularly in Indo Burma region
• Widely grown in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and tropical Africa
• In India, it is cultivated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

1.2. Economic importance

• Bitter gourd contains bitter principle (Glucoside) momordicin.
• Important vegetable in South Indian states, particularly in Kerala and grown for immature tuberculate fruits a unique bitter taste
• Fruits are
  • Rich source of vitamins and minerals

1.1. Origin and distribution

• Originated from wild non heading type, Cliff cabbage or Cole wort (Brassica oleracea var. sylvestris).
• Native to Mediterranean region.
• Three cultivated forms
  • Brassica oleracea var capitata f. alba- White cabbage
  • Brassica oleracea var capitata f. rubra- Red cabbage
  • Brassica oleracea var capitata f. sabauda- Savoy cabbage
• Major cabbage producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

1.2. Economic importance

• Contains all essential amino acids, particularly sulphur containing amino acids.
• Red cabbage is rich source of anthocyanin.

1.1. Origin and distribution

• Originated in Asia namely North West India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Western Tien Shan
• According to Vavilov (1951), it was originated in Pakistan.
• Jones and Mann (1963) stated that areas comprising Pakistan, Iran and mountain areas to the North India are primary centres of origin
• India is the second largest producer in the world, next to China and ranks third in export of onions, next to Netherlands and Spain.
• Maharashtra is the leading onion producing state in India, followed by Karnataka and Gujarat.
• Grown in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Bihar

1.2. Onion types in India

• Common onion (Allium cepa var. cepa) - Large bulbs born singly and propagated through seeds. Used as salad or in curries.
• Multiplier onion or potato onion (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) -Producing small bulbs, borne in clusters and generally propagated through small bulbs. Used for seasoning curries.

1.1. Origin and distribution

• Centre of origin is Peru, Bolivia, and South America in the Central Andean region.
• Introduced into India in early 17^th Century
• In India, cultivation of potato began first in Nilgiris in 1822.
• Mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Karnataka, Assam and Madhya Pradesh.
• Commercial potato species - Solanum andigenum - not very common. Plants are thin and long stem, small and narrow leaflets. Flowers more profuse, long stolons and mostly coloured deep eyed tubers.
• Solanum tuberosum: More common, plants shorter and thicker stem,

1.1. Origin and distribution

• Centre of origin is Central Asia, the Near East, Ethiopia and the Mediterranean
• There are two sub-species
  • Pisum sativum sub. sp hortense, the garden pea
  • Pisum sativum sub. sp arvense, the field pea