eChapters

38.1. Aim

To prepare nectar from different fruit pulp/juice.

38.2. Theory

Fruit nectar is also a RTS drink but it contains not less than 150Brix TSS and not less than 20% fruit juice or pulp. It is preserved only by heat processing as such no preservative is allowed in fruit nectars. Mango nectar, guava nectar etc. are the commercial products in this category.

38.3. Raw material, ingredients and utensils required

1. Mango, guava, and pineapple nectars are commercially available in the market. However the nectar can also be prepared from a number of other fruits like jamun, aonla, apricot, papaya, plum and bael etc.

39.1. Aim

To prepare Jam from different fruits.

39.2. Theory

Jam is prepared by boiling the fruit pulp with a sufficient quantity of sugar to a thick consistency, firm enough to hold fruit tissues in position. For preparation of jam not less than 45 parts of fruits are used for every 55 parts of sugar. According to FSSAI specifications, minimum quantity of soluble solids in the prepared jam shall not be less than 65% (w/w). The jam prepared by using two or more fruit pulps, is called as mixed fruit jam. Approved fruit colour and flavour can also be added into the jam when declared on the label.

39.3. Raw material, ingredients and utensils required

1. Fruits like Apple, apricot, mango, plum, peach, guava, pineapple, pear and kiwifruit etc either singly or in combination (mixed jam).

40.1. Aim

To prepare jelly from guava fruits.

40.2. Theory

Jelly is prepared by boiling the fruit with or without addition of water, straining the extract and cooking the clear extract with sugar to a stage at which it will set to a clear gel. The jelly should be transparent, well set, but not too stiff and having original flavour of the fruit. It should be attractive in colour and should keep its shape. In the preparation of jellies, pectin is the most essential constituent. As per FSSAI specifications, the quantity of fruit and soluble solids in the final product shall not be less than 45 and 65 percent (w/w) respectively. Guava jelly is the commercial product available in the market however jelly can be prepared from sour apple, karonda, jamun, loquat etc.

41.1. Aim

To prepare marmalade from citrus fruits.

41.2. Theory

Marmalade is a fruit jelly in which the slices/shreds of peel are suspended. The marmalades are prepared generally from citrus fruits like orange and lemon. The pectin and acid contents of the marmalades are kept slightly higher than that for jellies. They shall contain minimum of 45% fruit and 65% total soluble solids.

41.3. Raw material, ingredients, machinery required

1. Orange and lemon like citrus fruits are used for making marmalade.

2. Stainless steel knives, utensils for cooking and mixing, muslin cloth, glass jars, sterilization tank, gas bhatti etc.

42.1. Aim

To conduct practical on preparation of chutney from different fruits.

42.2. Theory

Fruit chutney is made in the same way as jam except that the spices, salt and vinegar or acetic acid is also added. In comparison to jam, chutney contains less total soluble solids. The product shall be of good quality with palatable and appetizing taste. As per FSSAI specifications, the chutney shall contain minimum of 40% fruit (w/w) in the final product with total soluble solids not less than 50%. The acidity in the final product shall not be more than 2 percent with ash content not exceeding 5 percent. Mixed fruit chutney is commercially made by using different fruits in appropriate combinations.

42.3. Raw material, ingredients, equipments and utensils required

1. Stainless steel peeling/cutting knives, pulper for extraction of pulp.

2. Utensils for cooking and mixing, ladle, glass jars, sterilization tank, diesel or LPG stove/bhatti etc

43.1. Aim

To conduct practical on preparation of preserve and candies from fruits.

43.2. Theory

Preserves (murraba) are made by cooking the entire fruit or its slices/pieces in sugar syrup of higher concentration (65-70°Brix). Usually for 1 kg fruit around 1.75 kg sugar is used and the cooking is continued till the TSS reaches 68%. Fruits like aonla, bael, apple, pear, karonda, pineapple and papaya etc can be used for making preserves. Aonla, bael and apple preserves are commercially available in the market.

Candies are also prepared in similar way as preserve, but the TSS maintained is slightly higher (75-80%). In preserve, the fruit is kept immersed in syrup and packed while in case of candies, the syrup is drained off and fruit pieces are further dried and packed. For candy preparation, the fruit pieces are dipped initially in 55-60% sugar solution and the TSS of the syrup is increased by 5% everyday up to 4-5 days till a TSS of 70oBrix is reached. The fruit pieces are then separated from syrup, rolled in powdered sugar, dried and packed. Karonda, apple, peels of orange, lemon, grapefruit, petha (Ash gourd) and ginger etc are used for candy preparation. Petha, ginger, papaya, aonla etc candies are commercially available in the market.

44.1. Aim

To conduct practical on processing of tea and coffee.

44.2. Theory

Tea is an evergreen woody perennial grown in many Asian countries including China, Japan, Java, Sumatra and India. The plant produces dark green, small shiny leaves with white blossom. In post harvest and manufacturing practices for tea, only mechanical and physical processes are allowed with natural fermentation. It can be manufactured by orthodox, CTC (crush, tear and curl) processing.

Coffee is an important beverage used all over the world. Brazil and Columbia are the largest coffee producers in the world. Coffee is harvested in one of two ways; strip picking (entire crop is harvested at one time either by machine or by hand); selective picking (only the ripe berries are picked individually by hand) during dry season when cherries are bright red, glossy and firm. After picking, the coffee can be prepared either by dry method which produces natural coffee or by wet method which produces washed coffee.

45.1. Aim

To conduct practical on preparation of sauce from different fruits.

45.2. Theory

Sauces are of thinner consistency as compared to ketchups and contain TSS not less than 15oBrix. Pumpkin, tomato, apple, papaya and plum pulps etc are used successfully for preparation of sauces. Mixed vegetable sauce using pumpkin, tomato, chillies, carrots are sold as continental sauces.

45.3. Raw material, ingredients and utensils required

1. Fruits like Apple, tomato, papaya, pumpkin, plum etc are used for making sauce.

2. Stainless steel knives, de-corers, ladle and utensils for cooking and mixing, glass bottles, sterilization tank, Bhatti/LPG stove etc.

46.1. Aim: To prepare pickle from different fruits.

46.2. Theory

The preservation of food in common salt (NaCl) or in vinegar or edible oil with the addition of spices and condiments is known as pickling. It is one of the most ancient /oldest methods for preservation of fruits and vegetables. Salt, vinegar, edible oil or lactic acid act as preservative in pickle making. Several kinds of pickles are sold in the Indian market. Mango pickle ranks first followed by lime, lemon, mushroom, galgal, aonla, jackfruit and karonda pickles.

Brining: For pickling, unripe fruits (like mango) after preparation (peeling, slicing) are mixed with salt or brine for its later use in pickle preparation

47.1. Aim

To conduct practical on preparation of pickle from different vegetables.

47.2. Theory

Pickles are good appetizers and add to the palatability of a meal. Pickles may be unfermented (mostly Indian pickles) and fermented (western pickles). Salt, vinegar, edible oil or acetic acid acts as preservative in pickle making. Mixed vegetable pickle from cauliflower, carrot and turnip is most common. Cucumber and olive pickles are examples of fermented pickles. The process of steeping vegetables/fruits in salt solution is also a common method used for preservation of mango and vegetable slices for longer duration storage for its later use in pickling.

48.1. Aim

To conduct practical on drying of fruits

48.2. Theory

Drying generally refers to the method of removal of moisture from the food under natural condition such as sunlight and wind for example open sun drying, shade drying etc. Dehydration refers to a process of removal of moisture by application of artificial heat under controlled conditions of temperatures humidity and air flow. It also represents drying of agricultural commodity to dry state. For drying, single thin layer of fruit and vegetables, either whole or sliced after primary pre-treatments is spread on the trays which are then placed inside the dehydrator or in the open sun for drying. In the dehydrator initial temperature is generally kept at 43oC which is then gradually increased to 66-71oC for fruits.

49.1. Aim

To perform practical on drying/dehydration of different vegetables.

49.2. Theory

Drying refers to the method of removal of moisture content from the food to a level at which the activities of food spoilage and food poisoning micro-organism are inhibited. Therefore, reduction in water activity of the food is the main principal of preservation by drying. In the dehydrator initial temperature is generally kept at 43oC which is then gradually increased to 60-66oC for vegetables. The product shall be prepared from wholesome vegetables free from blight, insect infestation and fungal discoloration. Only edible portion of the vegetables shall be used and it shall be free from stalks, peels, stems, and extraneous matter. The dried/dehydrated vegetable may contain permitted preservative. The finished product shall be of good edible quality and shall reasonably reconstitute to its original shape and quality on boiling for 15 minutes to an hour. The finished product shall be free from visible mould, insect or larvae. Kind of dry vegetable shall be declared on the label. Acid insoluble ash shall not be more than 0.5%.

50.1. Aim

To prepare products from tomato fruits.

50.2. Theory

Commercial products from tomatoes include juice, puree and paste. Processing of tomato is now practiced from home scale level to a large scale enterprise. As a semi finished product, tomato puree is prepared on a small scale while at large scale tomato paste has gained commercial significance. Both puree and paste are used for preparation of different finished products like ketchup, juice, soup etc. The method for preparation of these products are well standardized, however, some modification with respect to recipes are made in the processing plants owing to variation in the quality of the raw material. The method for preparation and recipe of different tomato products are as under:

50.3. Raw material, ingredients and utensils required

1. Tomatoes.

2. Stainless steel knives, utensils, juicer, pulper, glass bottles, corking machine, crown corks, muslin cloth, boiler/gas bhatti, etc.

51.1. Aim

To prepare products from tomato fruits.

51.2. Theory

Commercial products from tomatoes include ketchup, soup, cocktail, chutney, canned and dehydrated tomatoes. Processing of tomato is now practiced from home scale level to a large scale enterprise. Both puree and paste are used for preparation of different finished products like ketchup, canned and dehydrated products, soup etc. The method for preparation of these products are well standardized, however, some modification with respect to recipes are made in the processing plants owing to variation in the quality of the raw material. The method for preparation and recipe of different tomato products are as under:

51.3. Raw material, ingredients and utensils required

1. Tomatoes, sugar, salt, sodium benzoate etc.

2. Stainless steel knives, utensils, juicer, pulper, glass bottles, corking machine, crown corks, muslin cloth, boiler/gas bhatti, etc.

52.1. Aim

To conduct practical on freezing of fruits.

52.2. Theory

Freezing is a method of preservation in which the food temperature is reduced below freezing point and a proportion of water changes in to ice-crystals. Immobilization of water to ice and the resulting concentration of dissolved solutes in unfrozen water cause lowering of water activity in the food. Thus, reduction in water activity and use of low temperature coupled with some pre-treatments is the basis for food preservation by freezing. The method for freezing of fruits depends upon the intended use. The process variables for freezing of different fruits and flow chart are shown in Table 52.1 and Fig 52.1. Generally fruits after preliminary treatments are packed in sugar syrup and frozen in freezer. The fruits are frozen to an internal temperature of -18oC or lower and kept at 18oC or lower throughout transport and storage.

53.1. Aim

To conduct practical on freezing of vegetables

53.2. Theory

Freezing is often considered the simplest and most natural way of preservation for vegetables. Frozen vegetables and potatoes form a significant proportion of the market in terms of frozen food consumption. The quality of frozen vegetables depends on the quality of fresh products, since freezing does not improve product quality. Pre-process handling, from the time vegetables are picked until ready to eat, is the important factor affecting quality of finished product. The process variables for freezing of different vegetables and flow chart are shown in Table 54.1 and Fig 54.1. Generally fruits after preliminary treatments are packed in sugar syrup and frozen in freezer.

54.1. Aim

To determine crude fibre in given samples.

54.2. Theory

Fibres can be classified into four categories like crude fibre (cellulose); acid detergent fibre (cellulose + lignin); neutral detergent fibre (cellulose + lignin + hemicelluloses) and total dietary fibre (Cellulose + lignin + hemicelluloses + pectic substances). Crude fibre is the organic residue of a sample. A fat free sample is treated with boiling sulphuric acid and subsequently with sodium hydroxide. The residue after subtraction of ash is regarded as crude fibre.

54.3. Reagents/ Apparatus/Glassware

1. 0.255 N Sulphuric acid solution

2. 0.313 N Sodium hydroxide solution

3. 10% Potassium sulphate solution

4. Ethanol

55.1. Aim

To determine dietary fibres in given samples.

55.2. Theory

Fibres can be classified into four categories like crude fibre (cellulose); acid detergent fibre (cellulose + lignin); neutral detergent fibre (cellulose + lignin + hemicelluloses) and total dietary fibre.

55.3. Procedure for estimation of dietary fibre

55.3.1. Acid detergent fibre (ADF)

Reagents: Cetyl tri-methyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) reagent and Acetone

Apparatus: Digestion apparatus vacuum pump, oven, desiccator and sintered glass crucible.

56.1. Aim

To determine quality characteristics of dried and dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

56.2. Theory

The quality of dried/dehydrated products can be measured by estimating moisture contents, preservatives level, acid insoluble ash contents and most importantly enzyme reactions.

56.3. Estimation of Acid insoluble ash

1. To total ash add 25 ml of dilute HCl (10% w/w)

2. Cover with a watch glass and boil gently over a low flame for 5 minutes

3. Filter and wash the filter paper thoroughly with hot water

4. Return the paper to the original dish, ignite, cool and weigh the insoluble ash

Floriculture is the aesthetic branch of horticulture that deals with the cultivation of ornamentals, annuals, biennials and perennial plants as well as with their marketing. Flowers symbolize beauty, purity, peace and love. In India, it is a dynamic and expanding industry showing an impressive annual growth rate.

Scooping: It involves `Removing’ of basal plate and destroying the `Central Shoot’ of the bulb, thus encouraging the formation of bulblets round the cut edges of the scale leaves. Scooping is achieved by using a special knife or a spoon with a `Sharpened edge’ to leave a `Concave depression’ at the base of bulb. The depth of the cut is important, because the bulblets are formed on `cell tissues’ at the lowest point of the `scale leaves’.

Lotus

(Nelumbo nucifera)

Family: Nymphaeaceae/Nelumbonaceae

Origin: Southern Asia

Flower colour: White to deep pink

Plant part used: Flower (almost all parts)

Basic chromosome number: X=8

Somatic chromosome number: 2n =16

1. Carnation is a

 a) Short day plant           b) Day neutral plant

 c) Long day plant            d) None of these

2. Lotus in Sanskrit is known as

 a) Water lily       b) Padma

 c) Kamala           d) Pankaja

Plant name         Cultivars

Amaranthus        NBRI, Lucknow: Amar Kiran, Amar Mosaic, Amar Parvarti, Amar

Tricolor                Prithu, Amar Raktabhy, Amar Suikiran, Amar Summer King, Amar

                            Summer Queen, Amar Tarang

• Harmony is the principle of landscaping.

• Texture is an important element of landscaping.

• Blue is a primary colour.

• Green in a secondary colour.

• Garden furniture is a tangible item.

Annuals are the group of plants that complete their life cycle in one season or in one year during which they grow, flower and produce seed; and after this they wither out. A true annual (like zinnia) is a plant that will grow from seeds, flower, produce seeds and die in one season. Zinnias provide a succession of flowers for summer colour in any sunny location with good soil drainage.

The word ‘horticulture’ was first conceived by Peter Laurinburg. In an English language, the word horticulture used for the first time in 1678 in a book entitled “New World of Words” by Phillips. The term HORTICULTURE is resultant of two Latin words i.e. HORTUS meaning GARDEN and CULTURA meaning CULTIVATION.

The Latin term ‘Garden’ meaning to enclose. In past, the garden had protection with with walls or other similar structures. Such protected places were used to grow fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants. When fruits are grown in a definite area, that area is called as an ‘orchard’. Thus, horticulture refers to cultivation of garden plants in protected enclosures. It is an aesthetic science deals with the garden crops. Such as growing of vegetable crops in vegetable gardens; fruit crops in fruit gardens. The most distinguished character between horticulture and agriculture is that horticulture deals with small scale gardening and usually in enclosed gardens although this is not a necessity, while agriculture is done on large scale with extensive crop cultivation.

Horticulture is of immense importance for human beings. Among these major ones are nutritional importance, economic importance, medicinal values, environmental balance, aesthetic value and recreation. These are as follows.

1. Nutritional importance: Healthy body maintains a healthy mind. Human body requires vitamins, minerals, proteins, energy, fibers, etc. for its health. Fruits and vegetables are the chief sources of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, organic acids, fibers, etc. Consumption of fruits and vegetables keeps the human body away from several illnessess and hence are recognized as protective foods; necessary for the maintenance of human health. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research; consumption of at least 120 g of fruits and 280-300 g of vegetables per day per capita is essential. Among vegetables, 80-100 g of leafy vegetables, 100-125 g of tubers as energy source and reamaining as other vegetables. However, the consumption of fruits per capita in India is still low. In countries like Italy, France and USA; the daily fruit consumption is 308, 232 and 223 g respectively. 

Healthy body maintains a healthy mind. Fruits and vegetables are said to be protective food as they provide proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, roughages, organic acids, enzymes and energy for normal growth and sustenance of physiological activities of human beings. Fruits and vegetables provide palatability, taste and improve appetite. It also provides fiber to prevent constipation. They reduce the ill-effect of acids produced during digestion of proteins and fatty acids. Thus, they protect the human body from various deficiency disorders.

Important fact is that most of the Indians are vegetarians. The incorporation of fruits and vegetables in daily diet is essential as body building elements and calorie yielding foods for good health. Comparatively fruits and vegetables are the cheapest source of natural nutritive foods and are an important component of a balanced diet Balanced diet is a diet which contains body building elements and calorie yielding foods in an appropriate proportion for normal growth and well-being of a person. According to ICMR, New Delhi; 120 g fruits and 280-300 g vegetables should be consumed per day per capita. Vegetables include 80-100 g of leafy vegetables, 100-125 g of tubers as energy source and remaining as other vegetables.

India is the seventh largest country in the world with a total geographical area of 328.73 million ha and has second largest population after China. The gross cropped area is 198.36 million hectares of which 70% is under rainfed cultivation. Around 55 to 60 per cent of the total population depends on agriculture and allied activities.

One of the important features of India prevalence is varied agro-climatic conditions; which enables to strengthen the horticulture industry. Many numbers of horticultural crops namely fruits, vegetables, ornamental and flower crops, spices and condiments, plantation crops, aromatic and medicinal plants, etc. are grown in almost all the parts of country. Thus, horticulture sector has become one of the major drivers of growth in agriculture having major share in agriculture GDP.

Horticulture includes variety and diversity of crops. Thus, it can be divided into several branches depending upon the crops it deals with. Following are the branches of horticulture.

1. Pomology: The term pomology is a combination of two Latin words pome i.e. fruit and logos i.e. science. Recently it has been designated as ‘Fruit Science’. It deals with the study of fruit crops. It includes all aspects of fruit crops e.g. importance, uses, origin and distribution, area and production, soil and climate requirement, botany, nursery raising, cultivation practices, plant protection measures, stage and methods of harvesting, post-harvest handling, marketing, export, import, etc. e.g. mango, banana, citrus, grape, apple, peach, pomegranate, fig, etc.
2. Olericulture: The term olericulture is also derived from the Latin word. Cultivation of vegetable crops. Recently it has been designated as ‘Vegetable Science’. Vegetables are said to be herbaceous plants of which edible plant parts are used for consumption either cooked or salad. It may be stem, root, leaf, flower, etc. It also includes all aspects of vegetable crops e.g. importance, uses, origin and distribution, area and production, soil and climate requirement, botany, nursery raising, cultivation practices, plant protection measures, stage and method of harvesting, post-harvest handling, marketing, export, import, etc. e.g. tomato, brinjal, chilli, cucumber, red pumpkin, watermelon, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
3. Ornamental Horticulture: It includes various groups of ornamental plants used to decorate in-door and out-door areas. Ornamental horticulture is the study of growing, arranging and tending decorative plants and flowers. It is further divided into.

Grouping plants in different categories on the basis of similarities and dissimilarities is referred to as classification, which helps for study of these crops in various perspectives. India is endowed with a rich diversity of horticultural plant wealth due to varied agro-climatic conditions. Number of fruits, vegetables, ornamental crops, spices, condiments, plantation crops, etc. is under commercial cultivation in different parts of the country under different sets of growing conditions.

The systematic study of all these crops becomes a difficult and more repetitive part. To avoid it; classification of horticultural crops on different aspects has been made to deal with all these plants separately. Classification of horticultural crops has been made in different groups on similarity or dissimilarity of attributes. Plants having similarity in either of the traits are placed under one group. The overall objective of the classification is to categorize the horticultural plants and make the recollections very easy and convenient.

Anatomy is the study of an internal structure of an organism, while morphology is the study of various external features of an organism Anatomy helps in knowing the structural peculiarities of different groups of plants, which help for adaptation to diverse environments. An angiosperm plant is characterized by the presence of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits

Plant cells: Plant cells are multicellular eukaryotic cells that make up a plant (a group of eukaryotes belonging to the Plantae kingdom, with the ability to synthesize their own food using water, sunlight and CO₂). Being eukaryotic cells, they have a defined nucleus with specialized structural organelles that enable it to function in an orderly manner.

Growth and development are two important stages in a plant. Plant growth and development are under the control of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Growth is one of the fundamental characteristics of all living things. Even in Plants, the growth is visible but not measurable easily. Development in plants is actually a sum of two processes i.e. growth and differentiation.

Principles involved in plant growth and development: The various principles involved in plant growth and development are discussed below.

1. Totiopotency: Living plant cell has the potential to reproduce all the characteristics of the plant since it possesses all the genetic information.
2. Competence: It is the potential of cells or tissue to develop in a particular direction. Development of competency into a particular kind of cell(s), tissue or organ also may require special signals. These may originate internally within the plant or may originate externally as an environment signal, e.g. Internal change in type of growing point such as vegetative to flowering or initiation of adventitious roots on cuttings may be associated with a shift in the activity of specific hormones, external parameters i.e. application of growth regulators, or environment. It is mainly internal potential of meristem that gradually shifts from a vegetative shoot to one that produces flowers.

Growth and development of any horticultural crop is mostly depending upon two chief natural factors i.e. climate and soil, which decides success or failure. Therefore, understanding about climate and soil requirements for different horticultural crops for optimum growth and development is a prerequisite for profitable farming.

There is often confusion between weather and climate. Weather describes the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time e.g. from day to day or week to week. It is current atmospheric conditions including temperature, rainfall, wind, humidity, sky condition at a given place. Climate on the other hand, is the average condition of weather over a longer period of time. Climate is the sum of all the statistical weather information that helps to describe a place or region.

Climate includes different factors namely temperature (minimum & maximum),

The selection of the site has great importance for the establishment of a fruit orchard successfully. Establishment of orchard is a long term activity with huge investment. Hence, any mistake committed during site selection, it is difficult to rectify it later. Successful orchard is not only related with yield but also its economic production and efficient disposal of produce. For economic orchard establishment; some of the points which need to be considered, while selection of site. These are as follows.

1. Climate and soil: These are two important natural factors, which decide the success or failure of orchards. Before selection of site, climate and soil requirement for selected fruit crops needs to be studied thoroughly and accordingly site must be selected. On the other hand if a site has already been selected; then fruit crop selection needs to be done as per the existing climate and soil of that selected site.
2. Topography: Slope of site more than 15% makes the land almost unsuitable for cultivation. Land with 4% slope may be kept clean without much loss. Uneven land involves heavy expenditure in leveling. Southern slopes are generally warmer and affect the plant growth in a manner different from the northern slopes. It is due to the difference in quantum of receiving sunlight. Hence, the site with southern slopes may be selected for sun loving plants.

The system of planting to be adopted is selected after considering the slope of land, planting density, purpose of utilizing the orchard space, convenience, etc. Traditionally, six systems of planting are recommended for fruit trees. However, with the popularity of high density planting, there are some advances inplanting, especially in fruit crops.

1. Square system: This system is considered to be the simplest of all planting systems and adopted widely. In this system, the plot is divided into number of squares as per plant spacing and trees are planted at the four corners of each square, in straight rows running at right angle. Under this system, intercultural operations, spraying, harvesting, etc. can be done conveniently and easily. Cultivation and irrigation can be done in two directions. In this system, plant to plant and row to row distance is the same. e.g. 5x5m, 4x4m, 10x10m, etc.

   While laying out the plot, a base line is first drawn parallel to the road, fence or adjacent orchard at a distance equal to half the spacing to be maintained between the trees. Wooden pegs are fixed on this line at the desired distance. At both the ends of the baseline, right angles are drawn by following the simple carpenter’s 3,4,5 meter system. After the formation of three lines, it is easy to fix all the other pages to mark the tree locations at the required spacing by using ropes connecting the pages of the lines in opposite directions.

   Area occupied per plant = row to row distance X plant to plant distance

India is regarded as a horticulture paradise due to growing of tropical, subtropical and temperate fruit crops in varied soil and climatic conditions. However, increasing pressure on land owing to diversion of orchard lands to various other obvious reasons as well as rising energy and land-costs, together with mounting demand for fruits have made HDP imperative to achieve higher productivity from limited space.

There is a shift in farmers’ perception from production to productivity and profitability, which can be achieved through high density planting. India is the second largest producer of fruits in the world. However, the average productivity of various fruit crops in the country is quite less. Low productivity can be attributed to many reasons such as old and senile orchards, lack of canopy management practices, planting of poor yielding varieties, low or no adoption of recommended package of practices by the farmer leading to poor orchard management, etc.

Horticultural plants are grown for their diversified produce like fruits, vegetables, flowers, aromatic (essential oils) or medicinal components, spices (oleoresins), etc. if these plants are allowed to grow naturally, they will grow wild with very less potential yield. Therefore, it is essential to train and prune these plants not only to develop the proper framework in manageable shape but also to improve the potential yield in terms of quality and quantity.

Once the sapling is planted, it is essential to maintain the proper framework by cutting certain branches as well as some parts of branches. In the initial period, it is essential to maintain well distribution of flower or fruit bearing parts growing in four directions. Once the plant achieves proper framework after a certain period; then also some of the plant parts, namely branches or certain portions of branches, are removed to achieve potential yield.

Fruits and vegetables are the major constituents of daily diet. They provide not only body building elements but also energy yielding food for the wellbeing of humans. Main object of the nutrition garden is to make availability of the requisite quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables to family members. It is generally raised in the backyard of home. It is also called as a home garden or kitchen garden. Most of the day to day cultural operations are performed by family members. Working in the nutrition garden during their spare time is a pleasure, an inspiration, a means of recreation to all the family members. The foremost advantage of nutrition garden is to daily supply fresh fruits and vegetables as per the needs of family members. Nutrition garden has an important role in enhancing national food security and dietary diversity to combat malnutrition.

Points to be considered, while the planning and layout of nutrition garden

According to the present state of our knowledge, sixteen-elements are considered to be essential for plant growth and development. These nutrients are chemical elements, which are absorbed by the plants in more or less quantity to transform light energy into chemical energy and to keep up plant metabolism for the synthesis of organic material. These elements are regarded as essential in higher plants.

These are Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulphur, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Boron, Molybdenum and Chlorine. Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen are obtained from air and water. Carbon makes up the great bulk of the plant and is obtained from carbon dioxide in the air. Hydrogen is derived mainly from the breakdown of water. Oxygen is obtained from air as well as water. Other thirteen elements are obtained from mineral and organic components of the soil. These elements are further grouped into major/macro and minor/micro-elements. The nutrients that are required in relatively larger quantities are termed as macro elements. Micronutrients that are required in relatively lesser quantities are termed as micro nutrients.

Water is one of the most vital components for the successful growth and development of crops. It influences most of the plant metabolic activities, namely photosynthesis, respiration, absorption, translocation utilization of mineral nutrients, etc. Its stress or in excess affects the growth and development of a plant directly and consequently its yield and quality.

Role of water: Water plays an important role in plant growth and development in many ways.

• It is the chief constituent of protoplasm.
• It provides aqueous medium for various biochemical (metabolic) reactions.
• It serves as a temperature stabilizer and helps in maintaining a stable metabolic rate.
• It is an essential input for photosynthesis.
• It helps to maintain turgidity of cells and plant organs.
• It is an excellent solvent for various organic materials of cells.

The term weed can be described in many ways. In general, it is said that weed is a plant, which is not sown by the farmers or which is out of place. Weed is defined as the unwanted, undesirable plant, growing out of its proper place, which interferes with the utilization of natural resources, is prolific, persistent, competitive, harmful and even poisonous in nature and can grow in adverse climatic conditions.There are more than 30,000 species of weeds distributed world over, out of which 18,000 are noxious and cause serious losses. Around 250 species are causing serious economic losses. Weeds in orchards reduce crop yields by competing for moisture, nutrients, light and space. They also act as a host for insect pests and diseases. When they become large, they interfere with orchard operations as well as water bodies. There are some weeds, which are parasitic partially or completely on the host tree e.g. striga and loranthus, in mango.

Plant propagation is one of the important fundamental aspects since the time of Rigveda (1400 B.C.) in the horticulture industry. It refers to the multiplication or perpetuation of individual or group of plants having specific value. Agriculture began, when ancient people started domestication of certain plants by growing around them and now these are cultivated in much improved form due to continuous selection and maintenance of better plant types. During the process of civilization; many plant types were selected for food and other purposes and are classified as food crops, fodder crops, fruit crops, vegetable crops, spices and condiments, aromatic and medicinal plants, etc. Now due modern plant sciences; newer and better plant types came into commercialization for cultivation. However, to maintain their qualities; it needs their propagation to keep their original form. Thus, it indicates that plant propagation has paramount importance in the horticulture industry to supply true-to-type sapling to farmers.

Media for plant growth and seed germination has great significance in nursery business. It is the basic need of the propagation industry. The material for rooting and growing media may be used either alone or incorporated with one or more products in combination. The materials used for rooting media may be naturally occurring or may be manufactured artificially.

Characteristics of an ideal rooting medium: These are as follows.

1. The medium must be sufficiently firm and dense to hold the cuttings or seeds in place during rooting or germination.
2. It must retain sufficient water and air, allowing sufficient drainage.
3. It should be highly decomposed and stable.
4. It must be free from weed seeds, insect pests and diseases.
5. Acidity or alkalinity should be the optimum for different species.
6. Its volume must be fairly constant, when either wet or dry.
7. It must be capable of being sterilized.

Many types of containers are used for growing plants in nurseries. These are clay pots, plastic pots, fiber pots, wooden pots, etc. Generally, the type of container to be used for growing a plant depends upon the kind of plant, objective of growing, choice of grower, etc. With advancement of technology, the container-grown plants are widely adopted, practiced by the nurserymen. The advantages of container grown plants are they are not prone to damage during packaging and transport. These are widely used for many fruit and ornamental plants. The different types of container and their characteristic features are as follows.

• Clay pots: Well-baked earthenware pots are used for raising plants. These are available in different shapes and sizes. On the basis of shape and size; these are named by pela, parali, kundi, nand, khobada, etc. Porous nature of the clay pots permits aeration, and water movement. Pot made with clay soil and well-baked will last longer than those made with sand or loamy soils. Before using, these are dipped in water for some period to soak the water in the pot itself sufficiently. However, earthen pots are heavy in weight, possibilities of breakage during potting and repotting and hence are less durable.

The term micropropagtion is also known as tissue culture. Micropropagation refers to aseptic culture of various plant parts in artificial growth medium to produce new plant. This means is recently applied in propagation of horticultural crops e.g. Orchid, banana, strawberry, papaya, grape and many other plants.

Requirements for tissue culture: It includes basic facilities including equipment, asepsis, culture medium and culture environment.

• Basic facilities including equipment: Provision of working space, large sinks, washing machine to wash glassware, oven, dryers, dust free storage, space for glass house and chemicals, autoclave for sterilizing media, solutions, water culture and instruments, supply of distilled or deionized water and various essential instruments and appliances.

Nursery is one of the important components of horticultural crop production. Nursery is place where young crop plants are raised under intensive care for later transplanting to the field. Nurseries may be classified as follows. On the basis of the irrigation facilities, the nurseries are dry or wet nurseries.

1. Dry Nurseries: Generally such types of nurseries are observed in forestry. It is maintained without any irrigation or artificial watering. The rab nurseries of Western Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat come under this category. The rab or semi-rab nurseries are made in the plantation areas on small well-burnt patches of land usually 0.01 to 0.05 ha mainly for supplying teak stumps. The seeds are sown in lines 45 cm apart just before the onset of monsoon. Normally no elaborate beds are made, no fencing is made and no irrigation is provided as compared to other nurseries.

Facilities required for propagating many plant species by seed, cuttings, or grafting and budding include two basic units namely a structure with temperature control and ample light such as a greenhouse or hot bed where seeds can be germinated or cuttings rooted. The second unit is a structure into which the young tender plants can be moved for hardening preparatory to transplanting and cold frames or lath houses are useful for this purpose.Greenhouses: There are different types of greenhouse namely low cost greenhouse and commercial greenhouses. In all polyhouses/ greenhouses means of providing air movement and air exchange is necessary to aid in controlling temperature and humidity It is best, if possible, to have in the greenhouse heating and self-opening ventilators and evaporative cooling systems. Plastic greenhouses covered with various types of plastic film have become very popular among nursery men.

The young seedling stock and rooted cuttings as well as nursery plants require proper care and nourishment. The operations to be performed regularly in nurseries are as follows.

1. Shifting of plants: The nursery plants grown in the pots or polybags are to be shifted once in 2-3 months to avoid root penetration into the soil. If the taproot penetrates deep into the soil, the chances of mortality increases. Hence shifting of grafts and potted plants has to be done at the said intervals
2. Removal of rootstock sprouts: Once has to keep a constant watch on the sprouts arising on the rootstock, which are to be nipped off as and when, observed, to encourage rapid growth of scion shoots.
3. Irrigation: The young tender seedlings are exacting in their water requirement. Proper and judicious irrigation is an important indicator of a healthy nursery, which solves many problems in the nursery. There are many methods adopted in nurseries. However, it depends upon water availability, kind of nursery plants and its growth stage, etc. These methods are flow or flood irrigation, furrow irrigation, overhead irrigation through rose cans, automizers or sprinkler systems, etc.