eChapters

Problems are low fruiting / non fruiting / irregular fruiting in the country’s litchi farming area. The potential of bear litchi has been identified as variety, although some of the bearing terminals in the present year will be more active in the next year (70-95 percent).

This is one of the most serious difficulties in mango farming since it makes mango agriculture less rewarding for farmers. In one year (a year) and very little or no harvest next year, mango trees appear to bear huge crops (off year). This bieniality is therefore also present in normal ranges (Singh, 1990). 

In several cucurbits as well as other crops, BER is a physiological condition found (for example, tomato, brinjal and pepper). It typically occurs as a general rot at the flowering end of rising fruit. Usually, the blossom end rot is the result of inadequate or uneven irrigation, high humidity, or other variables that slow the flow of water through the plant. Slow water movement may also result in temporary calcium deficiencies leading to blossom end rot as calcium is added into the plant with the transpiration stream.

When the soil temperature stays at or below 20 0 C, seeds germinate poorly. During early spring-summer planting, this issue of seed germination occurs when seeds are to be sown at low temperature conditions.

Tip-burn is the marginal collapse and necrosis of rapidly spreading inner lettuce leaves, at or near the leaf margins. Typically, the condition occurs near harvest, when it may lead to complete crop failure. Early signs include discoloration of the veins and/or the growth of dark brown to black spots near or at the margins of the leaves. The necrotic areas coalesce as the disease progresses, creating a lesion up to several centimeters long.

There is secondary elongating growth in the roots that gives a form of fork like structure to the root. This occurs in heavy soil due to soil compactness. An elongated radish root is encouraged by un-decomposed organic manure. It can be fixed by decreasing field moisture, balanced irrigation and also by sowing radish and carrot in sandy loam or light soil with loose and friable soil in nature.

In general, germination of onion seeds is poor, and, in the case of old seed stocks, this problem is severe. Seeds soon lost viability in the ordinary storage state. However, cold storage conditions significantly increase the viability of seeds.

Browning is due to boron deficiency caused. In general, boron deficiency symptoms in the formation of the curd, the plant externally visible. In the early stages, immersion in water and curd in the stem region of the surface occurs. As plant growth, into the hollow, soaked in water covers the cavity inner wall tissue. In the absence of progressive steps, areas of brown or pink color are visible, and hence, it is also called brown or reddish-brown or dark brown rot affected by the bitter taste. D

Blossom end rot is a very common problem on green and ripe tomatoes. It started with light tan, water-soaked lesion, and then increased to black and tough. Although blossom blight itself caused only local damage, secondary biological invasions frequently lesions caused fruit rot complete.

Apart from insects, pests and diseases, physiological disorders are one of the major threats to fruit industry which cause financial losses global. Over-all, the problems rise due to unfavorable environmental conditions and improper cultural practices which affect the normal plant growth and development is called as physiological disorders of plant. Ladaniya (2008) stated that the physiological disorder is that it is a function of physiological processes fruit tissue abnormality or failure due to abiotic stress, such as temperature, relative humidity, water stress, chemicals/ nutritional excess and deficiency.

Physiological plant disorder is caused by non-pathological conditions such as poor light, weather damage, waterlogging or lack of nutrients affect the operation of the system caused. Physiological condition selected from diseases caused by plant pathogens such as viruses or fungi to distinguish. Although the physiological disorder symptoms may occur such as disease, they can often be prevented by changes in environmental conditions. However, once the nutritional deficiencies of plants showing symptoms, is likely to return that season yield will be reduced.

All varieties of rose are susceptible to this disease. It is an important disease of rose which causes a sharp reduction in number and size of fl owers.

The disease appears as tumour like swelling or galls on leaf veins, leaf stalks, peduncles, stems and on fruits. The galls on the vein give a swollen and hanging appearance to the leaves. These are elongated, looks glossy in beginning but later rupture to become rough and corky. When stems remain succulent, numerous tumours may form on them. In severe case, the plant may kill prematurely.

The symptom appears as numerous, circular, light yellow to dark yellow spots on both the surfaces of leaves but is more prominent on the upper surface. The spot may coalesce to form large, irregular patches and soon entire leaf turns yellow and dries. Affected leaves appear as reddish-brown in colour. Excessive spotting destroys green tissues and becomes weak and yield reduced drastically

It is known by different names such as Ramularia leaf spot, rust, bird’s eye spot, grey spots, and white spot. It mostly attacks leaves but can also attack fruit stalks and also fruits.

The fi rst symptom of disease appears in early spring soon after leaves come out of buds. Affected leaves become distorted and fold over as tips directed backwards. The whole lamina puckered except tip and blistered. In some leaves, part of leaf show distortion. Blistered portions are thicker, softer than the normal leaf blade. The affected areas remain green for a while and gradually become yellow and fi nally turn reddish-purple in colour. 

It is a serious disease of apple which not only reduces the quality and size of fruit but also cause premature fruit drop and defoliation. Fruit loses its marketability due to poor quality. It also reduces storage time and cause loss up to 70%.

The disease attacks all the growth stages of plant affecting all above-ground parts. Plant covered with powdery patches leads to distortion, malformation and discolouration of leaves especially young leaves. Powdery patches gradually turn to grey and fi nally dark colour. Affected fl ower fails to develop fruit. Young berries turn black, irregular in shape and develop cracks. Sometimes berries ripe partially and rot. Vines get wilted.

Citrus crop includes lime, lemon, sweet orange, mandarin orange, Kamala orange, grapefruit, malta and pomelo etc. The disease which attacks one species of citrus mostly attacks other species also.

It is a very common disease of mango. It is otherwise known as blossom blight, leaf spot, twig blight or wither tip.

It is a very important and commonly found disease of chili which observed in field as well as in storage. It is also known as anthracnose disease which is mostly seen in tropical and sub tropical regions.

It is a very common disease found in all the onion and garlic growing areas. It mostly attacks the bulb as well as the seed crop. The infection or severity of the disease is more in Kharif crop causing 60% yield loss.

Disease appears later part of the crop season mostly during blossoming period. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of small brown patches on the leaves mostly on basal leaves which starts from tip or margin of leaves and spread downwards or inward directions.

The disease is seen at 3-4 leaves stage. Scattered, irregular, yellowish patches appear on the upper surface of the leaves and stipules. On the corresponding under surface of these patches, a greyish violet fi ne cottony mildew growth is seen. Infected tissue soon dies and turns brown. The disease fi rst appears on lower leaves and later spreads to upper leaves.

The disease i s seen at all crop growing stages. The fi rst symptoms appear at the time of emergence of seedlings, when the cotyledons are attacked. They become yellow and turn brown followed by wilting and drying of the affected seedlings. In the fi eld, the wilting symptoms appear in patches. First of all, the older leaves become yellow, loose their turgidity, wilt, turn brown and droop.

Wilt appears in the fi eld as patches is both seedling stage and developed plants. Symptoms include drooping and wilting of uppermost leaves. Plants become completely yellow and die. Plants are affected during the pod fi lling stages, seeds are often shrivelled. There will be rotting at the basal portion of the plant. Discoloration of vascular bundle are noticed when the stem is spitted
open.

All the above ground parts of the plant are affected. There is development of round and elongated spots surrounded by brownish red margin on the leafl ets. At later stage spots coalesce and entire leaf turns brown. On green pods, the lesions are usually circular with dark margin and pin head like dark dots representing the pycnidia in concentric circles.

The initial symptom of Alternaria brassiciola appears as small, dark colored spots which enlarge rapidly to form circular lesions. Under humid conditions a bluish velvety fungal growth is seen in the centre of these spots. Spots caused by Alternaria brassicae are almost similar to those produce by Alternaria brassicicola but are comparatively smaller and lighter in colour. When many spots are formed on the leaves, the leaves turn yellow and dry prematurely. Formation of pods and seeds are adversely affected.

The plants wilt at the time of grain fi lling stage. A light brown water soaked area is seen at the stem base. Sclerotia can be seen on the outer region of stalk when the plants get older. White mycelial growth with large sclerotial bodies is seen over the stem pith. The stem often breaks down at the point of infection.

The disease was fi rst reported in Java in 1893 and is prevalent in all sugarcane growing countries. In India the disease occurs in an epiphytotic form in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during 1939-1940 and 1946-1947 and cause severe damage that threatened the existence of sugar industries.

Loose smut of wheat occurs worldwide but is more abundant and serious in humid and sub – humid regions. In India, this disease is found in all wheat growing areas but the incidence is generally more in comparatively cooler and moist parts of north India than south India. The yield loss may go up to 30% due to this disease.

1. DISEASES OF MANGO

Mango is considered to be the king of fruit. India is the largest producer and exporter of mango in the world. Mango possess unique nutritional and medicinal qualities apart from being a rich source of vitamins A & C, besides its attractive form and appearance, delicious taste and appetizing flavor, the ripe mango fruit according to nutritional experts is also highly invigorating, fattening, laxative and diuretic. Every part of mango from root to tip is used in a variety of ways. This crop is affected by many fungal, bacterial and other non parasitic diseases.

1. Mango Malformation Disease (MMD)

Mango Malformation Disease is a fungal disease of mango caused by several species of Fusarium, some yet to be described. Mango is the only known host of the disease. The disease spreads on a tree very slowly, but if left unchecked, can severely reduce yields. The main method of spreading MMD to new areas is through infected vegetative planting material. There is no evidence that the disease can spread on fruit or the seeds, or that it affects human health. It usually associated with the bud mite, Aceria mangiferae but the mites have been shown to spread the disease within a tree and not between the trees. Mango malformation, also known as bunchy top, is a very serious threat to the mango industry, particularly in northern India. The Etiology of the disease still remains obscure and diverse claims have been made about its causes, e.g., physiological, viral, fungal, acarological and nutritional.

1. INSECT- PESTS OF MANGO

1. Mango hoppers: Idioscopus niveosparus, I. clypealis, Amritodus atkinsoni (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera)

Management

• Avoid close planting, as the incidence becomes very severe in overcrowded orchards.
• Orchards must be kept clean by ploughing and removal of weeds.
• Pruning of dense canopy to facilitate aeration and sunlight.
• Avoid excess use of nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Immediately after withdrawal of monsoon (September-October), off-seasonal trunk spraying with Malathion 50 EC @ 15 ml in 10 lit of water suppresses the adult hoppers from multiplying further and hinders their oviposition and also kills the newly hatched nymphs.
• Avoid application of all other synthetic pyrethroids as they have been reported to cause resurgence of hoppers.
• If overlapping generations of hoppers are found, spray imidacloprid @ 3 ml or acetamaprid 4 gm in 10 litres of water at panicle emergence stage.

Introduction

• Agriculture with its allied activities is the largest sector in India with 70% dependency of its rural households for their livelihood and 82% of farmers in the country are small and marginal.
• Agriculture sector alone contributes about 14.5% towards gross domestic product (GDP) of India.
• Food grain production has experienced a considerable jump from about 51 million tonne during 1950 to 291.95 million tonne in 2019-20 as per second advance estimates. The production of horticulture products has doubled over the past quarter century and the value of global trade in horticulture crops now exceeds that of cereals. For the first time, horticulture production surpassed food production in India during 2013-14 and continues to excel currently.
• India is characteristically a country of small agricultural farms, where approximately 80% of total land holdings in the country are less than 2 ha (5 acres) with 30% irrigated land only.
• India produces wide variety of agricultural products because of its varied agro-climatic regions but low farm productivity is major concern, which is around 33% of the best agricultural farms world over. Indian farmers can get more remuneration from the same piece of land with fewer inputs, once the productivity gets increased.

The horticultural produce includes fruits, vegetables, flowers, plantation crops and spices. However, fruits and vegetables are the most consumed and important commodity among them. Morphologically and physiologically, the fruits and vegetables are highly variable and may come from a root, stem, leaf, immature or fully mature and ripe fruits. They have variable shelf life and require different suitable conditions during marketing. All fresh horticultural crops are high in water content and are subjected to desiccation (wilting, shrivelling) and to mechanical injury. Various authorities have estimated that 20-30% of fresh horticultural produce is lost after harvest and these losses can assume considerable economic and social importance.

Maturity

It is the state of reaching a stage of full or advanced development of tissue of fruits and vegetables, after which it will ripen normally. During the process of maturation, the fruit receives a regular supply of food material from the plant and at maturity, the abscission or corky layer formed at the stem end stops this inflow. Afterwards, the fruit depend on its own reserves, and carbohydrates are dehydrated and sugars start accumulating until the sugar acid ratio formation. In addition to this, typical flavour and characteristic colour also develop. It has been determined that the stage of maturity at the time of picking influence the storage life and quality of fruit, when picked immature like mango develop white patches or air pockets during ripening, thus lacks in in normal brix acid ratio or sugar acid ratio, taste and flavour. On the other hand, if the fruits are harvested over mature or full ripe, then they are easily susceptible to microbial and physiological spoilage and their storage life is considerably reduced. Such fruits continue to show numerous problems during handling, storage and transportation. Therefore, it is necessary or essential to pick up the fruits or vegetables at correct stage of maturity to facilitate proper ripening, distant transportation and to obtain maximum storage life.

Fruits and vegetables account for nearly 90% of total horticulture production in the country. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world and the leader in several horticultural crops namely Mango, Banana, Papaya, Cashewnut, Arecanut, Potato and Okra. However, the nature of horticultural crops being such that it’s not easy to make assessment of their production. These crops, especially vegetables are grown in small plots, fields or in the backyard of the houses; do not have single harvesting in most of the cases which makes their assessment difficult. Many horticultural crops have multiple pickings in a single season. Similarly many fruit trees are scattered, which do not count for assessment.

India has witnessed increase in horticulture production over the last few years. Significant progress has been made in area expansion resulting in higher production. Over the last decade, the area under horticulture grew by 2.6% per annum and annual production increased by 4.8%. During 2017-18, the production of horticulture crops was 311.71 Million Tonnes from an area of 25.43 Million Hectares. The production of vegetables has increased from 101.2 Million Tonnes to 184.40 Million Tonnes since 2004-05 to 2017-18 and production of fruits has increased from 50.9 Million Tonnes to 97.35 Million Tonnes since 2004-05 to 2017-18.

The world ‘‘Unfruitfulness’’ means a state or character of being unfruitful or barrenness. It is a vital constraint in so many fruit crops leading to a great loss to the farming community. In contrary, ‘Fruitfulness’ is the state where a fruit plant is not only having the ability of flowering and fruiting, but also carry on these fruits up to maturity. The inability of the plant to do so is known as ‘unfruitfulness’ or ‘barrenness’. Despite of profuse flowering, poor fruit retention in an orchard has been found owing to poor fruit setting at initial stage and subsequently abscission of the fruitlets. All the trees of an orchard do not bear flowers and fruits in the same extent or regularly and sometimes fail to bear flowers and fruits under similar conditions while other trees bears heavily. Such type of characteristics of trees may be attributed to unfruitfulness. Thus, all the problems affecting fruit retention upto final stage can be considered under unfruitfulness of a tree. Therefore, it is a very complex problem of an orchard and needs proper understanding for economical and effective management to maintain sustainable production of fruit crops.

CAUSES OF UNFRUITFULNESS

There are innumerable causes perceived behind unfruitfulness. Majorly, It may be due to poor root shoot ratio, lack of balance between vegetative and reproductive (fruiting) growth, heavy crop load which leads to restriction of fruit bud production and finally short of the crop in the following years.

Juvenility

Juvenility is referred to the phase of plant growth following germination from seed during which flowering does not occur and the bud meristem is not competent to respond to seasonal environmental inductive cues, and hence plant remains vegetative. The changes from juvenile to mature characteristics are well known as phase changes phenomenon. Plants are unable to initiate flowering after germination and have to undergo in a juvenile developmental phase. This transition period (phase) is a gradual and continuous process until the flowering takes place. The length of this phase varies considerably between different species. In annuals like Arabidopsis, the juvenile phase is typically very short, whereas in perennials like hybrid aspen, it is several years.

A plant is considered juvenile from the time it is at seedling stage until it is mature and capable of initiating flowering. Length of juvenile period in most of woody plants is still considered as a big problem. Indeed, it affects the plant breeding efficiency, plant propagation, and selection of new cultivars. In fact, juvenility is a complex phenomenon still not fully understood. Juvenility period extends from seed germination until the plant attains the ability to flower. Furthermore, all the stages namely seed germination, juvenile growth period and transition to the reproductive stage until fruitful inflorescence development are long and not always synchronous in the seedling population. It arrives at the age 30-40 years in Fagus sylvatica L., and at l0 years or even more in olives. Juvenile period is affected by both environmental and genetic factors. Attempts made in past to overcome juvenile period in most woody plants on the environmental level have shown very limited success.

Fertilizer is a substance of natural or synthetic origin, applied to soils or to plant tissues (usually leaves) for the supply of one or more nutrients essential to the plant. It is classified in two types, inorganic fertilizers and organic fertilizers. Both the fertilizers play major role to the crops if they are properly and appropriately applied. To obtain maximum benefits, it is important to apply fertilizers at an appropriate time, amount and in a precise manner. The method of fertilizer application should be selected appropriately taking into consideration the age and stage of crop plants, their root extensibility, type of orchard management, kind and amount of fertilizers to be applied. The fertilizers should be given over the area of crop plants, where their active roots are spread. In fruit trees, fertilizer should be given in restricted area i.e. in the surrounding area of about 1 to 1.5 m away from the trunk of the trees in active root zone.

When to apply the fertilizers?

Majority of the crops require nutrients at different stages like growth & development, flowering and fruit setting time. In fruit crops, stages like new flushes emergence, floral buds differentiation and fruit development require more nutrients. Time of application of fertilizers may also vary depending on types of fertilizers, need of the crops, soil and climate.

Irrigation is one facet of the inputs which need to be carefully managed so that profits are maximized. Irrigation plays a major role in any agriculture crop production. One should be aware of different types of irrigation adapted in orchards or crop cultivation to become a successful grower. Irrigation is very important component of crop cultivation as sufficient moisture must be maintained in the soil for obtaining the optimum growth and good quality yield. The aim of irrigating a plant should be to wet the entire root zone without allowing any wastage of water beyond the root zone. The irrigation systems have to be properly devised so that the water requirements of the trees are met at the minimum expenditure without any wastage of water. Irrigation practices can be improved if a range of important factors like crop type, crop water requirements, climatic conditions, soil type, water quality, method of irrigation are taken into account.

Crop type

The type of horticultural crops grown influences irrigation practices. Annual vegetable and melon crops have high water requirement, hence irrigation management is extremely critical to their productivity during their relatively short life span (10-20 weeks). Perennial fruit crops tend to require less water and management, although critical, is not generally as critical as for annual crops.

The high density planting (HDP) in fruit crops is one of the new concepts of increasing the productivity without affecting the quality of fruits. The concept of high density planting was pioneered in temperate fruits in Europe at the end of 1960, since then there is rise in establishment of commercial high density orchards throughout the world. Initially HDP was followed mostly in temperate fruits e.g., apple. HDP is defined as a method of planting wherein more numbers of plants are planted per unit area as compared to conventional planting density or it is a modern method of fruit cultivation involving planting of fruit trees densely, allowing small or dwarf trees with modified canopy for better light interception and distribution and ease of mechanised field operations. It is one of the important methods to achieve high productivity per unit area both in short duration and perennial fruit crops.

Now-a-days, new orchards of fruits are planted in this system with a view to produce higher fruit yield and increased profitably. In addition, there is also a need to feed the growing population and provide them nutritional security and land resources are shrinking simultaneously due to the industrialization, urbanization etc., hence it is required to develop the modern facilities to compete with the developed nation. The success of this technology in most of the fruit crops is dependent on the use of methods to control shoot growth so as to maximize light interception. The main aim of HDP is to obtain the twin prerequisites of productivity by maintaining a balance between vegetative and reproductive growth without sacrificing plant health and fruit quality.

The fruit trees are grown for optimum production of quality fruits that fulfill our requirement. Therefore, proper care and management of trees is mandatory to manipulate plant growth and plant environment. Training and pruning are important operations that provide not only the proper framework to the tree but also the favourable environment leading to desired plant growth and reduction in disease and pest attack.

Training

It is a physical manipulation technique that provides proper shape, size and direction to the plant in initial stage of growth. The techniques like tying, fastening, staking, supporting over a trellis or pergola in a certain fashion or pruning of some parts are are followed.

Objectives

• To improve physical appearance and usefulness of plant by providing appropriate shape and size to the plant and maintaining proper root-shoot balance.
• To facilitate easy cultural operations including canopy management, inter-cropping, plant protection and harvesting.
• To develop strong scaffold branches with better crotch angles in all directions that are capable of bearing heavy crops over the years without breakage of limbs.
• To provide adequate sunlight and air to the centre of the tree.

Layout of an orchard

Layout means the way by which something is arranged or laid out. The purpose of designing a layout for an rchard is to assign the actual position for trees/ plantations, roads, water channels, buildings etc. The layout should be planned very carefully and implemented properly to facilitate proper care and maintenance of an orchard. The plan should provide optimum number of trees per unit area as well as sufficient space to each of the tree for proper development and ease in various cultural operations of the orchard.

Materials required for layout

Measuring tape, rope, pegs, poles and planting board.

Based on agro-climatic conditions, the following system of planting are generally followed for planting of fruit trees:

1. Square
2. Rectangular

Plant Propagation is a technique through which multiplication or production of new individuals take place from selected propagules. The methods of propagation are broadly divided in two categories:

1. Sexual method
2. Asexual method

1. Sexual method of Propagation

In this method, plants are produced from seeds and such plants are called seedlings. Seed is considered as a dormant plant which develops into a complete plant if subjected to congenial environment.

Advantages

1. This is very simple, cheap and easy method of propagation.
2. Some species of fruits, ornamental annuals and vegetables which cannot be propagated by asexual means should be propagated by this method. e.g. papaya, marigold, tomato etc.
3. Hybrid seeds can be developed by this method.

A nursery is a place, where seedling, saplings, trees, shrubs, and other plant materials are grown and maintained until they are placed in a permanent place.

Advantages of Nursery

1. The area being small and compact, it is convenient and easy to grow large number of seedlings per unit area.
2. Management of favourable growing conditions becomes easy and feasible.
3. Easy management of pests and diseases in compact area.
4. Establishment of disease free and virus free scion bank.
5. Ensure optimum utilization of labour, water, nutrients and other inputs.
6. Ensure easy and cheap availability of plants.
7. Promotion of export through supply and processing of quality plant materials.

A seed (in some plants, referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant. The formation of the seed completes the process of reproduction in seed plants (started with the development of flowers and pollination), with the embryo developed from the zygote and the seed coat from the integuments of the ovule. In broad sense, seed is a material which is used for planting or regeneration purpose. Seed technological point of view, seed may be sexually produced matured ovule consisting of an intact embryo, endosperm and or cotyledon with protective covering (seed coat). It also refers to propagating materials of healthy seedlings, tuber, bulbs, rhizome, roots, cuttings, sets, slips, all types of grafts and vegetatively propagating materials used for production purpose. Quality seed, therefore, can be defined as the seed which fulfills the minimum requirements of getentic and physical purity, seed germination and vigour freedom from weeds and other crop seeds and other relevant seed standards.

HORTICULTURAL CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS

The Horticultural crops are majorly classified on the basis of its consumption and uses as fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal, aromatic and plantation crops. Moreover, these crops have been further classified into various groups on the basis of their habitat, growth pattern, edapho-climatic requirements and uses. All branches of horticulture classified specifically as hereunder:

A Classification of fruits

1. Based on Climatic adaptability
   1. Tropical fruits: These fruit crops are grown in tropical climatic regions which are geographically located between the parallels of 23° 27' South (Tropic of Capricorn) and 23° 27' North (Tropic of the Cancer) of the equator. They are generally evergreen and very sensitive to cold. Eg. Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Papaya, Citrus, Sapota, Avocado etc.
   2. Sub-tropical fruits: Fruit crops are grown in between temperate and tropical climatic regions. They may be either deciduous or evergreen nature. Eg. Mango, guava, citrus, durian, jackfruit, bread fruit etc.

Horticulture has emerged as one of the potential agricultural enterprises in accelerating the growth of economy in India. It offers not only a wide range of options to the farmers for crop diversification, but also provides ample scope for sustaining large number of agro-industries which generate huge employment opportunities. Horticulture has been evolving in form of horticulture industry in our country owing to its significant role in nutritional security, poverty alleviation and employment generation. The production of fruits, vegetables and flowers has acquired much importance in recent times due to their increasing demand. India has a wide variety of climate and soil on which different horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal and aromatic plants, plantation crops and spices are cultivated successfully.

German Prof. Peter Laurenberg conceived first the word horticulture. The term “Horticulture” is known in written form first in seventeenth century in a book entitled “New World of Words” by Phillips.

Etymologically the word “Horticulture” is derived from two Latin words viz. ‘Hortus’ [garden or enclosure] and ‘Cultura’ [cultivation]. So, literally horticulture means ‘garden or enclosure culture’ or ‘cultivation of garden crops within protected enclosures’.

Garden: Garden is a broad term derived from the Latin word Gyrdan meaning “to enclose”.

DIVISIONS AND DEFINITION OF HORTICULTURE

Pomology: (pomum = fruits, logy = science) It is a branch of horticulture which deals with study or cultivation of fruit crops starting from raising of saplings and intercultural to harvesting operations. The ‘pomology’ term is derived from latin word pomum (means fruits) and greek word logy (means science).

About 25% of worldís total food production is lost due to insects, bacteria and rodents after harvesting.

Indiaís exports of Processed Food was Rs. 31563.43 Crores in 2014-15, which includes products like Mango pulp (Rs. 841.39 Crores), Dried and Preserved vegetable (Rs. 847.11 Crores), Other Processed Fruit and Vegetable (Rs. 2,569.93 Crores), Pulses (Rs. 1,209.51 Crores), Groundnuts (Rs. 4,675.35 Crores), Guargum (Rs. 9,480.00 Crores), Jaggery and Confectionary (Rs. 1,161.81 Crores), Cocoa Products (Rs. 848.62 Crores), Cereal preparations (Rs. 3,038.79 Crores), Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic beverages (Rs. 2,231.58 Crores) and Miscellaneous preparations (Rs. 2,437.77 Crores).