HORTICULTURE

HORTICULTURE

CONCEPT OF HORTICULTURE

According to Louisiana State University (2011), horticulture is the science and art involved in the cultivation, propagation, processing and marketing of ornamental plants, flowers, turf, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. It is unique among plant sciences because it not only involves science and technology, but it also incorporates art and principles of design.

According to University of Minnesota (2011), horticulture is the art and science of plant production for both beauty and utility... Rather than staple crops, horticulture focuses on value-added, luxury crops.

The term horticulture is derived from the Latin words ‘hortus’, meaning garden, and ‘cultura’, meaning cultivation . Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of vegetable garden plant growing. It includes the cultivation of medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and non-food crops such as grass and ornamental trees and plants. It also includes plant conservation, landscape restoration, landscape and garden design, construction, and maintenance, and arboriculture. Inside agriculture, horticulture contrasts with extensive field farming as well as animal husbandry.

Horticulturists apply their knowledge, skills, and technologies used to grow intensively produced plants for human food and non-food uses and for personal or social needs. Their work involves plant propagation and cultivation with the aim of improving plant growth, yields, quality, nutritional value, and resistance to insects, diseases, and environmental stresses. They work as gardeners, growers, therapists, designers, and technical advisors in the food and non-food sectors of horticulture.

Horticulture primarily differs from agriculture in two ways. First, it generally encompasses a smaller scale of cultivation, using small plots of mixed crops rather than large fields of single crops. Secondly, horticultural cultivations generally include a wide variety of crops, even including fruit trees with ground crops. Agricultural cultivations however as a rule focus on one primary crop.

BENEFITS OF LEARNING ABOUT HORTICULTURE

            As a work related subject , horticulture brings a lot of benefits for the development of learners as well as society. They are :-

1.                  It creates different technical skills to the childrens.

2.                  It develops lot of employment opportunities.

3.                  It will modify learners as gardeners, growers, therapists, designers, and technical advisors.

4.                  It will cultivate lot of social values .

5.                  It develops saving habit among childrens.

6.                  It brings positive attitudes to wards conservation of nature.

7.                  I develops practical abilities on different agricultural areas.