Horticulture and Orchards: Definition, Branches, and Importance

Horticulture and Orchards: Have you ever experienced gardening? We normally grow flowers, sometimes seasonal fruits or vegetables, in a small area in an organized way. This practice of gardening on a limited scale can be termed horticulture. Though it looks similar to agriculture, it is not as grand as agriculture. It can be referred to as a branch of agriculture.

Orchards are those lands where fruits, vegetables, or nuts are grown in a large number for commercial production. In general, the orchard is referred to as a fruit garden. Horticulture and Orchards are both related to agriculture. Horticulture is a science that practices gardening engaged in the production of garden crops, and an orchard is a land where the fruits and nuts are grown on a limited scale but in an organized way. This article pictures the different aspects of horticulture and orchards.

What is Horticulture?

Horticulture is the science and art of production, utilization, and improvement of horticultural crops. Horticulture is the branch of plant agriculture that mainly deals with garden crops like fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, spices and condiments, medicinal and aromatic plants. Horticulture is derived from two Latin words, ‘Hortus’ means ‘Garden’ and ‘Cultura’ means ‘Cultivation.’

Fig: Horticulture

Branches of Horticulture

There are many branches of horticulture which are discussed below:

1. Floriculture
(a) Floriculture is the science of growing, handling, storing, processing, and marketing flowers for gardens and floristry.
(b) The plant breeding technique is important through which floriculturists cultivate new varieties.
(c) This commercial cultivation is done mainly for economically important flowers.
(d) Rose, Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, etc., different types of flowers are grown by this cultivation method.

Fig: Floriculture

2. Pomology
(a) It is the branch of horticulture that mainly deals with the production, harvesting, processing, preservation, and storage of fruits and nuts.
(b) Pomology mainly increases the quality of fruit and nuts and also controls harvest times and production costs.
(c) Apples, oranges, grapes, blueberries, and strawberries are juicy and succulent pomological crops, whereas walnut, almonds, and cashew nuts are some examples of hard and dry types of pomological crops.

Fig: Pomology

3. Olericulture
(a) It is the branch of horticulture that mainly deals with the science and practice of growing, handling, storing, processing, marketing, and selling herbaceous or non-woody vegetables as food.
(b) It mainly involves organic farming, organic gardening, hydroponics, sustainable agriculture and horticulture, and biotechnology.
(c) Spinach, collards, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, cauliflower, etc., are different types of vegetables grown by olericulture.

Fig: Olericulture

4. Ornamental and Landscape Horticulture
(a) It is the branch of horticulture that deals with the art of designing gardens, establishing lawns, installing plants, and placing ornaments in the landscape. 
(b) It includes landscape design, plant cultivation, nursery and garden center management, etc. Ornamental plants are mainly grown for aesthetic uses, for the improvement of life and our environment.
(c) The different types of landscape gardening include vegetable gardens, flower gardens, herd gardens, butterfly gardens, raised gardens, tropical gardens, etc.

Fig: Ornamental and Landscape Horticulture

5. Arboriculture
(a) It is the branch of horticulture that deals with the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants, mainly for landscape and amenity purposes.
(b) Examples of different arboriculture techniques involve selection, planting, preparation, training, fertilisation, pest and pathogen control, pruning, shaping, and removal.

Fig: Arboriculture

6. Turf Culture
(a) It is the branch of horticulture that includes the cultivation and maintenance of turfgrass for sports, leisure, and amenity purposes.
(b) Different turfgrass cultural practices include mowing, fertilising, irrigating, cultivating, rolling, topdressing, and managing pests.

Fig: Turf culture

7. Oenology
(a) It is the branch of horticulture that includes all aspects of wine and winemaking, i.e., production, ageing, packing, tasting, consumption, and marketing.

Fig: Oenology

8. Condiments
(a) Condiments are plant substances that are mainly added in cooking or as dips and seasonings for enhancing taste. A branch of horticulture deals with condiments too.
Example: Coriander, cumin, pickel, etc.

Fig: Condiments

9. Medicinal Plants
(a) Horticulture is known to deal with medicinal plants too. Medicinal plants can be defined as the plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, etc., are used in pharmaceutical industries to prepare medicines for humans and animals. Horticulture is known to deal with medicinal plants too.
Example: Neem, tulsi, turmeric, aloe vera, ginger, etc.

Fig: Medicinal Plant

10. Post-harvest Technology
It is the branch of horticulture that mainly deals with the principles and practices of packing and processing harvested crops to increase the storage life and availability.

Fig: Post-harvest Technology

Some Important Horticultural Crops and their Growing Regions in India

India is known as the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the World. The government of India provided data for horticulture crops in India in 2016–17. According to Government data, horticultural crops are cultivated in 24 million hectares, about 7 percent of India’s total crop area. The annual horticultural production is estimated at around 295 million tonnes, including 175 million tonnes of vegetables and 92 million tonnes of fruits. About 55–60 percent of the total population in India primarily depends on agriculture and allied activities. Horticultural crops represent a big portion of the overall agricultural turnout in Asian nations.

Some important Horticultural Crops and their growing regions in India are given in below table:

Importance of Horticulture

The importance of horticulture are given below:
1. Horticultural crops are a very important source of carbohydrates, proteins, organic acids, and vitamins and it also provides critical nutrients for a balanced diet.
2. Horticulture involves scientific, technological, and production activities that ensure the satisfaction of the consumer.
3. These are helpful for cultivation in poor-quality soil.
4. These crops provide raw materials for different industries like pharmaceuticals, perfumery, cosmetics, chemicals, confectionery, oils, paints, etc.
5. It improves the livelihood or socio-economic status of the farmers.
6. It enhances the beauty of the environment. These crops have aesthetic value and protect the environment by reducing carbon footprint and conserving soil and water.
7. Horticulture industry provides a variety of jobs directly and indirectly.
8. These crops have great national and international demand and are a good source of foreign exchange.

What are Orchards?

An orchard is a type of farmland or open field where fruits and nuts are grown in large numbers for commercial production on trees and shrubs. Some of the examples of orchard fruits are apples, pears, oranges, bananas, and cherries. Some of the examples of orchard nuts are pecans, walnuts, and almonds. 

Fig: Orchard of Apples

Orchards Management

1. Orchard management aims at farming a single or more than one variety of fruits or nuts.
2. Any orchard management should require proper planning right from the beginning. The selection of site or location is important in orchard management. There should be a market close to the orchard to sell the fruit and nuts with the fruit growers easily.
3. After selecting the site, it is very important to choose the food or product based on the demand of the market, the attitude of the local people towards that product, and climate change.
4. After selecting the variety, the production quality is now checked because, in orchard management, quality matters a lot.
5. Laying out of an orchard is an important step in orchard management because it aims at proper space for the proper development of trees and providing the maximum number of trees present per hectare area.
6. Sufficient water is required for the better growth of fruits and nuts. Orchards mainly occur in areas where the water level is proper, and water supply occurs throughout the year.
7. A proper nutrient is required for the effective growth of fruits and nuts. So it is advisable to check that the orchard soil is getting proper nutrients or not.
8. Orchard required constant irrigating, fertilizing, pruning, pesticides, and proper weed and pests management. This needs proper care and maintenance from wind damages, insects, pests, and unwanted grasses.

Importance of Orchards

1. In India, orchard farming is getting high demand daily because it is the major source of earnings for Indian farmers.
2. It provides many environmental benefits like reducing pollution, producing oxygen, providing habitat for many animal species, taking up carbon dioxide, holding water, and reducing soil erosion.
3. It is a vital part of the cultural landscape.
4. It provides a great positive impact on the conservation of biodiversity in the environment.

Summary

Horticulture is derived from two Latin words, ‘Hortus’ means ‘Garden’ and ‘Cultura’ meaning ‘Cultivation.’ Horticulture is the branch of plant agriculture that mainly deals with garden crops like fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, spices and condiments, plantation, medicinal and aromatic plants. The different branches of horticulture are floriculture, pomology, olericulture, ornamental and landscape horticulture, arboriculture, turf culture and management, oenology, condiments, medicinal plants, and post-harvest technology. An orchard is a type of farmland or open field where fruits and nuts are grown in large numbers for commercial production on trees and shrubs. Horticultural crops are a very important source of carbohydrates, proteins, organic acids, and vitamins and it also provides critical nutrients for a balanced diet. Orchards provide a great positive impact on the conservation of biodiversity in the environment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Horticulture and Orchards

Q.1. What is horticulture?
Ans: Horticulture is the science and art of production, utilisation, and improvement of horticultural crops.

Q.2. What are the different branches of horticulture?
Ans: The different branches of horticulture are floriculture, pomology, olericulture, ornamental and landscape horticulture, arboriculture, turf culture and management, viticulture, oenology, silviculture, and post-harvest technology.

Q.3. What are some examples of horticultural crops?
Ans: Some of the examples of horticultural crops are apple, mango, banana, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, ginger, cashew nuts, almonds, etc.

Q.4. What are orchards?
Ans: An orchard is a type of farmland or open field where fruits and nuts are grown in large numbers for commercial production on trees and shrubs.

Q.5. What is the importance of orchards?
Ans: The importance of orchards are given below:
1. It provides many environmental benefits like reducing pollution, producing oxygen, taking up carbon dioxide, holding water, and reducing soil erosion.
2. It is a vital part of the cultural landscape.
3. It provides a great positive impact on the conservation of biodiversity in the environment.

We hope this article on Horticulture and Orchards helps you in your preparation. Do drop in your queries in the comments section if you get stuck and we will get back to you at the earliest.