Fundamentals of Horticulture

Scope and importance, classification of horticultural crops and nutritive value, area and production, exports and imports, fruit and vegetable zones of India and of different states, nursery techniques and their management, soil and climate, vegetable gardens, nutrition and kitchen garden and other types of gardens – principles, planning and layout, management of orchards, planting systems and planting densities. Methods of pruning and training of fruit crops, types and use of growth regulators in horticulture, water management– irrigation methods, merits and demerits, weed management, fertility management in horticultural crops-manures and fertilizers, different methods of application, cropping systems, intercropping, multi-tier cropping, mulching– objectives, types merits and demerits, Classification of bearing habits of fruit trees, factors influencing the fruitfulness and unfruitfulness. Rejuvenation of old orchards, top working, frameworking, principles of organic and Natural farming, market chain management.