Horticulture and its divisions, production of plants and also losses that occuring in post harvest period

Horticulture means ... 

    Horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and more controlled scale than agronomy. There are various divisions of horticulture because plants are grown for a variety of purposes.  These divisions include, but are not limited to : propagation, arboriculture, landscaping, floriculture and tury maintenance.  For each of these, there are vairous professions, aspects, tools used and associated challenges; Each requiring highly specialized skills and knowledge of the horticulturist.

    Horticulture is the science and art of the development, sustainable production, marketing and use of high-value, intensively cultivated food and ornamental plants.

    Horticultural crops are diverse, including:

1. Annual and perennial species,
2. Fruits and vegetables,
3. Decorative indoor plants and 
4. Landscape plants.

    Horticulture also contributes to quality of life, and the beauty, sustainability and rehabilitation of our environment and the human condition.  Plants, crops and green spaces sustain and enrich our lives by providing nutritious food, enhancing the beauty of our homes and communities and reducing our carbon footprint.

Divisions of Horticulture

    There are divisions and sub-divisions within horticulture, this is because plants are grown for many different reasons. Some of the divisions in horticulture include:

• Gardening
• Plant production and propagation
• Arboriculture
• Landscaping
• Floriculture
• Garden design and maintenance
• Turf maintenance
• Plant conservation and landscape restoration

    It includes the cultivation of all plants including, but not limited to ornamental trees/shrubs/plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, turf, nuts, seeds, herbs and other medicinal/edible plants.  This cultivation may occur in garden spaces, nurseries, greenhouses, vineyards, orchards, parks, recreation areas, etc.,

Horticultural Produce and Post harvest Losses

1. Horticultural Produce:

    The word horticulture is derived from two Latin words (hortus[garden] + cultura [culture]), and is defined as “the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and ornamental plants (trees, shrubs, flowering plants and turf).” Use of the term horticulture was reported for the first time in the middle ages in Europe and it is somehow different from agriculture due to its distinct activities. Horticulture has several distinctions from agriculture due to its specialized practices, e.g., budding, grafting, etc. Because of its smaller scale operations, it is differentiated from agriculture and can be separated into three main sectors: pomology, olericulture and floriculture.

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Pomology deals with the cultivation of fruit crops.

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Olericulture is the commercial production of vegetable crops, herbs, etc.

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Floriculture is the cultivation of ornamentals like flowers, shrubs, etc.

    Horticulture can be categorized further into landscape horticulture, which can be further sub categorized into: 

(1) arboriculture, which deals with the cultivation of woody plants; 

(2) nut cultivation, which is the cultivation of ornaments, fats, and oils crops; (3) viticulture, which is the growing of a grape crop.

    Horticultural products include following commodities:

• Flowers.
• Plantation crop.
• Spices.
• Vegetables.
• Fruits and nuts.
• Medicinal and aromatic plants 
• Honey/beekeeping.

2. Post Harvest Losses: 

    The post harvest losses of horticultural produce in developing countries are huge due to the lack of a proper infrastructure for storage, processing, and packaging, and to incorrect handling practices. Shrinking or hardening of fresh commodities like fruits and vegetables, the development of enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning, flavor alteration, discoloration, physico-chemical and bio-chemical changes, and textural alterations may occur in fresh horticultural produce, which may damage or alter flavor, appearance, and nutritional values. The following kinds of post harvest losses may occur at different stages:

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Harvesting losses: injury, pressure damage.

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Packinghouse losses: chemicals, brushes, and wax damage.

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Storage losses: chilling injury, decay, peel disorders.

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Transportation losses: bruising, deformation, decay.

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Retail losses: decay, softening, wilting.

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Losses at the consumers end: softening, wilting, decay.

    The minimization of the post harvest loss is very important. Processing and preservation of the horticultural produce using different bio-processing techniques may be an alternate way to improve quality and shelf-life.

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