Maharashtra HSC Bifocal Horticulture (B5) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Olericulture

The branch of horticulture dealing with the production and management of vegetable crops, including their cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest handling.

Pomology

The branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation, production and management of fruit crops, including orchard establishment and fruit quality improvement.

Floriculture

The branch of horticulture that deals with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for cut flowers, loose flowers, gardens and landscape use.

Cation exchange capacity

The total quantity of exchangeable cations a soil can hold, expressed in cmol(+)/kg; it increases with clay and organic matter content and indicates nutrient retention ability.

Field capacity

The water content remaining in soil after excess water has drained away by gravity, usually about 2–3 days after saturation; it represents water available to plants.

Permanent wilting point

The soil water content at which plants can no longer extract water and remain wilted even in a humid atmosphere; available water lies between field capacity and this point.

Fertilizer grade

The percentage of nitrogen, available phosphorus expressed as P2O5, and potassium expressed as K2O in a fertilizer, written in that order, such as 18-46-0.

Green manure

A crop grown specifically to be ploughed into the soil while still green, adding organic matter and nitrogen; sunhemp and dhaincha are common examples.

Vermicompost

Organic manure produced by earthworms feeding on organic waste; it is rich in humus, available nutrients, growth hormones and beneficial microorganisms.

Biofertilizer

A preparation containing living microorganisms that enhance nutrient availability, such as Rhizobium for legumes, Azotobacter for free-living nitrogen fixation, or phosphate solubilizers.

Apical dominance

The suppression of lateral bud growth by the terminal bud, mediated mainly by auxin moving downward from the shoot apex; pruning removes it to encourage branching.

Photoperiodism

The response of plants to the relative length of day and night, controlling flowering in short-day, long-day and day-neutral plants.

Vernalization

The promotion of flowering by exposure to a period of low temperature, as seen in wheat, cabbage and biennial crops.

Stratification

A seed treatment in which seeds are kept in a moist, cool medium for a period to break dormancy and promote uniform germination.

Air layering

A vegetative propagation method in which a stem is girdled, treated with rooting hormone and wrapped in moist medium to form roots before separation from the parent plant.

T-budding

A budding method in which a shield-shaped bud is inserted into a T-shaped incision in the rootstock bark; used in rose, citrus and ber.

Micropropagation

The in vitro multiplication of plants from small tissue pieces under sterile conditions, producing genetically uniform planting material in large numbers.

Economic threshold level

The pest population density at which control measures should be applied to prevent the population from reaching the economic injury level.

Integrated pest management

A combined approach using cultural, mechanical, biological and need-based chemical methods to keep pest populations below economic injury levels with minimal harm.

Koch's postulates

A set of criteria used to establish that a specific microorganism causes a disease: constant association, isolation, inoculation and re-isolation of the pathogen.

Climacteric fruit

Fruit that shows a marked rise in respiration and ethylene production during ripening, such as banana, mango and tomato; ripening can be regulated after harvest.

Pre-cooling

Rapid removal of field heat from harvested produce before storage or transport, using forced air, water, vacuum or room cooling to slow respiration and decay.

Controlled atmosphere storage

Storage in which oxygen is reduced and carbon dioxide increased to specified levels to slow respiration and extend the shelf life of fruits such as apples.

Jam setting point

The total soluble solids concentration, about 65–68%, at which fruit pulp with added sugar, acid and pectin forms a firm gel on cooling.

Polyhouse

A protected structure covered with polyethylene film that modifies temperature, humidity and light, enabling year-round cultivation of high-value horticultural crops.

Fertigation

The application of soluble fertilizers through a drip or sprinkler irrigation system directly to the root zone, improving nutrient-use efficiency and reducing leaching.

Nutrient film technique

A soilless culture system in which a shallow continuous film of nutrient solution flows past plant roots in channels, supplying water and nutrients.

Crop coefficient

A dimensionless factor (Kc) that adjusts reference evapotranspiration for a specific crop and growth stage to estimate crop water requirement.

Drip irrigation

A method of applying water slowly and directly to the root zone through emitters on laterals, saving water and reducing weed growth and foliar disease.

Benefit-cost ratio

The ratio of gross income to total cost of production; a ratio greater than one indicates that the enterprise is profitable.

Marketable surplus

The quantity of produce left after deducting family consumption, seed, feed and other farm requirements from total production; it is the amount available for sale.

Price elasticity of demand

The percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price; demand is inelastic when the absolute value is less than one.