Maharashtra HSC Bifocal Horticulture (B5) key terms

The branch of agriculture that deals with intensive cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants, usually on smaller, high-value plots with more careful management than field crops.

The science and practice of growing fruit crops, covering orchard establishment, training and pruning, pollination, fruit set, and harvesting of perennial tree and vine species.

The branch of horticulture devoted to production of vegetables, including leafy, root, tuber, bulb, and fruit-type vegetables grown for fresh market or processing.

Commercial cultivation of flowering and foliage plants for cut flowers, loose flowers, pot plants, and garden use, with emphasis on colour, bloom quality, and vase life.

Planned design and development of outdoor spaces using plants, lawns, water features, paths, and hard structures to create functional and attractive surroundings around homes, institutions, and public areas.

A small home or school garden where vegetables, fruits, and flowers are grown mainly for family consumption, arranged so that fresh produce is available through much of the year.

The detached shoot or bud piece of the desired variety that is joined onto a rootstock during grafting or budding, and which grows into the upper, fruiting part of the new plant.

The lower plant portion, usually with an established root system, onto which a scion is grafted; it supplies water and nutrients and can confer vigour control, soil adaptation, or disease resistance.

Asexual propagation in which the cambial tissues of a scion and rootstock are joined so they unite and grow as one plant, used to combine a good variety with a hardy root system.

A form of grafting in which a single bud with a small shield of bark is inserted under the bark of a rootstock and tied in place until the union heals.

A piece of stem, leaf, or root detached from a parent plant and placed in a suitable medium so it forms its own roots and becomes a new independent plant.

Propagation in which a stem is induced to form roots while still attached to the parent plant, and is separated only after rooting, so the new plant is supported until self-sufficient.

A synthetic auxin preparation, commonly IBA or NAA, applied to the base of cuttings to stimulate adventitious root formation and improve uniformity of rooting.

Moving young seedlings or nursery-raised plants from the seedbed or tray to the main field at the proper stage, with care to keep roots and soil ball intact and minimise shock.

Gradual exposure of nursery seedlings to harsher field conditions by reducing water and shade before transplanting, so they withstand sun, wind, and transplant shock better.

A managed site where seedlings, saplings, and planting material are raised under controlled care and sold or distributed for field planting, orchard establishment, or landscaping.

The relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay particles in a soil, which determine how it holds water and nutrients, drains, and can be worked.

The arrangement of soil particles into aggregates or crumbs, creating pore spaces that govern aeration, water infiltration, root penetration, and resistance to erosion.

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil on a 0 to 14 scale, controlling the availability of plant nutrients and the suitability of soil for particular crops.

Well-rotted mixture of cattle dung, urine, litter, and bedding used as a bulky organic manure that adds humus, improves soil structure, and supplies nutrients slowly.

Organic material produced by controlled microbial decomposition of plant and animal residues, used to enrich soil with humus and available nutrients.

Nutrient-rich organic manure produced by earthworms feeding on organic waste, valued for its fine texture, microbial activity, and use in nursery and pot culture media.

A crop such as sunhemp or dhaincha grown and then ploughed into the soil while green to add organic matter and nitrogen and improve soil fertility.

The relative proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a fertilizer or fertilizer schedule, expressed as percentages of N, P2O5, and K2O.

Application of soluble fertilizers through a drip or sprinkler irrigation system, delivering nutrients directly to the root zone in small, frequent doses.

A combined approach using organic manures, chemical fertilizers, and biofertilizers in balanced amounts to sustain crop yields while maintaining soil health.

A system that delivers water slowly and directly to the root zone through emitters along tubes, saving water and reducing weed growth and foliar disease.

Growing crops under structures such as greenhouses, polyhouses, shade nets, or plastic tunnels that modify temperature, light, humidity, and pest exposure for higher quality yields.

A decision-based strategy that combines cultural, mechanical, biological, and need-based chemical methods to keep pest populations below economic injury levels while limiting pesticide use.

Suppression of pests using living natural enemies such as predators, parasitoids, and pathogens, for example Trichogramma against lepidopteran pests or Trichoderma against soil-borne fungi.

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

Reduction in quantity or quality of produce between harvest and consumption, caused by poor handling, bruising, moisture loss, decay, and inadequate storage or transport.

Processing or packaging a raw horticultural commodity into products such as jam, ketchup, dried chips, or juice to raise its market worth and extend shelf life.

A refrigerated facility that holds harvested produce at a controlled low temperature and humidity to slow respiration, ripening, and decay and extend shelf life.

A flower stem harvested with its bloom intact for use in bouquets and decoration, judged on stem length, bloom size, freshness, and vase life.

The sequence of intermediaries and transactions through which produce passes from farmer to consumer, including aggregators, wholesalers, retailers, and regulated markets.

Starting and running a farm-based or agri-allied enterprise, such as a nursery, protected cultivation unit, or food processing venture, taking financial risk to earn profit.