Maharashtra HSC Bifocal Horticulture (B5) study plan

Define horticulture and distinguish it from agronomy and forestry, listing the divisions (olericulture, pomology, floriculture, plantation crops, spices) with two example crops each

Explain plant morphology and anatomy essentials: root types, stem modifications, leaf parts, flower parts and inflorescence types, using labelled hand sketches

Describe photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration in one paragraph each, and state how each process affects pruning, spacing or irrigation decisions

Classify soils by texture and explain soil profile horizons, soil reaction (pH) ranges and their effect on nutrient availability

Compare bulky organic manures (FYM, compost, green manure, vermicompost) with concentrated fertilizers and compute a simple NPK dose for a given area

Group vegetables by family (solanaceous, cucurbitaceous, cruciferous, leguminous, malvaceous, alliaceous) and state one major pest and one major disease for each family

Write crop schedules for tomato, brinjal, chilli, okra, onion and cucurbits covering nursery raising, transplanting, spacing, fertilizer splits and harvest stage

Identify and describe symptoms of key vegetable pests (fruit borer, whitefly, thrips, aphids, red pumpkin beetle) and diseases (early blight, late blight, bacterial wilt, leaf curl, damping off)

Explain integrated pest management steps in order - cultural, mechanical, biological, chemical - and place each control measure you listed under the correct step

Differentiate insecticide, fungicide and bactericide use, and state safety norms for waiting period, protective clothing and safe disposal of containers

Describe orchard establishment for mango, banana, citrus, grape, guava and pomegranate: planting distance, pit size, training system and bearing habit

Explain the propagation method best suited to each of those six fruits and justify the choice in one sentence per crop

Compare sexual and asexual propagation, and demonstrate step-by-step procedures for veneer grafting, softwood cutting, layering (air and ground) and stooling

Explain nursery layout, bed preparation, rootstock raising, grafting success factors, hardening and nursery certification basics

State planting material standards - true-to-type, disease-free, age of graft, rootstock-scion compatibility - and how to inspect a nursery stock lot

Recite from memory the botanical name, family, edible part and propagation method for 25 crops drawn from Domains 1, 3 and 4

Solve 15 mixed numerical problems on seed rate, plant population per hectare, fertilizer dose per plant and spray solution concentration

Review weeks 1-3 notes and rewrite any definition you cannot recall in your own words

Answer one full-length mock paper under timed conditions and mark every wrong answer with the reason it was wrong

Classify ornamental plants into annuals, biennials, perennials, bulbous, foliage and flowering trees, giving three examples per group

Describe protected cultivation structures - polyhouse, shade net, greenhouse, low tunnel - with the crop and season each suits and the environmental control needed

Explain irrigation methods (drip, sprinkler, surface, subsurface) with layout, advantages, limitations and a simple water requirement calculation

Identify common floriculture crops (rose, chrysanthemum, gerbera, marigold, jasmine, tuberose) with planting spacing, pinching or disbudding practice and harvest stage

Explain landscaping principles - symmetry, focal point, scale, texture, colour - and prepare a simple garden layout for a small plot

Describe post-harvest physiology: respiration rate, climacteric versus non-climacteric fruits, ethylene action and its management

Explain grading, cleaning, waxing, pre-cooling, packaging and storage methods including cold storage and controlled atmosphere, with the crop each suits

List value-added products from fruits and vegetables (jam, jelly, squash, pickle, ketchup, dried and dehydrated products) and state the preservation principle behind each

Describe the major post-harvest diseases and disorders of mango, banana, grape and tomato, and state one preventive measure for each

Revise Domain 7 pest and disease facts and add any new causal organisms met during post-harvest study to your crop table

Explain agricultural marketing channels, market functionaries, grading and standardisation, and the role of regulated markets, cooperatives and e-NAM type platforms

Prepare a simple enterprise budget for one horticultural crop: fixed cost, variable cost, gross income, net profit and break-even yield

Describe entrepreneurship support available to horticulture graduates - credit, subsidy and project report requirements - in general terms without quoting figures you cannot verify

Revise soil fertility, nutrient deficiency symptoms and fertilizer recommendation logic, and match deficiency symptoms to the correct nutrient for 10 cases

Attempt two full-length mock papers under exam timing and score above your week-4 baseline

Revise only your error log and one-page sheets; do not open new material

Recite botanical names, families and propagation methods for all 25 crops from week 4 without reference

Rewrite the 10 weakest facts from memory three times across the week until each is recalled correctly on first attempt