Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science
Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science carries the definition and classification questions of the paper, plus the plant-physiology reasoning that every later domain depends on. Expect exact terminology, correct Maharashtra crop examples, and short calculations such as plant population per hectare.
Classification the paper tests
- Horticulture divides into pomology (fruits), olericulture (vegetables), floriculture (flowers), arboriculture (tree culture) and landscape horticulture.
- Climate groups: tropical (mango, banana, coconut, cashew), subtropical (citrus, guava, pomegranate, sapota) and temperate (apple, pear, peach).
- Other groupings: annual, biennial and perennial; leafy, root, fruit and flower vegetables; loose flowers (marigold, jasmine) against cut flowers (rose, gerbera).
Physiology that changes field practice
C3 plants (mango, rice, tomato) photorespire and lose carbon in heat; C4 plants (maize, sugarcane, amaranth) concentrate CO2 and suit bright, hot weather; CAM plants (pineapple, opuntia) open stomata at night and survive dry tracts. Photoperiodism is day-length control of flowering: short-day (chrysanthemum, poinsettia), long-day (spinach, radish) and day-neutral (tomato, marigold, rose). Vernalization is a separate low-temperature requirement. The five growth regulators are auxin (rooting, apical dominance), gibberellin (elongation, seedless grapes), cytokinin (cell division, delayed senescence), abscisic acid (stomatal closure) and ethylene (ripening).
Worked example. How many plants fit one hectare at 3 m x 3 m? Spacing area = 3 x 3 = 9 m2 per plant. One hectare = 10,000 m2. Plants = 10,000 / 9 = 1,111. If 5% of land goes to paths, plant only 9,500 / 9 = 1,056. Reasoning: bring both figures to the same unit before dividing, then correct for unplanted area.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing 1 hectare = 1,000 m2.
- Mixing pomology with olericulture, or calling banana a subtropical crop.
- Treating ethylene as a rooting hormone, or calling photoperiodism vernalization.
- Quoting apple, pear or peach for a Konkan situation.