Horticulture and Plantation Crops
Branches of horticulture
Horticulture covers pomology (fruits), olericulture (vegetables), floriculture (flowers), arboriculture (trees), plantation crops (coconut, tea, coffee, rubber, cashew and spices), and medicinal and aromatic plants. The exam tests classification, propagation methods, planting density and cultural practices.
Propagation
- Sexual propagation: seed, with apomixis and polyembryony seen in mango and citrus.
- Asexual propagation: cuttings, layering (air layering in guava and litchi), grafting (approach, wedge and veneer), budding (T or shield, patch), suckers in banana, and rhizomes or tubers.
- Nursery management includes suitable media, shade, hardening and certification.
Cultural practices
Training and pruning, high-density planting, canopy management, fertigation, mulching, drip irrigation and protected cultivation are important for quality and yield.
Worked example
A mango orchard is planted at 5 m × 5 m. Area per plant = 25 m², and 1 ha = 10,000 m², so plant population = 10,000 ÷ 25 = 400 plants. At 5 m × 2.5 m, area per plant = 12.5 m², giving 10,000 ÷ 12.5 = 800 plants. The reasoning is plant population = 10,000 ÷ (row spacing × plant spacing). High-density planting gives earlier and higher yields but needs more pruning and nutrition.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing grafting with budding; using 1 ha = 1,000 m²; classifying coconut or tea as a fruit crop; ignoring polarity when planting cuttings; and calculating plant density without allowing for paths and infrastructure.