HOR.

111 - Fundamentals of Horticulture (1+1)

Utility of the course

1. The course deals on fundamentals of horticulture including the importance of

horticulture, crop classification, propagation, soil, climatic conditions and
basic information on the horticultural dustry.
2. The course has been framed to feed information to the students on methods of
planting, laying of orchards, tools and implements used in horticulture,
spacing, manuring, green and cover crops, organic farming etc.
3. The major problems in horticulture has been highlighted with physiological
problems like poor flowering and fruit set, methods to overcome, harvesting of
horticultural produces indicating its maturity standards etc.
4. The course is useful to the beginners with easy understanding of horticultural
aspects. The practical orientation being done helps the students to learn the
field experience especially in handling the inputs, management of orchards,
estates etc.
5. Skillful operations like budding, grafting, layering, preparation of cuttings are
taught to the students in the practical excercises which helps them to learn
more of propagation

Theory
Scope and importance of Horticulture and Horticultural crops –
area and production – exports and imports – classification - climatic zones
of India and Tamil Nadu in relation to Horticultural crops – factors
limiting Horticultural crop production. Propagation structures and plant
growth structures. Propagation seed/vegetative method – their advantages
and disadvantages – techniques of seed propagation - vegetative
propagation – principles and methods – stock/scion relationship –
propagation by specialized plant parts. Establishment of orchards –
multitier cropping – cover crops – intercrops-mulching – bearing habits –
training and pruning – flowering, pollination and fruit set – fruitfulness
and unfruitfulness – causative factors – fruit drop – causes and prevention
– role of plant growth regulators in Horticulture. Maturity indices -
Harvesting – post harvest handling – and losses.

Practical
Different features of an orchard – tools and implements –
preparation of nursery beds for raising root stocks and seedlings – potting
and repotting of plants – preparation of pot mixtures – use of plant parts
in vegetative propagation – propagation structures - mist chamber and its
operation – shade net house – use of growth regulators in propagation -
propagation by different methods of cuttings, layering, budding and
grafting – top working – micropropagation. Planning, layout and planting
– methods of manuring and irrigation – Bearing habits of Horticultural
crops – training and pruning practices of fruit trees – Maturity standards –
Practicing various packing techniques.

Theory schedule

1. Horticulture – Division - Scope and importance - Export and import

-Area and Production.
2. Classification based on climatic zones of India and Tamil Nadu.
3. Biotic and Abiotic factors limiting Horticultural crop production.
4. Methods of propagation of Horticultural crops and their advantages
and disadvantages.
5. Seed propagation methods – Seed germination, seed dormancy,
seed treatment.
6. Vegetative propagations by specialized plant parts, cutting and
layering.
 7. Vegetative propagation by grafting and budding. Stock scion
relationship.
8. Planning, layout and establishment of an orchard.
9. Mid-semester examination.
10. Bearing habits, flowering, pollination and fruit set of Horticultural
Crops.
11. Training and pruning in Horticultural crops.
12. Fruitfulness, unfruitfulness and fruit drop in Horticultural crops.
13. Soil types, manures and manuring of Horticultural crops.
14. Irrigation and intercultural operations.
15. Horticultural cropping systems – Inter crops, Cover crop, Multi tier
crop and Mulching.
16. Role of plant growth regulators in Horticultural crops.
17. Maturity indices, harvesting and post harvest handling and storage
of Horticultural crops.
Practical schedule
1. Visiting college orchard to identify different features of an orchard.
2. Horticultural tools and implements used for various operations.
3. Preparation of nursery beds for raising rootstocks and seedlings.
4. Preparation of pot mixture, potting and repotting.
5. Specialized plant parts used in propagation.
6. Plant propagation structures.
7. Preparation of growth regulators and method of application in
cuttings.
8. Propagation through layering
9. Propagation through budding.
10.Propagation through grafting and top working.
11.Micropropagation.
12.Planning, layout and planting of Horticultural crops.
13.Methods of manuring and irrigation.
14.Bearing habits of Horticultural crops and training practices in
Horticultural crops.
15.Pruning practices in Horticultural crops.
16.Maturity indices for various Horticultural crops, handling, storage
and packing techniques.
17.Practical examination.