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Previous year horticulture questions asked in IBPS, NABARD, RRB-SOExams
✓ Coorg is a commercial variety of - Coffee (AFO 2022)
✓ Pusa Nanha variety of papaya is developed by – Mutation (AFO 2022)
✓ Cricket ball & Kalipatti variety of which crop – Sapota (AFO 2022)
✓ Guava flesh pink spot variety which is also known as Sardar – L-49 (AFO 2022)
✓ The process in which immature green fruits turned into edible, desirable flavour,
✓ quality, colour, palatable nature with ethylene treatment – Ripening (AFO 2022)
✓ Amrapali hybrid of mango is made by the cross between – Dasheri x Neelam
(AFO 2022)
✓ Fruit of Rose known as – Hips (IBPS AFO 2021)
✓ Onion pungency due to – Allyl Propyl Di sulphide (IBPS AFO 2021)
✓ In Maharashtra and Karnataka wines are pruned twice in the months of April
and October (Nabard 2019) (IBPS AFO 2021) (Complete topic is uploaded in
our Grape lecture)
✓ Blossom end rot related to which crop and occurs due to deficiency of
Calcium in tomato (IBPS AFO 2021)
✓ Fruit type of pineapple? Sorosis (IBPS AFO 2021)
✓ According to the recommendations of ICMR, the vegetable consumption should
be how many grams? – 300 gms (IBPS AFO 2021)
✓ Disintegration of aril in pomegranate fruit, softness of aril, the aril turns to light
creamy brown to dark blackish brown and no external damage is seen are the
symptom of? Internal breakdown (IBPS AFO 2021) (Complete topic is
uploaded in our Pathology lecture)
✓ Coconut pest is ubiquitous pest, has pointed horns, which enter into the
unopened spathes, fronds, nuts and bores upwards chewed up fibers from feeding
sites and Strout becomes black color caused by? Rhinoceros beetle (IBPS AFO
2021) (Complete topic is uploaded in our Pathology lecture)
✓ The tree species which is rich in vitamin-C, and has a good medicinal property
where used in Ayurveda? - Emblica officinalis (rrb so 2021)
✓ With reference to special practises in banana “the height at which pseudo stem
should be cut after bunch harvesting is? Mattocking (rrb so 2019)
✓ Which is natural mutant variety of coffee? Caturra (rrb so 2019)
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✓ Coorg honey dew is a variety of which of the following fruit crop?
Papaya (rrb so 2019)
✓ Which is following represents correct symptom of Bacterial wilt of tomato?
Wilting of leaves and vascular bundles show brownish discoloration (rrb so
2019)
✓ Which of the following Grafting method in which germinating seeds less than 2
weeks are wedged or splice grafted with mature scion and their success depends
on moderate temperature and high Relative humidity? Stone grafting (rrb so
2019)
✓ Edible part of raspberry is? (Naintal bank) (CWC) 2019
✓ Which of the following sprayer is used in tea plantation? (CWC) 2019
✓ Quincunx system of planting is followed in which of the following crops? – Fruit
trees (Nabard 2021)
✓ Study of fruits is called – Pomology (Nabard 2021)
✓ CTC is the one of the steps of which crop – Tea (Nabard 2021)
✓ Lancing term related to which medicinal crop? (Nabard 2020)
✓ Tipping is practiced in? (Nabard 2020)
✓ Inarching method of grafting is done in (Nabard 2020)
✓ Identify the arrangement according to the horticulture production? (Nabard
2020)
✓ Maximum area under pineapple? (Nabard 2019)
✓ Coconut propagation method is? (Nabard 2019)
✓ Citrus greening symptoms? (Nabard 2019)
✓ Totipotency definition? (Nabard 2019)
✓ Tissue culture used in banana (AFO 2017)
✓ Mould layering definition (Nabard 2019)
✓ Solitary inflorence fruit crop? (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Arka Bheem is the variety of (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Popular grape variety which occupies 60% of area is? (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Edible part of guava (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Scuffling done in which plantation crop (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Rhinoceros beetle in coconut is trapped by which instrument (Naintal Bank SO
2019)
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✓ Wet land condition of banana cropping which system of planting is used –
Trench system (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Sigotoka disease is important disease of? (Complete topic is uploaded in our
pathology lectures) (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Guava planting method? Meadow orchid (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Peach fruit type? (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Guava HDP variety (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Which of the following crop is a cole crop? (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Planting distance, if plant to plant distance is 10 m in row to row distance
appears to 8.66 m, a planting distance in hexagonal system is (Naintal Bank SO
2019) (RRB SO 2020)
✓ Seed coat which is flashy at maturity? (Naintal Bank SO 2019)
✓ Grande nine is a variety? (PSB 2019)
✓ Panama wilt is related to which crop? (PSB 2019)
✓ Olericulture is – Growing of vegetable crops. (PSB 2019) (Nabard 2021)
✓ Mango mealy bug symptoms (PSB 2019)
✓ Bunchy top symptoms (PSB 2019)
✓ Allium cepa is botanical name of – Onion (PSB 2019)
✓ Woody shrubs which is used to cut hardy branches is (rrb so 2019)
✓ Which of the following crop does not belongs to Umbelliferace family – Celery
(rrb so 2019)

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 Horticulture
What is horticulture?
• The word horticulture is derived from the latin words; hortus and colere meaning
garden and to cultivate respectively.
• Horticulture is a part of agriculture which is concerned with cultivation of garden
crops. Garden crops include fruits, vegetables, ornamental crops, spices,
plantation, medical and aromatic crops.

Branches of horticulture
Pomology:
• The term Pomology is derived from the Latin word pomum meaning "fruits and
the Greek word logy meaning 'science'.
• Thus, pomology is the science of production of fruit crops.

Olericulture: (PSB 2019)

• The term Olericulture is originated from Latin word 'oleris' meaning pot herb
and the English word culture meaning raising of plants.
• Olericulture is a branch of horticulture which deals with the cultivation of
vegetable crops.

Floriculture: Floriculture is a branch of horticulture which deals with the cultivation

of flower crops.

Plantation crops:
• Tropical crops grown area on a large scale by a uniform system of cultivation
under central management and centered around a factory are called plantation
crops. E.g. tea, coffee, coconut, palms etc.

Spice crops:
• Spices are dried vegetable substances which are used for seasoning food and
imparting distinctive flavor and fragrance that gives zest or piquancy for
enjoyment. E.g. Black paper, cinnamon, nutmeg etc.
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Condiments:
• Condiments are plant-products which add taste to the foodstuffs or food
preparations. E.g. Coriander, cumin etc.

Post-Harvest technology:
• It deals with the processing and preservation of produce of horticulture crops.

Another sub branches of horticulture can be roughly classified as under:

1) Medicinal and Aromatic plants.
a) Medicinal plants:
• Medicinal plants are rich source of alkaloids and steroids having prophylactic or
curative properties for treatments in several diseases and are used in
pharmaceutical industries for preparing medicines for human beings and animals
(veterinary medicines) e.g., Vinca, Isabgol etc.
b) Aromatic plants:
• Aromatic plants are the plants which provide essential oils and are in great
demand in cosmetic and perfumery industries. E.g., Lemon grass, Patchouli etc.

2) Ornamental gardening:
• It is the branch of horticulture which deals with the study of growing of
ornamental foliage and flowering trees, shrubs, climbers, seasonal flowers, cacti,
orchids, indoor and outdoor garden plants.

3) Landscape gardening:
• Landscape gardening is the art as it appears to the of beautifying a piece of land
using garden design, methods and plant materials.
• Landscape is the appearance of land eye.

4) Nursery management:
• There is a scientific study for the production of plants in nurseries for their
subsequent cultivation in fields

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 POMOLOGY
Layouts in orchid:
• The orchid is laid out as per the following system of planting.
1) Square system (IBPS AFO 2020)
• This is a common adoption system and easy method of planting fruit.
• In this system row to row and plant to plant distances are kept similar.
• The plants are planted exactly at right angles at each corner. Thus, every four
plants make a one square.

2) Rectangular system
• The field is laid out into rectangular shape plot keeping more spaces between
row and row.
• The plant to plant a distance is kept comparatively lesser.

3) Hexagonal system
• This system accommodates 15 % more plants than square system.
• It allows three-directional cultivation in the orchid.

4) Quincunx system (NABARD 2021)

• This system is similar to square system except one additional plant is planted in
the centre of each square.
• The plants that are planted in the centre of each square along with tall growing
plants at the corner of squares are termed as filler plants.
• These plants are planted with a view to generate income when the main orchid
plant is under non-bearing stage.

5) Contour system
• It is adopted in hilly areas for planting fruit plants where land is undulated and
soil erosion is great threat.
• Double Hedge Row contour planting system accommodates 22% Higher plants
than Single Hedge Row.

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6) High Density Planting (HDP)
• Accommodating a greater number of plants per unit area in comparison to
normal planting is referred to as HDP.
• It was attempted successfully in Europe during early sixties in under taking apple
plantation following the use of dwarfing rootstocks.
• Besides Europe, HDP is in commercial practice to grow temperate fruit crops in
Australia, America, Japan, New Zealand and Israel.
• In present day scenario when land man ratio is declining sharply, HDP needs due
popularity. HDP offers high productivity per unit area both in short duration as
well as perennial horticultural crops. It is achieved by resorting.
(i) use of dwarf rootstock/ inter-stock
(ii) adoption of dwarf scion varieties
(iii) use of growth regulators
(iv) proper training and pruning and
(v) suitable crop management practices.
In India, HDP has been successfully attempted in apple, peach, pear, banana,
pineapple, papaya, guava, mango and in citrus.
• HDP apple variety suitable is - SPUR
• HDP variety of Mango –Amrapalli, arka aruna and system of planting method
used is Triangular method
• HDP variety of Banana – Robusta, Cavendish, Basarai
• HDP variety of Guava – Lalit and pusa srijan
• HDP variety of Papaya – Pusa Nanha
• HDP variety of Pine apple – Kew
• HDP variety of Cherry – Meteor

Planting intensities
In HDP, planting intensity is maintained many times higher than normal planting
Accordingly, it is named differently as
• Semi-intensive: 500-1000 trees/ha
• Intensive: 1000-10,000 trees/ha
• Super intensive/Meadow orcharding: 20,000-1,00,000 trees/ha.
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Advantages
Efficient utilization of inputs-seeds, plants, manures, fertilizers, chemicals,
pesticides, machineries, tools, labors etc. and resources-soil, water, solar radiation
etc.
• Higher yield
• Higher economic return
• Easy canopy management
• Convenient farm mechanization
• Easy harvest
• Improved quality of harvest

Suitable dwarfing rootstocks

HDP is possible only using dwarfing rootstocks, In this regard suitable rootstocks
for different fruit trees are as under:
• Apple: Dwarfing/semi-dwarfing-M9, M26, M4, M7 and MM106, Ultra-
dwarfing - M27
• Mango: Vellaikolumban, olour, kurukkan.
• Guava: Pusa Srijan, Psidium friedrichsthalianum
• Citrus: Citrus troyer.
• Sapota: Khrini (or) Rayan
• Plum: Pixy

Suitable dwarfing scion cultivars

• Apple: Red Spur, Gold Spur, Silver Spur, Red Chief and Hardi Spur.
• Papaya: Pusa Nanha
• Banana: Dwarf Cavendish
• Peach: Red Heaven
• Mango: Amrapali
• Sapota: PKM I and PKM 2

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7) Meadow orchid:
• This system has its origin in Israel. It consists of planting trees at ultra-low
spacing, 1000 plants/ha. The plant is cut regularly at the height close to ground
this system heavily relies on the use of growth regulators.
• Commercially adopted in Guava developed by CISH, Lucknow.
(ASKED IN NAINTAL BANK SO 2019)

Square and rectangular system examples

Area in metre
Number of Plants =
Planting distance
Example: area of 10000 sq.m (1 ha) and planting distance is 10 x 10 m then,
10000
Number of Plants = = 100 plants /ha
10 x 10

In hexagonal system
Area in metres
Number of Plants =
Planting distance
Example: area is 1 hectare 10,000 sq.m or 100 x100 m

Planting distance, if plant to plant distance is 10 m in row to row distance appears

to 8.66 m, a planting distance in hexagonal system is (NAINTAL 2019, RRB SO
2020)
100 x 100
Number of plants = = 115 (approx.) plants /ha.
10 x 8.6

• Skirting is the removal of low hanging branches in Mango.

• Bower system used in grapes also known as Pandal, Arbour, pergola.

HI-TECH Horticulture
• Hi-tech horticulture is technology intensive production system. It is time and
space dimensions compatible system of production in which inputs and resources
are combined judiciously so as to maximize return many times more than the
conventional system of production.

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• Use of micro-irrigation system, use of plastics, protected cultivation, precision
farming, high density planting, integrated nutrient management (INM),
integrated pest management, (IPM), mechanization etc. are important facets of
hi-tech horticulture.
Training of orchard:
• This Refers to judicious removal of plant parts to develop a proper shape and
strong frame work of plant to make capable of bearing heavy crop load.
• While pruning is defined as the judicious removal of parts like root, leaf, flower,
fruit etc. to obtain good and qualitative yield.
Methods of training
a. Centre leader system:
In this system the main stem of the tree is allowed to grow uninterrupted. The first
branch is allowed to grow at 45 to 50 cm height from ground level and other
branches are allowed to grow on main stem at a distance of 15 to 20 cm. This
method is not suitable for high altitude and hot arid places where wind velocity is
high.

b. Open centre system:

In this system, when the plant attains a height of 40 to 50 cm, it is beheaded. From
the subsequent vegetative growth, 4-5 branches well scattered, arranged and
distributed all around the main stem are selected. The tree, thus, trained attains less
height. There is better interception of light by all the shoots of the tree and all
branches are capable of bearing flowers and fruits. Not suitable for frost prone area.

c. Modified leadership system:

This is intermediate form of central leader and open centre system and draws the
benefits of both systems. In this system, the main stem is allowed to grow for 4 to 5
years. After that, it is cut at a height of 120 to 150 cm from ground level. On the
main stem, the first shoot is selected at a height of 40 cm from the ground and 4 to 5
branches located at a distance of 15 to 20 cm and placed all around the main stem
are selected. The plant trained through this system, attains moderate height. All
retained branches receive ample light and there is better production on the tree.

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This is very suitable method and practiced in almost all regions. This system is most
acceptable for commercial fruit cultivation.

PRUNING
Judicious removal of plant part to obtain better and qualitative yield is termed as
pruning. Pruning is started in later part of plant life, when it becomes capable to
produce flowers and fruits.
Objectives of pruning
• To control flowering and fruiting.
• To augment production in plants which bear on new shoots.
• To obtain regular bearing.
• To remove diseased, damaged, insect infested and weak shoots.
• To thin out flowers and fruits.
• To ensure access to sunlight to bearing shoots.
• To invigorate the plants.
• To have a balance between vegetative and reproductive growth.

METHODS OF PRUNING
1. Heading back:
• Removal of terminal portion of shoot leaving basal portion intact is termed as
heading back.
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2. Thinning
• Selective and complete removal of part of the plant is termed as thinning.

3. Ringing or Girdling
• In this process, a circular ring of bark measuring about 3 cm in length is
removed.
• It hastens flowering and fruiting by allowing greater accumulation of
photosynthates in upward portion of the plant.

4. Notching
• Making a notch above a bud by removing a wedge-shaped piece of bark is
termed notching. It checks the influence of hormone and encourages growth.

5. Nicking
• Making a notch below a bud by removing a wedge-shaped piece of bark is
termed as nicking. This ensures accumulation of carbohydrates from the
leaves to the bud and may result in the formation of fruit bud. All the above
kinds of pruning are practiced in case of stem.

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