AgTech 211 (Horticultural Crops Production

Management

Compiled by: Marissa C. Hitalia, PhD

Introduction to Horticulture

• Definition, concepts and principles of horticultre

– Horticulture
• the segment of the agriculture industry
• literally means the culture of garden
• on broader conetxt, it is an art, science, technology and business that
includes the production and use of plants for food, comfort, and
beautification.
Horticultue as an Art
• it is an art since it involves aesthetic valaue specifically in
the flora selection of decorative indoor and landscape
plants in designing and beautification at home,
playgrounds, offices and other areas for improvement.
Horticulture as a science

• it is a science since it is based on facts and principles in

developing sustainable production, marketing, and use of
high-value, intensively cultivated food and ornamental
plants.
• horticultural crops are are diverse, they include annual
and perennial species, delicious fruits and vegetables.
Horticulture as technology

• horticulturists apply knowledge, skills, and technologies to

grow intensively, produce plants for human food and non-
food users and for personal or social needs.
• the work of horticulturists involves plant propagation and
cultivation with the aim of improving plant growth, yields,
quality, nutritional vaule and resitance to insects,
diseasees and environmental stresses.
• horticulturists work as gardeners, growers, therapists,
designers, and technical advisors, field technician in the
food and non-food sectors of horticulture.
Horticulture

• is a science, as well as an art of production, utilization

and improvement of horticultural crops, such as fruits and
vegetables, spices, and condiments, ornamental,
plantation, medicinal and aromatic plants.

• horticultural crops require intense care in planting,

carrying out intercultural operations, manipulation of
growth, harvesting, packaging, marketing, storage and
processing.
Horticulture

• derived from two latin words:

– hortus - meaning “garden”
– cultura- meaning “cultivation”

• It refers to to crops cultivated in an enclosure, i. e. garden

cultivation
• a direct relationship exists between horticulture and
science. the area of science most closely associated with
horticulture is botany. Botany - is the study of plants and
plant processes.
Horticulture science
– the field of science that deals with the cultivation of horticultural
plants.

– science is applied accross the horticulture industry

– Horticulture technology - the application of science to

horticulture
– successfully raising horticultural plants takes more than just
daily watering. Time, patience, and an understanding of diverse
scientific processes are needed to produce optimal plant gowth.
The Horticulture Industry

• the horticulture industry is te combination of scientific,

technological, and production activites that ensure the
satisfaction of the consumer.
• the horticulturee industry can be devided into 3 areas:
• pomology
• olericulture
• ornamental horticulture

– each area is unique and includes many career opportunities.

Pomology

• is the planting, harvesting, storing, processing, and

marketing of fruit and nut crops.
• fruit crops include both large and small fruits
– examples of large fruits:
• peaches
• apples
• pears

• Examples of small fruits

• strawberries
• raspberries
• blueberries
Popular nut crops

• almonds
• pecans
• walnuts
Olericulture
• the area of horticulture that involves the production of
vegetable food crops.

• includes the planting, harvesting, storing, processing, and

marketing of vegetable crops.
• examples of vegetable crops:
– sweet corn
– tomatoes
– snap beans
– lettuce
Ornamental Horticulture

• the growth and use of plants for their beauty

• involves the production and use of woody and
herbaceous plants
• because of the use of green plants, the ornamental
horticulture industry is often referred to as the “green
industry”
• devided into 2 categories:
– Floriculture
– Landscape horticulture
Ornamental Horticulture

• floriculture and landscape horticulture involve the use of

flowering and foliage plants.
• Foliage plants are those used for their colorful greenery
of leaves.
• Floriculture is the area of ornamental horticulture
associated with the production and use of flowers, potted
plants, and annual bedding plants. it includes the use of
floral products in the florist’s trade.
– poinsttias, carnations, philodendrons, and petunias are
common plants associated with floriculture.
 Landscape Horticulture
• the production and use of plants to beautify the outdoor
environment
• includes designing plans for landscapes, installing
landscapes as specified in the plans, and maintaining the
landscapes.
• maples, oaks, forsythia, honeysuckle, english ivy, peonies
and kentucky bluegrass are common landscape plant
materials.
• most plants used in landscape horticulture are obtained
from a nursery. A nursery is a place that specializes in
starting plants and growing them until they are readdy to be
transpalnted to landscapes.
Landscape Horticulture

• Nurseries produce ground-cover plants, herbaceous

perennials, flowering shrubs, evergreens, deciduous
shade trees, and ornamental trees for retail,and
wholesale sales.
• other nurseries sometimes called sod farms, grow grass
that is cut and moved to landscape projects.
• garden centers are retail outlets that sell plants grown in
urseries, along with garden supplies. a garden center
frequently has a greenhouse range and floral services.
Major areas/branches of horticulture

1. Arboriculture - is the study of, and the selection, plant,

care, and removal of, individual tree, shrubs, vines, and
other perennial woody plants.

2. Turf management - includes all aspects of the

production and maintenance of turf grass for sports, leisure
use or amenity use.

3. Floriculture - includes the production and marketing of

floral crops. Syudy of flower cultivation.
Major areas/branches of horticulture

4. Landscape horticulture - includes the production,

marketing and maintenance of landcscape plants.

5. Olericulture - includes the production and marketing of

vegtables

6. Pomology - includes the production, processing and

marketing of fruits or cultivation of fruits.
Major areas/branches of horticulture

7. Viticulture - includes the production and marketing of

grapes.

8. Oenology - includes all aspects of wine and winemaking

9. Postharvest physiology - involves maintaining the quality

of and preventing the spoilage of plants and animals.
Horticulture and Agriculture
– horticulture can be classified as a field under the umbrella of
agricultural science.
– agriculture and horticulture both use many of the same techniques
for crop cultivation and overlap with crop ang turf sciences.
– horticultural science includes:
– research
– study and practice of plant cultivation
– plant propagation
– plant breeding
– production of crops; and
– plant physiology.
Plants focused:

• vegetables
• trees
• flowers
• turfs
• shrubs
• fruits
• nuts
Agriculture - the science and technology of growing and
raising plants and animals.

Areas of agriculture
1. Forestry - the science and technology of culturing, utilizing and
improving forest trees and their products (ex. pulp, resins, oils,
etc.)
2. Agronomy- the science and technology of culturing, utilizing
and improving field crops (grain, fiber and forage rops)
3. Horticulture - the sicence, technology and art of culturing,
utilizing and improving fruit, vegetable, flowering and
Areas of Horticulture

1. Olericulture - vegetable culture and production

2. Pomology - fruit and nut culture and production

3. Ornamental horticulture - plants grown for aesthetics

uses, improvement of quality of life and our environment,
and functional areas
example:
energy conservation
 Areas of ornamental Horticulture

1. Floriculture - floweringand foliage plant culture and

production
2. Floristry - floral design and retail floristry operation
3. Nursery production - tree, shrub and vine culture and
production
4. Landscape horticulture - exteeior and interior design,
construction and maintenance of landscapes
5. Turf - grasses for lawns, landscapes, sport facilities and golf
courses (in agronomy in many Universities).
Classical guidelines for placement of a crop in
horticulture, agronomy or forestry
1. intensity of production - examples strwaberries vs. cotton

2. Purpose of growing a crop - example oak or pecan trees

in forest vs. landscape

3. Tradition of custom - exampple weet vs. field cron, or

tobacco
Relationship of horticulture to other sciences

• Horticulture is related to other applied and basic sciences:

– Basic sciences:
• Chemistry
• Microbiology
• Genetics,
• Physics
• Systematics and other applied sciences:
Relationship of horticulture to other sciences
1. Plant Breeding and Genetics- deals with crop improvement, for
better yield, resistance to pests and diseases, new colors, larger
foliage, flowers, fruits, and different habit of growth, etc.

2. Plant Physiology- deals with the processes occurring in plants

and the influence of the environmental conditions on these
processes.
Ex. Effect of potassium nitrate to flower induction in mango.
 Relationship of horticulture to other sciences
3. Soil Science- deals with the proper use of fertilizer, type of
application to certain soil- types.

4. Socio-economics- deals with the profit in any business venture.

In business, one must have managerial skills to be successful. As a
horticulturist, one must keep farm records.

5. Crop Protection- this encompasses four disciplines:

a. Entomology-study of insect pests.
b. Plant Pathology- study of plant diseases.
Relationship of horticulture to other sciences

c. Weed Science- study of weeds.

d. Study of vertebrate pests- rodents with the use of

irrigation, farm equipment, farm structures, and
meteorological data.
OPPORTUNITIES IN HORTICULTURE

1. Commercial growers/project managers

-Owner-entrepreneur
-Project managers
-Consultants

2. Teachers- all levels of education, from elementary to

college to tertiary education or beyond.
OPPORTUNITIES IN HORTICULTURE

3. Plant Breeders- careers for the improvement of

horticultural varieties.

4. Research workers- field or lab researchers -genetics

and breeding, seed physiology, plant propagation, nursery
mgt., crop physiology, postharvest, etc.

5. Extension workers – acts as linkage between the

researcher, the marketing and the processing groups.
OPPORTUNITIES IN HORTICULTURE

6. Parks and recreational area developers – as landscape

artist, architects, home/office decorators, others.

7. Banking and finance projects

8. Horticultural journalism

9. Food processors
History of Horticulture

• Prehistoric people were primarily….

– Hunters and gatherers.
– Collected seeds, fruits, and nuts.
History of Horticulture

• Primitive people began to study plants.

– Is it edible?
– Does eating it modify well-being?
– Does it taste good?
– Can it used to keep me warm? As fuel? As clothing?

– Is it useful to combat pain? Disease?

History of Horticulture

• When were plants first cultivated?

– Neolithic Age (7000 –10000 years ago)
– First farmers were women!!!!

By 3000 B.C. in Egypt

 Land preparation
 Irrigation
 Pruning
History of Horticulture

• Meanwhile in Mesopotamia,
• Babylonia, and Assyria…..
• – Irrigation canals lined with burnt brick and sealed with
• asphalt joints.
• • This system kept 10,000 square miles under
• cultivation…..
• – Which fed 15,000,000 people
• Cultivated roses, figs, dates, grapes, and olives.
History of Horticulture

• Hanging Gardens of
Babylon
• Built by Nebuchadnezzar.
• One of 7 Wonders of the
Ancient World
History of Horticulture

• Eventually people began asking questions such as…..

– How do they grow?
– How do they reproduce?
– How are they constructed?
– How are they nourished?
– How are they related to one another?
– How are traits passed from one generation to the
next?
History of Horticulture
• Meanwhile, back in America……
The Pre-Incas were cultivating maize
(corn)

Other Indian crops

• included……
– Potatoes
– Sweet potatoes
– Peppers
– Squash
– Tomatoes
- Cocoa
History of Horticulture
The use of plant products eventually led to physicians,
pharmacists, and scientists.

Theophrastus
 -1st scientific horticulturist
 - Student of Plato and Aristotle
 - Wrote the books on:
History of Plants
The Causes of Plants.
History of Horticulture

• History of Plants
– Morphology of roots, flowers, and leaves.
– Anatomical features such as bark, pith, fibers, and vessels.

• The Causes of Plants

• Relationship of weather, soils, and agricultural practices.
• Importance of seeds
• Value of grafting
• Tastes and flagrances of plants
• Death of plants
History of Horticulture

Dioscorides
- Early Christian Era
- Wrote about the medicinal uses of plants
- Proposed ideas about the relationship of plants
History of Horticulture

Middle Ages
- Little advancement in horticulture
- Arabs (established botanical gardens)
- Scientific advances of Greeks and Romans were
preserved in monasteries.
History of Horticulture
Renaissance
- Rebirth of energetic attention to scientific discovery.
- Taxonomy, morphology, and anatomy branches of
botany began to grow.
- More and more plants were discovered due to
exploration which required a system of classification.
History of Horticulture

Linnaeus (1707-1778)
 Swedish botanist.
 Developed binomial classification
scheme for plants.
 Based on their sexual or flowering
parts.
 Basis for all classification systems
today.
 Built upon the work of the Greeks,
especially Dioscorides.
History of Horticulture

As the Renaissance
evolved……
– Creation of formal
Gardens
- Versailles Belvedere in
Vienna
History of Horticulture

• Improvements in fruit, nut, and vegetable production.

• Influx of new plants from “the colonies”.

• – Some of these plants became mainstays of European

diets.
-end of the presentation-