Logo

Synopsis Horticulture needs to redefine and/or focus itself because horticulture is an industry and its aim is economic success. It is an emerging sector of economic importance in India. Horticulture is defined as the cultivation of an orchard, garden, or nursery on a small or large scale, or the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants. However, horticultural industry has reached unprecedented growth in the size, diversity, and value worldwide, but still horticultural science within academia is experiencing a crisis. In modern age, Technology has become a pervasive element in modern horticultural cropping systems. In this context it is define technology as "advanced systems that manage, control, communicate, sense, and report information on crops at all stages of development and utilization." The technology includes many faces like: (1) Improved plant genotypes, some developed by recombinant DNA technology, (2) Value-added plant propagation, (3) Advanced hybrids, coated and primed seed, artificial seeds, micropropagation, advanced plug technology, (4) Computer-based environmental sensing and control specially of green houses, (5) High speed data interchange between critical production points, (6) Environmental sensors and equipment for monitoring plant status, (7) Advanced production techniques (hydroponics), (8) Integrated Pest Management, (9) Use of cultural, biological, chemical, host plant resistance/tolerance, physical-mechanical control and regulatory control methods, and (10) Integrated nutrient management (INM). Hi-tech horticulture is the need of all the developing countries. Controlled-environment horticulture certainly has a promising future within multi-disciplinary plant-science research as well as many exciting applications within controlled-environment agriculture.