Modern horticulture involves several new techniques to improve production and sustainability. Protected horticulture uses structures like greenhouses to control the environment and grow crops in places with unsuitable climates. Precision horticulture applies precise inputs and practices to optimize management. Hydroponics and aeroponics allow crop production with minimal water and soil. Organic horticulture focuses on reducing synthetic inputs. Biotechnology and tissue culture are used for propagation, disease prevention, and genetic improvement of crops. Automation and robotics are minimizing labor needs and improving consistency in horticultural operations.

1. 1
Present and Future Prospects of Modern
Day Horticulture
WORLD HORTICULTURE SCENARIO
Present Status and Future Prospects of Modern Day Horticulture
PRESENT STATUS
➢Horticulture is the main industry to improve food security for rapidly increasing
population.
➢During 2012, the almost remarkable food has been banana (101 million tons)
followed by apple (76 million tons).
➢Asia contributes 52% fruits and 76.9% vegetables of the total world production.
➢China and India are the world’s leading producer of fruits and vegetables.
➢The top fruit and vegetables exporting countries are Vietnam and South Africa.
➢More than 70% of the world’s cut flowers are grown by Netherlands, Columbia
and Kenya.
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2. 2
HORTICULTURE IN PAKISTAN
1. Horticulture Sector in Pakistan occupies significant share in agricultural GDP
and employment.
2. The main fruit crops of the country are citrus (Kinnow Mandarin), mango, date
palm, apple, pomegranate, guava, apricot, peaches, almond, banana, papaya,
ber, coconut, jaman, falsa, walnut, mulberry, cheku, litchi, loquat etc.
3. Potato, onion, tomato, cabbage, chilli, cauliflower, garlic, turnip, ginger, brinjal,
bitter gourd, sweet pepper, okra, peas, carrot radish etc. are the important
vegetables grown in the country.
➢Presently, Pakistan occupies 1st position in the production of Kinnow mandarin
➢2nd in guava
➢5th in dry chillies and peppers
➢6th in mango, apricot and date
➢9th in spinach and cauliflower
➢10th in green peas
➢11th in citrus and 14th in Pistachio
➢A large variety of flowers and ornamental plants, medical and aromatic plants, and
herbal plants are also produced in Pakistan.
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3. 3
FUTURE PROSPECTS OF
HORTICULTURE
1. Provide opportunities to increase earning.
2. Alleviate poverty
3. Reduce socio-economic disparities
4. Add to the foreign exchange (dates, citrus, mango, apricot)
LIMITATIONS IN PAKISTAN
1. Insufficient availability of quality seeds and planting materials
2. Imbalanced use of inputs (fertilizers, irrigation, plant protection).
3. Significant losses (biotic and abiotic stresses)
4. Inadequate storage and processing/packaging facilities.
5. Poor market infrastructure and access to information
6. Insufficient infrastructure
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4. 4
MODERN DAY HORTICULTURE
1. Protected Horticulture
2. Precision Horticulture
3. Hydroponics/Aeroponics Production
4. Aeroponics
5. Organic Horticulture
6. Pre-urban Horticulture
7. Vegetable Grafting
8. Biotechnological Interventions
9. High Health Nurseries
10. Containerized Nursery
11. Automation/Robotics In Horticulture
Protected Horticulture
A unique and specialized form of agriculture, which enables some control of wind
velocity, moisture, temperature, mineral nutrients, light intensity and atmospheric
composition.
Examples: Cucumber, Tomato, Egg Plant
Devices for protection (windbreaks, irrigation, soil mulches)
Structure (green house, tunnels, row covers)
Main objective: grow crops where they do not survive due to heat or frost injury.
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5. 5
PROTECTED HORTICULTURE
Precision Horticulture
An approach of production management where precise inputs and practices are
applied at exact places within a field or specific sites, with the objective to do ‘the
right thing’, at the ‘right time’, and in the ‘right way’.
Main Objectives:
1. To enhance the objectiveness of management practices
2. Yield mapping
3. Irrigation application
4. Pest management.
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6. 6
APPLICATIONS OF PRECISION
HORTICULTURE
1. Use of EM38 (Electro-magnetic induction system)
2. Visible-near-infrared spectroscopy
3. Lidar
4. Terrain modelling (based on open source software)
HYDROPONICS/AEROPONICS PRODUCTION
Hydroponics is gardening by using water without soil.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Use 70% to 90% less water
2. No nutrient run off
3. Successful in poor soils
4. Successful in limited irrigation water
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7. 7
AEROPONICS
A system of hydroponic where the roots of the plants are suspended in a chamber
and a nutrient solution is sprayed.
COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR:
1. Plant Propagation
2. Germination of seeds
3. Production of potato tubers and leafy vegetables
AEROPONICS
ADVANTAGES:
1. 80% increase in dry weight biomass
2. Use 98% less water
3. Do not face transplant shock
4. Reduce the spread of disease
Macronutrients used: calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulphate
Micronutrients used: Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Cl and Ni.
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8. 8
HYDROPONICS AEROPONICS
ORGANIC HORTICULTURE
The use of organic methods of growing, soil management, disease and pest
management, water and nutrient management for horticultural crops.
Basic aim: reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
BENEFITS:
1. Maintain soil health/fertility
2. Maintain plant health, human health and the surrounding environment.
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9. 9
PRE-URBAN HORTICULTURE
Involves the growing of horticultural crops in the immediate surroundings of cities.
Normally annuals are preferred to grow.
BENEFITS :
1. Availability of fruits and vegetables at affordable prices
2. Fresh source of providing minerals and vitamins
3. Positive effect on environment on the environment and nutrient recycling
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10. 10
VEGETABLE GRAFTING
A technique in which true plant tissues are joined to develop vascular connection.
Rootstock: plant part which makes root system
Scion: plant part responsible for the production of aerial parts of plant.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Tolerate to adverse environmental conditions and soil borne disease
2. Manage production issues
3. Used for asexual propagation of fruit plants
VEGETABLE GRAFTING
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11. 11
BIOTECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS
Use of micro-organisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast, animal or plant cells to
engineer products, plants or animals for specific uses.
IMPORTANCE IN HORTICULTURAL CROPS:
1. Genetic transformation
2. Micro-propagation
3. In vitro conservation of germ-plasm
4. Synthetic seed technology
5. Virus cleaning
6. Bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides
BIOTECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS
Plant Tissue Culture is one of the widest applications of biotechnology. These are
widely used for:
1. Asexual in vitro propagation
2. Safer and quarantined movements of germ-plasm
3. Embryo rescue in hybridization programs
4. Haploid/double haploid production
5. Meristem culture
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12. 12
BIOTECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS
PLANT TISSUE CULTURE
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13. 13
HIGH HEALTH NURSERIES
Factors affecting plant growth at nursery stage:
1. Biotic and abiotic
2. Basic approaches to produce nursery
3. The preventive measures
4. The curative measures
CONTAINERIZED NURSERY:
Production of plantlets in sanitized containers
ADVANTAGES :
1. Use of same site round the year by using sterilized potting mix
2. Exclusion of soil-borne pathogens and noxious weeds
3. Grown in screen or greenhouses with partial management of microclimate
4. Grow rapidly after transplanting because of undisturbed root system.
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14. 14
CONTAINERIZED NURSERY:
AUTOMATION/ROBOTICS IN
HORTICULTURE
1. It minimizes labour cost
2. Reduce the cost of production
3. Reduce crop damage at harvest
4. Reduce inconsistency in product quality during production
5. Used in vegetable nurseries for grafting transplants
6. Used for planting vegetable seeds
7. Used for planting plantlets in greenhouses or fields.
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15. 15
AUTOMATION/ROBOTICS IN
HORTICULTURE
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