Scope of Horticulture in India

In recent years, Horticulture is one field that has been rapidly emerging in India. Humans are becoming more aware of the impact of commercialisation that is impacting the environment. Read on to know the Scope of Horticulture in India.

Horticulture is the branch of Agricultural Science and can simply be defined as the art, technology, business, education, and science of plants. As of today, horticulture is one of the fastest-growing sectors in agriculture and the demand for horticulturists is increasing day by day. And, in our country, there are various top-notch colleges and universities offering specialised programs for the same.

In India or rather globally, COVID-19 has changed the outlook of people towards nature. They want to contribute in creating a healthy, greener, and better environment for themselves and all humanity at large. Presently, our country is next to China in the area and production of vegetables and fruit crops, producing 10 percent of fruits and 14 percent of vegetables in the world's production.

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India’s Horticulture Quick Facts:

• Leads the world in the production of mango, banana, sapota, acid lime and cauliflower
• Occupies the second position in the production of onion and third in cabbage production globally
• Produces nearly 70 different varieties of vegetables
• It is the largest producer and exporter of rice in the world

Branches of Horticulture

Being such a vast subject, this field is divided into three major branches given below -

• Floriculture: It is the cultivation of flowers. It is the branch of ornamental horticulture, concerned with growing and marketing flowers. The people associated with this field are called floriculturists.
• Olericulture: It is the science of growing vegetables, storing, processing and marketing plants for food. Here, food is identified as vegetables that are mostly annual, non-woody plants from which one harvests a crop. The person practising in this branch is called an Olericulturist.
• Pomiculture or Pomology: It is the science of producing and marketing seed-bearing fruit that grows on woody perennial plants like trees, bushes and vines. The person who practices in this field is known as Pomologist.

Scope of Horticulture in India

The output of food grains has witnessed a record surge, as for 2020-21, total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated at a record 303.34 million tonnes which are higher by 5.84 million tonnes than the production of foodgrain of 297.50 million tonnes achieved during 2019-20 (as per Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). One can easily say that India is self-sufficient in food grain production.

Right now, there is a demand for advancements in which our country has huge potential. There are so many concepts that are being covered under the name of Horticulture namely – monoculture, the concept of Permaculture to name a few. Apart from degree programs, there are a lot of groups wherein students from all walks of life are actively participating to spread awareness about the field.

Horticulture Jobs and Career

Horticulture is an extremely diversified field with limitless career opportunities in a variety of job settings. The level of training for the jobs may differ; it could range from a vocational to a proper college degree or KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendra created by Indian Council for Agricultural Research, abbreviated as ICAR).

Ideally, to grab a good job position in Horticulture, one must have a certified degree in this discipline. Having a proper degree acts as a bonus, as the person will have an in-depth knowledge of the field and will get offers at supervisory or managerial levels, while post-graduation and doctorate level degree will provide jobs in research or teaching.

Let us talk about job opportunities as per the branches:

• Floriculturists are specialized in planning and design of exterior/interior landscapes for parks, recreational areas, campuses, industrial sites, institutional grounds, shopping malls, and other large projects.
• Olericulturist can kick-start their career in almost every industry, research institutes, universities and other organizations at different levels. These personnel have more demand in the private sector as the vegetable growers have a good future, especially in the seed industry.
• Pomologists are well acquainted with breeding technology, tissue culture techniques, integrated nutrient management (INM), integrated pest management technique (IPM) and protected cultivation techniques of fruits. They hold a bright future in the ICAR, State Agricultural Universities and in other organizations.

Sector-wise Horticulture Jobs in India

There is ample scope for people wanting to be full-time/part-time horticulturist, whether one has their own piece of land or not, this line is open to all. If one needs to know sector-wise jobs available in India, read on to check the same -

In Government and Public Sector:

• Civil Servants ( IAS/IFS) - For this, candidates have to appear for competitive exams conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

• Scientists -, For this one has to take examinations organised by the Agriculture Scientist Recruitment Board, ICAR, New Delhi

• Lecturers, Assistant Professors or Training Associates in Agricultural Universities and Colleges

• Horticulture/Agriculture Officers or Assistant Agriculture Officers - For this, candidates need to appear for competitive exams conducted by State Public Service Commissions

• Technical/ Training Assistant in SAU, ICAR, DRDO, IARI and CSIR

• Horticulture/Food/ Marketing Inspector/Agriculture Development Officer in DSSSB/HPSC

In the Private Sector:

One can be a Horticulturist or Supervisor (Landscape) in Industries, Hotels, Golf Courses and Construction Companies to name a few. For people with sufficient experience, marketing jobs are also offered by various pesticide and insecticide companies.

Self-employment in Horticulture:

With a graduation degree in Horticulture/Agriculture, it is quite easy to start an Agriculture clinic. One can also start their own Nursery and grow their fruit plants and ornamental plants by the plant material using various techniques like grafting, budding, tissue culture, layering and vegetative propagation.

Fellowship in Horticulture Sector by UGC:

The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) Scheme is open to SC/ST candidates, wishing to pursue higher studies as regular and full-time PhD scholars in the discipline of Horticulture Science.

Fellowship in Horticulture Sector by ICAR:

Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), New Delhi offers JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) and SRF (Senior Research Fellowship) to those who qualify the respective examinations conducted by ICAR from time to time.

Horticulture: Course-wise Eligibility Criteria

Check the programme-wise eligibility before applying for the courses offered under Horticulture.

Bachelor’s Courses: Graduating Class 12 in Science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Maths/ Biology/ Agriculture as main subjects. With this, an aspirant can opt for a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture as a separate discipline or as a subject of BSc Agriculture Science. Listed below are popular undergraduate Horticulture programmes with their duration-

Programme Name	Duration
Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Horticulture	3-year
Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Horticulture	4-year

Master’s Courses: The minimum qualification to enrol in various PG programmes is to have a bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline with a minimum of 60% aggregate.

Programme Name	Duration
Masters of Science (M.Sc.) in Horticulture	2-year
Postgraduate Diploma in Horticulture and Landscape Gardening	1-year
MSc Ag. - Horticulture (Floriculture and Landscaping)	2-year

Note: Interested candidates can also pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in horticulture for advancement in knowledge, job and salary.

Popular Colleges & Universities offering Horticulture Programmes

At present, there are nearly 30 agricultural universities in our country where horticultural education and research is being carried out apart from deemed universities. Listed below are the names of the universities with the programmes they offer -

Institute/ University	Programme(s)
Kerala Agricultural University	MSc (Horticulture)
University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore	MSc (Horticulture)
University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad	BSc MSc (Horticulture)
Annamalai University	BSc (Horticulture)
Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Allahabad	MSc (Ag.) Horticulture (Vegetable Science) MSc (Ag.) Horticulture (Floriculture & Land Scaping) MSc (Ag.) Horticulture (Fruit Production & Post Harvest Technology)
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore	BSc (Horticulture) BTech (Horticulture)
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University	Diploma in Horticulture BSc (Hort) MSc (Horticulture)

Note: An aspirant must pass the entrance exam conducted by the respective colleges and universities.

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