Career Guide for Horticulture Studies

Horticulture is another version of agriculture that deals with the cultivation of plants, vegetables, flowers, fruits, herbs, shrubs, bushes, ornamental trees and landscaping for gardens, maintaining nurseries, green houses, gardens, orchards and plantations and also floriculture or cultivation of flowers. Despite being the second largest producer of fruits in the world, India wastes nearly half of its production every year due to the dearth of trained professionals. With sophisticated technologies and cultivation techniques bobbing up, a career in horticulture doesn’t seem like a bad option after all.

Horticulture is divided into five branches of specialization:

• Floriculture
• Postharvest physiology
• Landscaping
• Olericulture
• Pomology

Courses & Eligibility:

For Diploma and B.Sc Agriculture Science programmes a candidate have to pass his 10+2 in Science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Maths/Biology as core subjects. After successful completion of B.Sc, one can pursue M.Sc and follow it up with a P.h.D. For getting admission into a Ph.D programme, its mandatory to appear for different entrance exams of respective universities.

Career Prospects:

The largest employer is still the government, which recruits Horticultural officers with attractive remuneration for its various departments. They may work as Farm Supervisors, Training Assistants in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Marketing InspectorsHorticulture Inspectors, Fruit and Vegetable Inspectors etc. Large food retailers such as Wal-Mart, Spencers, Reliance, all need horticulturists to manage, advice and regulate their large battery of suppliers. The field extends beyond fruit production, to landscaping, medicinal plants, vineyards, plantations, and orchards. One can also become a Lecture or professor in college and university level.

Remuneration:

Salary for horticulturists as a fresher can be up to Rs.10000. With growing experience it can go up to Rs.20000.