Horticulture Crops

The term horticulture is derived from two Latin words hortus and cultura which means crops grown in garden cultivation. In horticulture, more variety and larger amounts of fruits, vegetables, and flowers are cultivated. Horticulture is regarded as one of the top agricultural industries in many regions of the world. It is a capital and labour-intensive agriculture.

India has a diverse agro-climate that facilitates the production of a wide range of horticultural crops that includes fruits, vegetables, spices, root tuber, ornamental, aromatic plants, medicinal species, and plantation crops such as coconut, cashew, and cocoa. Thus, the advantageous topographical characteristics make India the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India produces tropical as well as temperate fruits and more than 10% of the world’s fruit is produced here. Some horticulture fruit crops produced in India are :

1. Mango: Mango grows throughout the country and thus accounts for nearly half of the country’s total fruit area. It grows in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. It doesn’t get much affected by both drought or heavy rainfall. Its production in India is concentrated in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal among other states. 
2. Orange: Orange grows successfully in tropical and subtropical areas, mainly under rain-fed conditions. It can be grown in a variety of soils, but the ideal soil is medium or light loam with a slightly heavier subsoil. Oranges are grown in Assam, Nagpur, Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya), Punjab, Wayanad, Coorg, Palani hills, and the Nilgiris.
3. Bananas: Bananas are primarily grown in tropical areas where temperatures do not fall below 16°C and rainfall does not fall below 150 cm. The ideal place for banana cultivation is the peninsular coastal plains and irrigated tracts. It develops well in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of moisture and humus. It is produced the most in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Mizoram.

India has one of the largest agricultural lands in the world which makes agriculture the backbone of the country. More than half of the country’s population is engaged in agriculture which contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The diverse climatic conditions, soil and topography of India facilitate the cultivation of a wide variety of food and non-food crops grown throughout the country. In this article, we will discuss the major food crops of India other than grains.