Horticulture has emerged as a money-spinning career option in India. Go through the article to get information on the opportunities, courses and education for horticulturists in India.


Careers in Horticulture

Horticulture can be defined as the cultivation of the fruits, plants, flowers and vegetables. Horticulturists work and conduct research in various areas of horticulture, such as plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic engineering, plant biochemistry, and plant physiology. To become a successful horticulturist, one has to have knowledge about decorative plants, medicinal plants, fruit yielding trees, flower bearing plants as well as weather and soil conditions, plants diseases and their treatments etc.

The sub-categories of horticulture are arboriculture, landscape horticulture, olericulture, floriculture, pomology, viticulture, and post harvest physiology. The field of horticulture not only involves knowledge or beautification of surroundings, but also the study of plants and their significance. The scope of horticulture in India is increasing with time. Today, horticulturists are hired in government as well as private sector.

Course Details
A number of the institutes in India are offering courses in the field of horticulture. Most of them conduct these courses in horticulture at undergraduate (B. Sc) and postgraduate (Master of Science) levels. To be eligible for the UG courses, one must pass 10+2 level examination with science stream, from a recognized Board. For the PG programs, graduation in the relevant stream from any recognized University is mandatory.

Career Prospects
Horticulture has become one of the best career options in India. Due to its significance, there are ample job opportunities in India as well as abroad. Horticulture institutes and colleges, vegetable farms, fruit orchards etc always look for skilled horticulturists. Horticulturists are also employed in luxury resorts.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Several colleges and universities in India are conducting courses in the field of horticulture. Some of the prominent colleges are College of Horticulture - Marathwada Agricultural University (Maharashtra), Rev. Carey Institute of Horticulture (Kolkata), College of Horticulture and Forestry - Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University (Himachal Pradesh), University of Agricultural Sciences (Bangalore), Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur), College Of Horticulture (Hyderabad), College Of Horticulture (Kerala) etc.

Remuneration
At the fresher level, the salary in horticulture may range from Rs 8000 to Rs10000 per month. After two to three years of experience in the field, one can earn up to Rs 20000 per month.

Related Courses
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