Science topics: Agricultural ScienceHorticulture
Science topic
Horticulture - Science topic
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic engineering, plant biochemistry, and plant physiology.
Questions related to Horticulture
How can plant nutrition be optimized in horticulture crops to improve growth, yield, and quality?
The MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme is calling on innovative research, science & nature-based solutions tackling food security, soil health, water scarcity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, carbon sequestration, salinity, biodiversity loss, desertification and rural social welfare.
A transformative journey that aims to:
- Support the Knowledge Economy by focusing on research, science, and nature-based solutions.
- Capacity Building in academia and research by fostering regenerative, business, and entrepreneurship skills, bridging the gap between academia, and business sectors.
- Bring research solutions to life by enabling long-term, accessible, scalable, and sustainable impact solutions.
- Mobilise a Regenerative Agriculture Movement in the MENAT region, positioning regenerative agriculture as a solution to climate change and regional agricultural challenges in an arid, saline, desert, and water-scarce region.
Applications are now open! Application Deadline: January 6, 2025
To Register & Apply visit: https://goumbook.com/regenerative-agriculture-venture/venture-programme/.
This second year of the MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme is in partnership with HSBC and Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), with the support of the European Institute of Technology Food (EIT) and the United Nations High Level Climate Champions
For further information, including solution categories, benefits, and highlights of finalist solutions from the previous cohort, please visit our website above. You can also refer to the attached flyer.
For news and updates, please follow our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/regenerative-agriculture-venture-programme/.

Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The horticulture sector faces a series of challenges related to environmental protection, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and the achievement of healthy, sustainable, and competitive productions. Adopting nature-based solutions (NBSs) in horticulture may be an innovative approach to address current challenges.
Therefore, horticultural ecosystems need environmentally friendly technologies and practices that agree with the principles of sustainable development and environmental protection.
NBS includes a wide range of tools or practices, such as the use of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), cover crops, and landscape features.
This Special Issue aims to provide valuable insight into the latest advancements using nature-based solutions to improve the sustainability of horticultural ecosystems. All types of articles, such as original research papers, reviews, and opinions, are welcome.
Dr. Gheorghe Cristian Popescu
Dr. Mehmet Yaman
Dr. Monica Popescu
Dr. Beppe Benedetto Consentino
Guest Editors
I need a list of topics for my project work in horticulture
I saw the termite attack on my cannabis farm. The termites had hollowed out the stems of mature plants. Without any apparent symptoms. I was able to control it by adding poison to the irrigation water. Does anyone have a similar experience in this regard? Termites are not reported as a common pest of cannabis. How can I report this?
Dear All,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Muhammad Hussnain, and I am from Pakistan. I have completed my MSc (Hons) in Horticulture Science with a CGPA of 3.39. Although I do not have any published papers, I have gained nearly 2.5 years of industry experience.
I am now looking to pursue a PhD in Horticulture and would be very grateful for any guidance or advice you could offer regarding potential scholarships or opportunities in this field.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Best regards,
Muhammad Hussnain
My area of interest is the agricultural sector especially horticulture in the export market. I want to focus on a specific crop, the strategies to get a successful export cycle. I also want to do a case study on one company or two at most. Any suggestions/feedback
I maintain a rose cultivation under poly tunnel conditions with the media of coco peat. Still I couldn't find out suitable fertilizer recommendation for roses. Howewer I applying Ca(NO3)2, MgSO4 and NPK with large amounts. Fe EDTA, Cu , Mo, Mn and Zn as trace elements with low amounts. But I need to know is there any special recommendation or any special ratio to mix those fertilizer to roses with drip irrigation system. I gratitude if someone can advice me to solve this problem.
Within a project about geographical traceability of horticultural products, we would like to apply classification models to our data set (e.g. LDA) to predict if it is possible to correctly classify samples according to their origin and based on the results of 20-25 different chemical variables.
We identified 5 cultivation areas and selected 41 orchards (experimental units) in total. In each orchard, 10 samples were collected (each sample from a different tree). The samples were analyzed separately. So, at the end, we have the results for 410 samples.
The question is: the 10 samples per orchard have to be considered pseudoreplicates since they belong to the same experimental unit (even if collected from indepedent trees)? Should the LDA be performed considering 41 replicates (the 41 orchards, taking the average of the 10 samples) or should we run it for the whole dataset?
Thank you for your help.
I am wondering what percentage of the total landmass in the EU is considered as domestic/private gardens (with or without allotments/community gardens), but not limited to data solely from allotments? Or what percentage of urban green areas in the European Union is considered as domestic gardens? Could someone provide reliable data on this along with a reference? Many thanks in advance.
Is it for foliar application which will be attended to water , should have 48 hrs stability.
Hedgerows and margins are very important for the biodiversity of horticultural gardens, since they provide pollination, pest control, erosion control, etc.
When creating or reinforcing hedgerows (that is, generally a line of woody plants), I take into account to use authoctonous plants and plants that grow naturally around the area, to maximize the number of different species and families, flowering and fruiting periods that cover all the months of the year and different colors for the flowers, to have some species with spikes... and plants that promote pollination, pest control and erosion control, among others.
But a doubt I always had is: should those plants be distributed in a way as heterogeneous as possible... or should they be grouped sometimes (that is 5 or 10 individuals of the same species together, or promoting some associations) to recreate phyotosociological patterns? Maybe a good option could be to have a bit of both approaches right? What does the science say about it?
Looking forward to hear your contributions
Thank you
The quantitative and qualitative performance of essential oils in a plant and the gene expression levels of key enzymes in the synthesis of its essential oil compounds
I have recently added to a discussion about my fuchsia plants that were out in the first very cold few days in 2022. They are usually out during the winter but looked as if they had died. So, I put them in a porch and gave them words of encouragement. And I have congratulated them about their green shoots.
I then added a piece to another RG discussion asking if any members either talk to their plants or feel that it is helpful (to the plants as well as the RG member!)
The Royal Horticultural Society has done research into this:
and there are other positive thoughts on the subject, just to mention a few:
I would be really interested in your thoughts and will pass the messages on to the fuchsia!
How can you determine the moisture content of harvested crops?
What are the factors to consider when selecting harvesting equipment?
What are the primary factors that affect soil structure?
What is climate resilience agriculture, and how does it differ from conventional farming practices?
What are the most important considerations when selecting a site for a new orchard or vineyard, and how can the site be prepared for planting?
How can packaging be used to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables during postharvest storage, and what are the most effective types of packaging?
If you have experienced and would like to join, please call me here.
What is the difference between determinate and indeterminate growth in plants?
This is in reference to tree species identification using submeter multispectral optical satellite data or UAV images in the context of horticulture and agroforestry studies.
Hi, I am seeking recommendations for peer-reviewed journals that focus on horticultural research and offer free publication, without any associated costs. I would appreciate any suggestions or insights you might have on this topic. Thank you in advance for your help.
What are the most important factors to consider when designing a garden or landscape in horticulture?
What is the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients in plant nutrition?
What are some of the key factors that affect the shelf life of fruits and vegetables?
Some examples of organic and inorganic fertilizers?
How can we address the challenges faced by small-scale farmers in developing countries and ensure that they can participate in global food markets?
What are some innovative techniques for extending the growing season in horticulture?
What are the key factors that affect the post-harvest quality of agricultural products, and how can post-harvest losses be minimized?
What are the most effective irrigation methods for horticulture crops?
What are the best practices for soil preparation and management in horticulture crops, and how do they differ from those used in field crops?
I wondered if tomatoes could grow in a closed container last summer. So I put some soil in a water bottle and a few tomato seeds and coriander seeds on top of the soil and then covered the seeds with a very thin layer of soil. Afterward, I watered the soil very little, closed the bottle tightly, and placed it on the window side. I didn't touch the bottle again, but after a while, I saw that first lichen-like structures formed in the soil, secondly Elodea-like organisms emerged, and a plant had grown.
How is this whole process possible without anything but oxygen, regular watering, and seeds? And what could be those plants which are growing inside the bottle?


Res. Sir/ Madam,
I am working as Scientist (Horticulture) and my research focus is improvement of tropical and semi arid fruits. I am also interested in working out role of nutrients in fruit based cropping systems.
Looking for collaborators from the field of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Horticulture, Agricultural Statistics, Soil Science and Agronomy.
Currently working on Genetic analysis for fruit traits in Jamun (Indian Blackberry).
I am wanting to learn more about the R/FR ratio relative to the PSS.
Hi everyone!
I project to mesure levels of various nutricional parameter in pepper fruits. Looking up in the literature, I found out the research article of Nagata and Yamashita (1992), in which a spectrophotometric method for analysis of chlorophyll and carotene in fruits is described.
I think that the information provided by Nagata and Yamashita (1992) could be very useful for our project. Even though, this paper is not written in English, but in Japanese (a language that, unfortunately, I do not understand).
As it is a highly cited study (1112 citations in Google Scholar, many of them from non-Japanese authors), I suspect that the procedure of Nagata and Yamashita (1992) must be detailed in English somewhere.
I would be grateful if someone could give me some light about this.
Thanks in advance!
Pablo Reguera
Literature cited:
Nagata M, Yamashita I (1992). Simple method for simultaneous determination of chlorophyll and carotenoids in tomato fruit. Nippon Shokuhin Kogyo Gakkaish 39 (10): 925-928.
Light (PAR) is necessary for photosynthesis. But how to calculate the minimum amount of sunlight necessary for the expected growth of a crop( no crop loss ) and beyond this PAR the plant is considered to be subjected to low light stress?
Is there any paper of systematic protocol?
Let's face it, cultivation in greenhouse is often afflicted by pests, from powdery mildew to aphids.
We still use plants that don't appear affected, but they're still subjected to phytosanitary treatment and there might be effects that are not noticeable or considered.
How important is to mention phytosanitary treatments in publications? Should we always plan our experimental design with controls for possible effects of phytosanitary treatments?
Dear Researchers
Kindly suggest me the potent chemicals, which can be used in depredatory bird management in horticultural and agricultural crops
Dear,
Researcher,
I am Dr Tanmay Kumar Koley, presently doing research on bioactive molecules from horticultural crops. I have some rare plant material which have high starch content. I want to study some of the properties such as X-ray diffraction, thermal properties (Differential Scanning Calorimeter), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy etc. of that starchy plant sample. If you have these facilities or can suggest where I can avail these facilities it will be helpful for me.
Your contribution will be appreciated as co-author.
Thank you
My contact: 9369641602
Mangoes are harvested in June-July under humid conditions and high temperature (more than 40 degree celsius). Due to the lack of cold storage and cold chain in Nepal, farmers are not able to reach urban markets. I am looking to understand if using ethylene absorber sachets can enable them to reach distant markets.
I would say most invasive alien plants are synanthropic species in that they were introduced intentionally for horticulture or other cultivation purposes, or they were unintentionally introduced but are 'weeds' that thrive in disturbed areas and associated with cultivation at some point. I'm struggling to think of good examples of non-synanthropic invasive plants, but I can think of animal examples.
Can anyone please provide me the NBPGR minimal descriptors of different Horticultural crops?
I saw very different works during my researches. For some people, a species can be considered exotic in Europe when its native range is quite far from the continent, i.e. North America. Others prefer to consider it exotic when the native range falls in a different biogeographical region, i.e. a species from the Mediterranean Basin found in Germany.
If we are talking about phytophagous arthropods, things get worse, because their movement usually depends on their host plants, and therefore, on their introduction in different areas for gardening and horticulture purposes.
I wonder that if I would know the mathematical relationship to find the root propagation of a fibrous rooted coconut tree (Coccus nucifera) or a tap rooted mango tree (Mangifera indica) then I can excavate the entire plant safely and install it in a better place if I need to have a building construction where already a tree was planted. This would be the most sustainable approach considering the human requirements and ecosystem wellbeing.
Silicon is a multi talented element carrying several different benefits for horticultural plants. Previous reports revealed that using calcium or sodium silicate as a foliar application is increasing the photosynthetic rate. However, it isn't dissolved in water. How can I use it ?
Dear sir/ madam,
Please mention any distributor/ dealer in INDIA who can provide one RHS colour chart for Department of Horticulture, CUTM. Any contact number/ email id if you are having, please share with me.
Thanks in advance.
Hi
I’m looking for free online conferences on plant science / food and nutrition / agriculture / horticulture etc.
Hi,
I’m a PhD student. I’m looking for a short term scholarship for PhD students.
The aim of it is to prepare a common publication (selenium, zinc, bioactive compounds in plants).
A Journal publishes articles about horticultural related researches with no publication fee, peer-reviewed and indexed in Scopus.
I am trying to design an agricultural and horticultural calendar for Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts of Assam, India. What are the steps that I should begin with?
Hello everyone,
We are planning to study how plant growth promoting bacteria are affecting various plants (eg. wheat, barley, etc.). We would like to coat the seeds with bacteria. We prefer film coating. I can't find any proportions of seed, inoculum, carrier materials and sticking agents.
Could you please share the recipe you are using for your research? We prefer using cellulose or lime as a carrier material.
Thank you in advance.
we all know that it is our traditional practice which we are performing in any problem in our kitchen garden to farm level is it good to apply or not, how it is good or what are its effects.
farmers ,agricultural sectors workers are always ignored ,although we are only because of them,what the reason behind this .....................
In my personal experience I have find the higher rate of sprouting when fresh cow dung is applied on the top side of cutting what might be its reason.
People in our village have some belief of controlling some pest and disease, they apply salt in the rice field, what is its scientific importance.
Journals related to fruit based Agroforestry and horticulture basically for a review paper.
The rot starts from the root region being completely dark first then pulpy-like appearance.

Is there any relationship BER with water stress except Ca defficiency ?
The formula for the Seedling vigour index is given as:
Seedling vigour index I = Germination (%) × mean seedling length
Seedling vigour index II = Germination (%) × mean seedling dry mass
In the paper quoted below, The seedling length was taken on the 7th day.
Referred paper:
Kumar, B., Verma, S. K., Ram, G., & Singh, H. P. (2012). Temperature relations for seed germination potential and seedling vigor in Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii). Journal of Crop Improvement, 26(6), 791-801.
But, we, in our research did the thinning out on the 7th day and raised only one model plant per replication (of particular treatment) for the next 9 days i.e. 16 DAS. We did destructive sampling of the model plants on the 16th day. So we don't have the length and weight data of the sample plants on 7th day but only on the 16th day.
Shall we proceed to calculate the Seedling vigour index of thinned out seedlings only (on day 7th)? Or combine both data directly (of 7th and 16th day)?
Unfortunately, we came across tragedy in our personal apple garden and a few of our trees have majorly infected by Fire Blight pathogenic agent. I have attached a few photos of infected trees, I think there is a relationship between the white stains on the bark of the tree and diseases outbreak. I think the more white spots there are, the more the tree is exposed to the disease. However, this is my experimental understanding and I have no academic expertise in this field. That disease has appeared only on the red apple trees.
I would be very happy if you put me in the right pass and let me know how I can overcome that disease.
Sincerely yours
Bagher



Excuse me, professor, i'd like to know the ambient CO2 concentration (ppm). Hope you don't mind to tell me. Thank you.
Hi everyone - I am looking for a new role in aquaponics, hydroponics, soilless culture,research and development in sustainable agricultural production systems as postdoctoral, assistant professor and any other positions with phD qualified and would appreciate your support. Thank you in advance for any connections, advice, or opportunities you can offer. #OpenToWork
#opportunities #sustainable agricultural production systems #aquaponics,#hydroponicsystem, #postdoctoral,#postdoctoralfellowship,#researchanddevelopment,#plantnutrition #horticulture #agriculture #agronomy
I'm a horticulture student and I have difficulty in contructing what topic will I study. I want to focus more in growth and production
My farm location has 800 mm rainfall. Soil is deep black soil. Ph:8-8.5 Turmeric is a 9 months crop. I have no drip facility. And I can give irrigation once in every month from November to March. Sowing is done in July last week. Another 600 mm rainfall is expected during August to November, max. being in August, September and October, with ~30, 50, 20 ratio. If I use mulch I cant use surface irrigation. And rainfall will be probably lost through surface runoff. However, mulch conserves soil moisture, keeps water losses away from weeds and minimizes weed load, reduces soil temperatures. What is the possible production scenario?
There is sweepage of the white fussy outcome of liquid with foul smell and destroying plant completely it is in the particular plant since few days, what is this and how it can be controlled?

agriculture, soil, mycorrhizal fungi, biology
We are feeling a shortage of land and less efficiency of resource used how it will be the concept of Multiple Layer High-Density Farming (MLHDF).
As our general practice in the rice field show increase in yield, and more vegetative growth, what are the constraints and prospects for its wide application and adaptation in rice, horticultural crops, and many more?
We are trying to estimate curcumin content in Turmeric genotypes. Rhizomes are cut in pieces and oven dried at 60 o C. Certain genotypes retained the original colour on cut surfaces and others changed to brown to dark brown on cut surfaces. What is the reason? Does polyphenol play a role ? What about other factors? We are sure that it is not due to excessive heat, as we have seen this even under lower temperatures.
The yield of plants is found to be increased with the conservation of perennial to annual plants what are the processes, advantages, and disadvantages?