Horticulturist – Everything you need to know

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We don’t usually think of plants regularly. They are inarguably the most important parts of our lives for survival on Earth.

Do you love plants and are interested in their growth and cultivation? Consider becoming a Horticulturist.

Who is a Horticulturist?

The term Horticulture is an extended field of Agriculture. It not only includes the growing and cultivation of plants but also conservation of plants, restoration of landscape, design, construction and maintenance of landscape, gardens and arboriculture.

Various plants like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, medicinal plants, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, mushrooms, algae, seaweeds and non-food crops like grass and ornamental trees are grown and cultivated.

Horticulturists are the experts of horticulture who apply their knowledge of botany, plant and soil sciences to landscape designing and crop management. They work with plants directly monitoring different factors like their breeding, planting, care, selection and production for improving their growth, quality, nutritional value and yield while increasing their resistance to insects, diseases and environmental stress factors.

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Responsibilities

  • Monitor the production and utmost care of plants, fruits and vegetables.
  • Possess practical knowledge of various plant species, their characteristics and their ecological impact on the environment.
  • Encourage new growth of plants and creating hybrid varieties while taking care of rules and regulations.
  • Undertake activities like pest management, propagation and irrigation of plants.
  • Operating various equipment like vans, tractors and sprayers.
  • Designing and maintaining onsite and offsite resources like nurseries, greenhouses, and seeding, planting and young forest sites.
  • Collection of field and control samples for analysis of roots, green matter and yields of crops.
  • Monitoring of seasonal staff and production labour.
  • Maintain crop scheduling for proper harvesting and planning.

Education and Eligibility

The career path of a Horticulturist includes the study of botany, plant biology, soil science, pest management, and genetics and the application of these aspects into their work.

Interested candidates in Horticulture should follow the described career path and education.

  • Complete 10+2 in Science stream with a minimum of 50% aggregate from a recognized board of education.
  • Qualify the entrance exams conducted by various state and universities like Horticulture Common Entrance Test (HORTICET), Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Entrance Exam, MCAER PGCET.
  • Pursue bachelor courses like B.Sc or B.Tech in horticulture.
  • Pursue Master courses in Horticulture with a minimum of 60% marks in graduation.
  • Pursue Doctorate courses in the specialized fields after qualifying entrance exams conducted by different universities.

Required Skills

A Horticulturist should possess the following important skills.

  • Detail-oriented.
  • Calm and Patient.
  • Problem Solving and decision-making skills.
  • Manual dexterity.
  • Safety of Farm Equipment and machinery.
  • Expertise in knowledge of plant species.
  • Interest in outdoor work.
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Institutions offering Horticulture courses

  • Annamalai University
  • University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
  • Kerala Agricultural University
  • Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University
  • Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
  • College of Agriculture, Pune
  • Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand
  • College of Horticulture, Kerala
  • Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Employment Areas of Horticulturists

  • Sales and Marketing.
  • Farming.
  • Teaching.
  • Field Work and research.
  • Ware Houses.
  • Food Corporation.
  • Service Sector.
  • Irrigation Department.
  • Health Farms.
  • Export Industry.
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Job Profiles

Factors like Advancement in horticulture technology, growing product demands, increasing export industry is making a career in horticulture a lucrative career option. Some of the job profiles associated with Horticulturist.

  • Floriculturists.
  • Oletriculturists
  • Pomologists.
  • Horticulture Technician.
  • Horticultural Supervisor.
  • Ornamental Horticulturist.
  • Horticultural Manager.
  • Professor
  • Scientist

Top Recruiting Companies for Horticulturists

Following are some of the top companies recruiting Horticulturists.

  • Casa Verde Growers
  • Sun Valley Landscaping
  • Green Decor
  • Interior Plantscapes
  • SHORB Landscaping
  • ER&M ecological restoration and management
  • Greater Texas Landscape Services
  • Iffco Kisan Sanchar Limited.

Salary and Job Prospects

Abroad, the average salary of a Horticulturist is $44, 363 annually. In India, entry-level horticulturists can earn anywhere between INR 1.8-2.5 LPA. This salary is dependent on a number of factors like education, skills, experience, work location etc.  District Horticulture Officers can earn up to INR 3 LPA.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected employment rate of soil and plant scientists including horticulturists is 7% that is faster than average growth from 2019 to 2029.

Horticulture and Organic food production are the fastest growing agricultural areas. There are good opportunities for horticulture graduates in public and private sectors like:

  • Qualify the entrance exam conducted by State Public Service Commission and apply for the post of District Agriculture Officer or District Horticultural Officer.
  • Technical Assistant or Technical Officer in Agricultural Universities like ICAR, DRDO, IARI and CSIR.
  • Designer or Contractor of landscaping projects.
  • Education sector as a Professor.
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– Samiya Firdous

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