Floriculture: Present Status and Future Scope | Horticulture

After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Floriculture 2. Present Status of Floriculture in India 3. International Scenario of Floriculture 4. Future Scope. 

Meaning of Floriculture:

Floriculture is the aesthetic branch of horticulture which deals not only with culti­vation of ornamentals, annuals, biennials, and perrnnial plants including potted ones but also their marketing. This also includes marketing for local, distant markets and export of cut flowers, live plants and their economic products like scents, oils and medicines, etc.

Present Status of Floriculture in India:

Besides beauty and aesthetic values of flowers, they are important for their economic value as sale of flowers (loose as well as cut blooms), extraction of essential oils and making of economic products like gulkand. The present position of floriculture in India is not as bright and lucrative as it is in European countries and the U.S.A.

The area under floricultural crops in different states of India is shown below in table 1.1:

Sale of Flowers, Live Plants, Bulbs, Seeds, etc.:

It is an organised business in metropolitan towns of India but in small towns it is handled by a fewer merchants. Flowers, live plants, bulbs, seeds, etc. are sold in local market, produced locally or at distant places and are exported.

Flowers like rose, gladiolus and tuberose as cut flowers are flown to distant markets from their production centres. For example, gladiolus and roses from Kashmir to Delhi, tuberose from Kolkata to Delhi or Mumbai.

Loose flowers like marigold, jasmine, aster, gaillardia, kaner, malti, etc. are frequently taken to big cities from distant places. Jasmine flowers are regularly exported from South India to gulf countries. Similarly live plants, bulbs and seeds are regularly exported.

From India, export of flowers, bulbs and live plants was as follows:

Year Value–(Rs. in crores)

1994- 95 –30.16

1995- 96 –57.80

2000 (expected) –200.00

International Scenario of Floriculture:

There is a great increase in demand of floricultural products with increasing income and globalization of economy. Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Japan have strong tradition for growing and consumption of flowers.

However new production centers are developing in Latin America-Columbia, Costa Rica, Chile; Africa-Kenya, Rhodesia Morocco, South Africa etc. Asia-Israel, India, Sri Lanka, etc. to meet the internal demand as well as export. These countries produce quality product at low cost, off course, with high cost of investment.

Total world export of floriculture products in 2000 was reported to be of US $ 7,662,924,000 (Table 1.2). The Netherlands remained world’s largest exporter of floricultural products with a share of 50% of the total export; other major exporters of floricultural products are Columbia, Italy, Belgium, and Denmark etc.

Latin America and Africa are top ten exporters of floricultural products; in Western Europe, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, UK and France have been major production centers of flowers. Netherlands is the leading country with an area of 8004 hectare under flower production, more than 50% of which is under green-houses/plastics.

Consumption of flowers is rising both in developed and developing countries. Consumption of cut flowers in Western Europe was 11 billion US dollar in 1990, and 14 billion US dollar in 1995 which reached to 20 billion US $ in 2001.

Germany was the largest importing country for floricultural products (Table 1.3). During 2000 year it imported floriculture products of worth US $ 1,457,696,000. Second largest importing country was USA which imported floricultural products worth of US $ 1,361,972 followed by UK (8,45,149,US $) and France (8,34,980 US $).

In internal markets, generally the price of flowers though is dependent of the demand and supply, yet varies as follows:

Economic Products:

The products like gulkand of rose, rose water, rose otto and perfumes of other flowers like tuberose, Pandanus (Keora), molsari, juhi, chameli, etc. are made and sold in the market. These essential oils are used in soap and cosmetic industry.

There is a localized production in certain pockets where it is being done since long. For extraction of essential oils, the places like Kannauj and Hathras (UP), Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Haldighati (Rajasthan), Amritsar (Punjab) are well known in the country.

Ornamental Nurseries:

The production of propagating material like seeds, bulbs, live plants is being done conventionally and these materials are being sold. Successful nurserymen are making handsome money. There are a few nurseries reputed for true- to-type and reliable plant material.

Sale of Garden Tools, Pots and other Ornaments:

For growing flowering plants, raising plants in pots, certain garden tools like secateurs, hedge shears, khurpa, plant lifter, and mower are required constantly. Hence, the money is earned by selling these items. Similarly pots are always in demand.

Earlier earthen-pots were dominating but now concrete and plastic pots are being manufactured and sold. Moss stick is another important item which is in good demand: Other materials like stone lanterns, sun dial, bird’s nests, and ducks made up of plastic are used as replicas in gardens and are also in demand.

Research on Floricultural Crops:

To establish an industry, the role of research is well known. In India the research on floricultural crops is still in infancy in comparison to western countries. Research on limited scale is being conducted in Agricultural Universities and Horticultural Institutes. In many Universities teaching in floriculture and landscaping has been strengthened and many graduates are passing out. Technical persons are now becoming available.

To give a boost to floriculture industry in the country, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research New Delhi) has upgraded All India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture to Directorate Floricultural Research at IARI (Indian Agricultural Research, Institute New Delhi) whose first director is Dr. Ramesh Kumar who is able and dynamic person. In 11th Five Year Plan, its outlay of Directorate is Rs. 2009.27 lakhs which is likely to be enhanced 2-3 times in next five year plan.

Many new varieties have been released which are getting popular on commercial basis, e.g., in roses—Raktgandha, Arjun (for cut bloom export) and many varieties for garden decoration and exhibition and exhibition; gladiolus-Suchittra, Mayur, Poonam, Nazrana, Chrysanthemum-Kundan, Baggi, Santi, Basanti, Birbal Sahni, etc.

Future Scope of Floriculture:

In India, floricultural industry is not so developed as it should have been. Therefore, there is immense scope for its expansion. If floriculture is developed on industry pattern scientifically, it will flourish and generate tremendous money and employment.

Increasing Demand of Cut Blooms, Live Plants:

The demand of cut flowers and live plants is increasing day by day with the increasing standard of living, aesthetic sense and awareness in the people. Although it is possible to grow flowers round the year in one part or the other of the country depending upon season, yet the production of quality bloom under controlled environment is essential which will fetch high price. It has been experienced that in North India during end of November to end of February, quality cut blooms are produced under unheated plastic houses than in open.

Quality Seed Production:

There is always a good demand for high quality seed. Open pollinated seed of many winter, summer and rainy season annual is being produced in about 600-800 ha for export to different countries. Now a day, F₁ hybrids due to uniformity, earliness, bigger flowers and profuse flowering, are becoming popular.

In many flowers like petunia, pansy, marigold, antirrhinum, nicotiana, carnation etc. F₁ hybrids are common. The production cost of these F₁ hybrids is a little more but they fetch good price. Bulbs, corms and tubers can also be produced and exported from India to Denmark, Sweden, France, West Germany, gulf countries, etc.

Perfumeries:

Most of the fragrant flowers like rose, tuberose, jasmine etc. can be grown easily, so extraction plants can be set up to meet the increasing demand of cosmetic and soap industry. Flower growers and industry will get benefit.

The per cent oil content in different flowers is as follows:

Bonsai Development:

Bonsai are mini plants which have great importance in modern landscaping of homes, restaurants, hotels etc. Plants like bougainvillea, rubber tree, quamquats, pomegranate, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus infectoria, Ficus religiosa, Pinus longifolia etc. can be used for making bonsai and sold in local as well as in foreign markets.

Favourable Factors for Floricultural Industry in India:

Climate:

The varied climate of India makes it most suitable for growing flowers in one part or the other so that flowers can be produced the year round. For example, roses, gladiolus, carnation, chrysanthemum, etc. are successfully grown in northern plains during winter months, whereas during summer months these can be grown in the hills.

The flowering period can be extended by controlling environment through economical modified structures. Growing of wide range of flowers is also possible in different parts of India. India being native of many flowers opens up new vistas for exploiting the commercial growing of rare flowers for export.

Soil:

Like climate, the soil of different climatic zones is very favourable for growing different types of flowers. Suitable soil pockets can also be selected for growing of flowers.

Labour:

Comparatively cheap and easily available labour in India is another favourable factor for growing flowers at cheaper rate. The labourers are employed for plucking flowers, emasculation, pollination, seed collection and cleaning operations. Other facilities like transport and storage are also adequately available.