Table Of ContentBIOTECH’S
DICTIONARY OF
HORTICULTURE
Dinesh Arora
BIOTECH BOOKS
BIOTECH’S
DICTIONARY
OF
HORITCULTURE
COMPILED &EDITED BY:
DINESH ARORA
BIOTECH BOOKS
DELHI-110035
Published by:
Biotech Books
1123/74,Tri Nagar,
Delhi-110035
First Published 2007
ISBN 978-81-7622-119-1
©Publishers
Published in India
1
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Horticulture
P
REFACE
The word Horticulture comes from two Latin words,
hortus, ‘garden’ and cultura, ‘cultivation’. Horticulture is
the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flow-
ers, shrubs and trees. Originally, Horticulture meant the
practice of gardening and extending from the same, it
now means the cultivation of plants that were once
grown in gardens. People generally get confused be-
tween the terms agriculture and horticulture. The term
agriculture refers to more open forms of culture like the
production of grains and grasses that are cultivated on a
large scale. Nonetheless, the original distinction between
the two have become so blurred that many crops that
were initially considered either agronomic or horticul-
tural, are now sometimes taken in one field and some-
times in the other, as per their intended use. Therefore,
a plant grown for home consumption may be called
horticultural, while the same plant cultivated for forage
is regarded as an agronomic crop.
Horticulture consists of several branches, viz. Pomology,
which means the growing of fruit (especially tree fruits);
Olericulture, i.e. the production of vegetable crops; Flo-
riculture, which is the production of flowers; and Orna-
mental Horticulture, also known as landscape garden-
ing, which includes the maintenance and design of home
grounds, public gardens and parks, private estates, bo-
4
tanical gardens, and recreational areas such as golf
courses, football fields, and baseball diamonds.
The intent behind making the dictionary is to provide
the readers with a storehouse of information on the jar-
gon used in the discipline. The use of simple and com-
prehensible language, along with pictures and examples,
makes it a must buy for those who are venturing into
the fields as well as those who are already a part of it.
Horticulture
a horizon 5 absorption
a horizon result of physical weakness
the uppermost layers of soils in a specialised layer of cells
consisting of partly decom- (abscission layer that devel-
posed plant remains and ops at the base).
relatively fresh leaves and
other plant debris. The sur-
face mineral layer, high in
organic matter and dark in
colour, and the lighter
coloured layer where leach-
ing of solutes and suspended absidia
materials occur. a zygomycete fungus. Re-
ported to be allergenic. May
abaxial
cause mucorosis in immune
directed away from the stem
compromised individuals.
of a plant, pertaining to the
The sites of infection are the
lower surface of a leaf.
lung, nasal sinus, brain, eye
and skin. Infection may have
multiple sites.
aberrcnt
different from the normal
type of species, genus, or
higher group in one or
absorption
more characters, but not
movement of ions and wa-
readily assignable to an-
ter into an organism as a
other group.
result of metabolic pro-
abscission cesses, frequently against an
of plants: The shedding of electrochemical potential
leaves or other parts as the gradient (active) or as a re-
Horticulture
acaulescent 6 acid
sult of diffusion along an
activity gradient (passive).
acaulescent
having no visible stem, or a
very short one.
acetylene-block assay
estimates denitrification by
determining release of ni-
trous oxide (N O) from
2
acetylene-treated soil.
acaulis
acetylene-reduction assay
having no stem.
estimates nitrogenase activ-
ity by measuring the rate of
acetylene reduced to ethyl-
ene.
acheve
a one seeded fruit which does
not split open to release its
seed, e.g., the ‘seeds’ on a
strawberry.
accent plant
this could be a focal point
achlamydeous
plant. A plant to catch atten-
of flowers: lacking petals
tion. Could also be called an and sepals, e.g., willow (Salix
anchor plant.
spp.).
accrete acicular
grown together.
needle like spine, pointed,
bristle.
acerose
needle-shaped, like pine
acid
needles.
soil or compost with a pH
level of less than 7.
Horticulture
acid medium 7 acumen
acid medium acranthous
a compost which contains term applies to sympodial
little or no lime and has a type orchids, referring to the
pH of less than 6.5. Some- annual portions of succes-
times referred to as ‘sour’ sive growth of the rhizome,
soil by gardeners. each beginning with scaled-
leaves, ending with an inflo-
acid rain
rescence.
rainwater that contains sul-
phur dioxide and other pol- acropetal
lutants from industrial describes the development
plants. There has been con- of structures (such as spores
siderable damage done to in succession from the base
the forests in different parts towards the apex).
of the world.
actinomycete
non-taxonomic term applied
to a group of high G + C
acid soil
base composition, Gram-
soil that is lower than 7.0 pH
positive bacteria that have
(higher would be alkaline).
a superficial resemblance to
Acidity is measured by the
fungi. Includes many but not
amount of calcium in the
all organisms belonging to
soil, as is alkaline soil.
the order Actinomycetales.
acid-detergent fibre
active site
insoluble residue following
region of an enzyme where
extraction with acid deter-
substrates bind.
gent (Van Soest method),
aculeate
i.e., cell wall constituents
prickle-shaped.
minus hemicelluloses.
acumen
a tapering point.
Horticulture
