HRT 203: Fruit and Plantation Crop Production
Credit Hours: 3 (2+1)
Full Marks: 75 (Theory: 50, Practical: 25)
Course Objectives
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Manage potential fruit and plantation crops in Nepal for commercial production.
- Identify pocket areas suitable for fruit and plantation crops.
- Understand origin, history, botany, uses, distribution, climate, soil, varieties, propagation, training, pruning, growth, flowering, fruit set, nutrition, irrigation, intercropping, bio-regulators, disease & pest management, harvesting, storage, and marketing of various crops.
- Apply knowledge practically in orchard management and crop production.
I. Syllabus Overview
- Scope and importance of fruits and plantation crop production in Nepal.
- Classification of fruits: tropical, subtropical, temperate, indigenous, and under-exploited.
- Identification of commercial production pockets.
- Detailed cultivation practices for:
- Tropical & Subtropical fruits: Banana, Mango, Papaya, Pineapple, Jackfruit, Litchi, Guava, Citrus, Pomegranate
- Temperate fruits: Apple, Pear, Plum, Peach, Nectarine, Walnut, Kiwi, Grape
- Indigenous/under-exploited fruits: Aonla, Custard apple, Wood apple, Persimmon, Avocado, Sapota, Passion fruit, Apricot, Strawberry, Olive
- Plantation crops: Tea, Coffee, Cardamom
II. Course Outline
A. Lectures (30)
| S.N. | Topic | No. of Lectures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope and importance of fruits & plantation crops in Nepal | 1 |
| 2 | History & government policy of fruit development | 1 |
| 3 | Potential pocket areas for commercial production | 1 |
| 4 | Cultivation practices of tropical & subtropical fruits | 27 |
| 4.1 | Banana | 1 |
| 4.2 | Mango (including physiological disorders, biennial bearing, pests & diseases) | 1 |
| 4.3 | Papaya | 1 |
| 4.4 | Pineapple | 1 |
| 4.5 | Jackfruit | 1 |
| 4.6 | Litchi | 1 |
| 4.7 | Guava | 1 |
| 4.8 | Citrus (species, varieties, climate, soil, rootstock, propagation, planting, training & pruning, flowering, harvesting, post-harvest management, major problems) | 2 |
| 4.9 | Pomegranate | 1 |
| 5 | Cultivation practices of temperate fruits | 7 |
| 5.1 | Apple & major problems | 2 |
| 5.2 | Pear & Plum | 1 |
| 5.3 | Peach & Nectarine | 1 |
| 5.4 | Walnut | 1 |
| 5.5 | Kiwi | 1 |
| 5.6 | Grapes | 1 |
| 6 | Indigenous and under-exploited fruits | 5 |
| 6.1 | Aonla, Custard apple, Wood apple, other nut crops | 1 |
| 6.2 | Persimmon, Avocado, Sapota | 1 |
| 6.3 | Passion fruit, Apricot, Strawberry, Olive | 1 |
| 7 | Plantation crops | 3 |
| 7.1 | Tea & related processing, pests & diseases | 1 |
| 7.2 | Coffee & related processing, pests & diseases | 1 |
| 7.3 | Cardamom | 1 |
| Total | 30 |
B. Practical (15)
| S.N. | Topic | No. of Practicals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identification of tools, equipment & chemicals | 1 |
| 2 | Field visit: identification of fruit species & varieties | 1 |
| 3 | Layout & planning of orchard | 1 |
| 4 | Digging & filling of pits | 1 |
| 5 | Cutting & layering practices | 1 |
| 6 | Grafting & budding practices | 1 |
| 7 | Coffee &/or tea processing | 1 |
| 8 | Detachment of layered plants & nursery transplanting | 1 |
| 9 | Seedling/sapling preparation for sale & transplanting | 1 |
| 10 | Training & pruning practices | 1 |
| 11 | Fertilizer application & irrigation | 1 |
| 12 | Calculation, preparation & application of plant growth regulators | 1 |
| 13 | Soil & plant sampling for nutrient analysis | 1 |
| 14 | Visit to subtropical & temperate horticultural farm | 1 |
| 15 | Project: enterprise establishment (cost & return analysis) | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
References
- Boss, T.K., & Mitra, S.K. (1990). Fruits Tropical and Subtropical. Naya Prakash, Calcutta.
- Chadha, K.L. (Ed.) (2003). Handbook of Horticulture. ICAR, New Delhi.
- Chaltopadhay, T.K. (2001). TextBook on Pomology, Vol. I, II, III. Kalyani Publishers, India.
- Kumar, N.K. Abdul; Rangaswami, P.; Irulappan, I. (2000). Introduction to Spices, Plantation Crops, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Oxford & IBH, India.
