If you're interested in a fulfilling career in farming or growing plants, you might be pondering the choice between horticulture and agriculture. These two farming approaches have their unique strengths and weaknesses, but both offer you the know-how and resources to contribute to a more sustainable future for food production. So, it's important to understand the nitty-gritty of horticulture vs. agriculture before you choose either of them.
In this article, we'll explore the significance of horticulture vs. agriculture in ensuring our society's survival and clarify the difference between agriculture and horticulture.
What is Horticulture?
Horticulture is both an art and a scientific field focused on cultivating various types of plants, such as fruits, nuts, flowers, vegetables, herbs, decorative plants, and grass. It encompasses activities like growing plants for human needs and use. Some common examples of horticulture include:
- Cultivating crops for essential resources like food, fiber, and fuel.
- Utilizing horticultural practices for therapeutic purposes, known as horticultural therapy, to aid in treating patients and illnesses.
- Engaging in gardening for personal enjoyment and aesthetics.
- Arboriculture, which involves the care and maintenance of trees.
Horticulture involves more intensive care and hands-on effort to maximize value from a limited land area. When you look at horticulture vs. agriculture, the former is typically practiced on a smaller scale, in contrast to agriculture, which utilizes vast lands to produce large-scale food supplies. Horticulture is often pursued for recreational purposes rather than mass food production.
What is Agriculture?
Agriculture is both an art and a science used for raising livestock, cultivating crops, and nurturing various resources. It encompasses not just growing crops but also caring for the animals involved. The primary goal of agriculture is to provide food to the population by making the end products available in markets.
Agriculturists produce a wide range of goods, including popular items like cotton, wool, and leather, as well as crops such as wheat, rice, and maize. Even paper products are derived from the wood obtained through agriculture. The methods and products of horticulture vs. agriculture vary significantly across the globe.
Agriculture can be categorized into two main types:
- Conventional Agriculture: This involves altering natural elements like soil, irrigation, and trees to accelerate the growth of specific crops such as rice, wheat, and corn. Even though some ecological principles might be used, it primarily focuses on single-crop cultivation.
- Sustainable Agriculture: Sustainable agriculture aims to meet our current food and textile demands while ensuring that future generations can do the same. It's based on an appreciation of the services provided by ecosystems, emphasizing responsible and long-term farming practices.
Difference Between Agriculture And Horticulture
| Sl. No. |
Point of difference |
Agriculture |
Horticulture |
| 1. |
The scale of production |
Agriculture involves the process of extensive farming and growing crops on a large scale with the goal of producing food and food-related items. |
Horticulture involves tending to a small garden where you grow fruits or vegetables and take care of them. |
| 2. |
Farming responsibilities |
Livestock, irrigation, and orchard management |
Plant propagation, and greenhouse management |
| 3. |
Cost |
More costly because of large-scale production and expensive farming responsibilities |
Less costly because of low maintenance |
| 4. |
Farming activities |
Irrigation, rearing, cattle farming, etc. |
Garden cultivation, its maintenance, growing vegetables and fruits domestically, etc. |
| 5. |
Subsidies |
A high number of subsidies from the government |
Subsidies aren't as common as they are in agriculture. |
The Bottom Line on Horticulture vs. Agriculture
While both have their unique merits, it's clear that the type of cultivation you opt for can significantly influence your investment outcomes. Horticulture offers the allure of high-value crops and specialized care, attracting investors seeking potentially higher returns but with greater management demands. On the other hand, agriculture, with its larger-scale production and diverse crop options, may be a more stable and balanced choice for those looking for consistent, albeit slightly more modest, returns.
Horticulture Vs Agriculture FAQs
1. What is the difference between agriculture and horticulture?
Agriculture covers a wide range of crop-related activities, whereas horticulture specifically focuses on things like vegetables, trees, flowers, grass, shrubs, fruits, and nuts.
2. Is horticulture a good career?
In India, there is a strong demand for horticulturists across different industries. Completing this study opens up numerous career paths, such as becoming a horticulturist, floriculturist, pomologist, and more. Additionally, you can pursue a career as a research scientist in this field.
3. Is horticulture part of agriculture?
Horticulture refers to a specific area within agriculture, focused on cultivating plants for various human needs, such as food, medicine, and beauty. Within horticulture, there are different specialized fields.
4. What are the 4 types of horticulture?
The 4 types of horticulture are:
Olericulture is the production of vegetables.
Viticulture is the production of grapes (mostly for making wine).
Pomology, also called fruticulture is the production of nuts and fruits.
Floriculture is the production of ornamental and flowering plants.
5. What is the scope of horticulture in India?
You can work as a Horticulturist or a Landscape Supervisor in a range of industries, including Hotels, Golf Courses, and Construction Companies, among others. If you have enough experience, you can also explore marketing positions with companies that specialize in pesticides and insecticides.
6. What is the future of horticulture?
Exciting new technologies in farming involve things like robots helping with precise farming tasks, automatic plant tracking, drones spotting pests and diseases, experimenting with different growth methods, and using genetics to enhance the qualities of crops in gardening.
7. What is India's rank in horticulture?
India is the world's second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, trailing only behind China. According to the National Horticulture Database's 3rd Advance Estimates for 2021-22, India harvested a whopping 107.24 million metric tonnes of fruits and a staggering 204.84 million metric tonnes of vegetables during that period.
8. What is the current issue in horticulture?
Production difficulties arise from factors like small farm sizes, inadequate access to irrigation, and ineffective soil management. Additionally, the scarcity of available land hampers the ability to practice crop rotation and adopt sustainable farming methods.
9. What is the market cap of horticulture?
In 2021, the Indian Greenhouse Horticulture market was worth around $190.84 million, and it's projected to grow to about $271.25 million by 2030.
10. What is the subsidy for horticulture in India?
If you're working on a horticulture project with protective structures, you can get financial help through the State Horticulture Mission. They offer a subsidy that covers 50% of your project's cost, up to a maximum of Rs. 56 lakh per project. This subsidy is available to societies and other organizations that receive grants-in-aid.
