The Department of Horticulture was established soon after the B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture degree (Four years) programme was approved by the Shri Guru Ram Rai University in the year 2017 under the guidance of our honourable chancellor. It is the pioneering department in horticultural education, research and extension in India. The post-graduation programme in horticulture leading to M.Sc. (Ag.) degree was started in 2018. Presently, specialized post graduate programme such of M.Sc. (Ag.) Horticulture is being offered to the undergraduate students of Agriculture and Horticulture. Doctoral degree programmes are also being offered in Horticulture. The Department focuses its research activities based on research priorities of the State and the Nation. The department has a competent techno savvy faculty to provide capacity building trainings to trainers, farmers, students and prospective entrepreneurs. Horticulture Farm is of 7.5 acres which includes enclosure with ornamental plants, MAP, shade net nursery, open ventilated polyhouse, vegetable block, research block and fruit trees orchard from closed canopy that provide extensive and scientific knowledge for the student community. INM, IPM, Organic farming, zero budget natural farming are the recent advances in the field of horticulture where we are implementing all these methods for production of crops which provides immense knowledge to the students and it will in turn useful for the farmers in using recent technologies from increasing production and productivity in Uttarakhand.

FACILITIES

Horticulture nursery

A Shade-net nursery of 200 m2 area has been established at the horticulture farm to undertake raising of seedlings of various horticultural crops such as seasonal vegetables, ornamental annuals, shrubs and fruit plants are developed through various asexual propagation method. The department of horticulture focus on practical exposure of students in raising of plants and research completely. The plants of rose, jasmine, crotons, gladiolus, lime, lemon, peach, plum, guava, pomegranate, papaya etc. are being raised at nursery.

Medicinal and Aromatic Block

With the aim to acquaint medicinal and aromatic plants to the students, a small medicinal and aromatic block is maintained at horticulture farm in an area of 200 m2 over last five years. It has been established to help the students for identification of various medicinal (Sarpagandha, bahera, harad, bael, aonla, isabgol, Nirgundi, Chitrak, wild onion, painted spiral ginger, spiked ginger lily) and aromatic (rose, dill, basil, mint, palmarosa, lemon grass etc.) plants.

Mixed Fruit Orchard

Horticulture farm unit has mixed fruit orchard with an area of around 1.5 acres. It has been established to help the students for identification of various fruit species such as low chilling cultivars of temperate fruits (Apple, Peach, Plum, Pear, Apricot); citrus fruits (Lime, Lemon, Kinnow mandarin, Sweet orange, chakotra), mango, pomegranate, jamun, sapota & aonla. Under this unit students learn about orchard planning, management and production of various fruit species. Students also learn and perform practical’s on training and pruning operations of different fruit crops. Post graduate researchers of department of horticulture also conduct their research trials on various fruit species.

Protected Cultivation: Polyhouse

The farm unit has a large open ventilated Polyhouse with an area of 1800 m2 for growing several exotic, seasonal as well as off-season vegetables such as tomato, capsicum, cucumber, leek, broccoli etc. The unit is being run by the department of horticulture. Under this unit students learn cultivation of horticultural crops like coloured capsicum, cucumber, tomato, gerbera, rose, strawberry, papaya etc. Each and every activity of cultivation right from sowing until harvesting and even the marketing accomplished by participating students. Part of unit has also being used to conduct experimental research trials by research scholars of the horticulture department.

Head
Dr Suneeta Singh
Department of Horticulture, Email: drsuneetaksaxena@gmail.com
Mobile: 6388957716