Trophort
Encyclopedia
TropHort is an abbreviation for Tropical Horticulture. Tropical Horticulture is a branch of horticulture
that studies and cultivates garden
plants in the tropics
, i.e., the equatorial regions of the world.
Tropical Horticulture covers plants such as perennial woody plants (arboriculture
), ornamentals (floriculture
), vegetables (olericulture
), and fruits (pomology
) including grapes (viticulture
). The origin of many of these crops is not in the tropics but in temperate zones. Their adoption to tropical climatic conditions is an objective of breeding
. Many important crops, however, are indigenous to the tropics. The latter embrace perennial crops such as oil palm
, vegetables including okra
, field crops such as rice
and sugarcane
, and particularly fruits including pineapple
, banana
, papaya
, and mango
.
Since the tropics represent 36% of the Earth's surface and 20% of its land surface, the potential of tropical horticulture is tremendous. In contrast to that of temperate regions, environmental
conditions are less defined by seasonal temperature fluctuations but by seasonality of precipitation. Although such variations are less close to the equator (±5° latitude), the climate in the greater part of the tropics is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons.
Temperature conditions within the tropics depend less on seasonal variations but on altitude. Many of the tropical highlands are, consequently, more favourable for production of temperate plant species than their lowland counterparts.
Plants indigenous to the tropics are usually cold sensitive, adapted to high solar radiation, sensitive to small variations in photoperiod (short day plants), and adopted to either extended drought, high precipitation and/or distinct wet and dry seasons. High night temperatures are a major hindrance to adopting temperate crops (e.g., tomato
) to the tropics. Furthermore, such conditions promote high respiration rates of plants, resulting in comparably lower net photosynthesis rates.
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
that studies and cultivates garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
plants in the tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
, i.e., the equatorial regions of the world.
Tropical Horticulture covers plants such as perennial woody plants (arboriculture
Arboriculture
Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. It is both a practice and a science....
), ornamentals (floriculture
Floriculture
Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
), vegetables (olericulture
Olericulture
Olericulture is the science of vegetable growing, dealing with the culture of non-woody plants for food.Olericulture is the production of plants for use of the edible parts...
), and fruits (pomology
Pomology
Pomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
) including grapes (viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
). The origin of many of these crops is not in the tropics but in temperate zones. Their adoption to tropical climatic conditions is an objective of breeding
Breeding in the wild
Breeding in the wild is the natural process of animal reproduction occurring in the natural habitat of a given species. This terminology is distinct from animal husbandry or breeding of species in captivity...
. Many important crops, however, are indigenous to the tropics. The latter embrace perennial crops such as oil palm
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
, vegetables including okra
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
, field crops such as rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, and particularly fruits including pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
, and mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
.
Since the tropics represent 36% of the Earth's surface and 20% of its land surface, the potential of tropical horticulture is tremendous. In contrast to that of temperate regions, environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
conditions are less defined by seasonal temperature fluctuations but by seasonality of precipitation. Although such variations are less close to the equator (±5° latitude), the climate in the greater part of the tropics is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons.
Temperature conditions within the tropics depend less on seasonal variations but on altitude. Many of the tropical highlands are, consequently, more favourable for production of temperate plant species than their lowland counterparts.
Plants indigenous to the tropics are usually cold sensitive, adapted to high solar radiation, sensitive to small variations in photoperiod (short day plants), and adopted to either extended drought, high precipitation and/or distinct wet and dry seasons. High night temperatures are a major hindrance to adopting temperate crops (e.g., tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
) to the tropics. Furthermore, such conditions promote high respiration rates of plants, resulting in comparably lower net photosynthesis rates.
See also
- ArboricultureArboricultureArboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. It is both a practice and a science....
- FloricultureFloricultureFloriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
- HorticultureHorticultureHorticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
- Horticultural floraHorticultural floraA horticultural flora, also known as a garden flora, is a plant identification aid structured in the same way as a native plants flora. It servies the same purpose to facilitate plant identification, however it only includes plants that are under cultivation as ornamental plants growing within the...
- OlericultureOlericultureOlericulture is the science of vegetable growing, dealing with the culture of non-woody plants for food.Olericulture is the production of plants for use of the edible parts...
- PomologyPomologyPomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
- ViticultureViticultureViticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
- Tropical gardenTropical gardenA tropical garden features tropical plants and requires good rainfall or a decent irrigation or sprinkler system for watering. These gardens typically need fertilizer and heavy mulching....
External links
- Purdue University Provides lectures in the study of Tropical Horticulture.
- AgNIC/INFOMINE at the University of California, Riverside Provides information on subtropical horticulture.
- TropHort Includes information on tropical agriculture and horticulture.