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Horticulture

Course developers

Replaced course

LauZ3188 [GLAU3188] Horticulture

Course abstract

The aim of the study course is to provide students with knowledge about the diversity of horticultural crops, their ecological requirements, cultivation specifics, the variety of propagation methods, seedling production, as well as the prerequisites for obtaining high-quality produce. Students become acquainted with these topics both theoretically and practically. In laboratory and practical classes, students gain an in-depth understanding of horticultural crops and develop practical skills in their propagation, cultivation, maintenance, and quality assessment.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. Students know the classification of horticultural plants, methods of their propagation, plant growing organisation, technology diversity and the conditions for marketing them - test 1
2. Students know the diversity, structure and ecological requirements of horticultural plants, garden installation and care, crop care, harvesting and storage – tests 2, 3 and 4
3. Students know the diversity of ornamental plants, their ecological requirements, as well as design, installation and care of greenery plantings– test 5
4. Students are able to recognise horticultural plants, independently perform major work operations in the propagation and growing of plants, planting, caring, harvesting and crop quality assessment - laboratories and practical works
5. Students are competent to study and collect information independently, to design and plan sustainable production of horticultural plants, to prepare presentations and to justify their decisions and views – individual work

Course Content(Calendar)

I Introduction (4 h)
1.Place of horticulture in the agricultural production system, its economic importance, its spotlight and perspective. The role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition - 1 h
2.Legislative regulations in horticulture - 1 h
3.Classification and systematics of the horticultural plants – 2 h

II Propagation of the horticultural plants (14 h)
4.Methods of generative and vegetative propagation of the horticultural plants - 1 h.
5.Propagation of annual and perennial horticultural plants with seeds — 3 h
6.Methods of vegetative propagation of horticultural plants by rooting- 3 h
7.Propagating of the horticultural plants by grafting – 3 h
8.Types of plant production: bare-roots plants, plants with closed root system. The technological process of plant production. Types of nurseries. Structure of nursery farms, selection of propagation material – 2 h.
9.Regulations regarding propagation material of horticultural plants. Certified and standard material. Plant passports – 1 h.
Test 1. Introduction to Horticulture, propagation of horticultural plants

III Fruit production (16 h)
10.Diversity of fruit plants – 2 h
11.Effects of fruit plant construction features on garden care, production and lifespan - 1 h
12.Characteristics of fruit plant vegetation and dormancy periods, their effects on production and winter hardiness - 1 h
13.Yield formation and care of yield of fruit plants. Annual and bi-annual production – 1 h
14.Fruit plant cultivars – 1 h
15.Quality analysis of fruits and berries. Conditions for high quality yield – 2 h
16.Conditions for selection of fruit and berry orchard sites, orchards systems and installation technological processes -2 h
17.Maintenance of soil and plants in the garden, special features of crown construction, depending on the species, rootstock, age of plants and type of garden - 4 h
18.Harvesting and storage of fruits and berries - 1 h.
Test 2. Fruit production

IV Vegetable production (16 h)
19.Vegetable diversity, their morphological and biological characteristics and ecological requirements – 2 h
20.Resources used in vegetable production and factors affecting their effectiveness – 1 h
21.Specialisation in vegetable production and factors affecting choice of specialisation direction – 1 h
22.Aspects of vegetable plant production – 3 h
23.Production of vegetables under open-field and greenhouse conditions – 6 h
24.Vegetable storage characteristics and technologies – 2 h
Test 3. Vegetable production

V Alternative horticulture (14 h)
25.Alternative farming directions, their competitiveness assessment and development opportunities - 1 h
26.Diversity of spicy and medicinal plants, their production – 4 h
27.Production of edible flowers -1 h
28.Production of non-traditional vegetables – 1 h
29.Production of cultivated mushrooms: champignons, shitake, ouster-mushrooms, truffle - 2 h
30.Variety of non-traditional fruit/berry plants, their cultivation and use characteristics – 4 h
Test 4. Alternative horticulture

VI Ornamental plants and their use (14 h)
31.Diversity of ornamental plants. Introduction of ornamental plants -2 h
32.Characteristics of cultivation and marketing of ornamental nursery plants – 1 h
33.Importance of the site-specific ecological factors in the choice of plants for greenery– 1 h
34.Assortment of woody plants and assessment of their ornamental properties - 3 h
35.Organisation of the greenery planting area. Planning of the greenery planting establishment works. Greenery project - 4 h
36.Installation and care of plants of greenery plantation - 2 h
Test 5. Ornamental plants

Workshop on Individual work – presentations on the cultivation of specific horticultural plants, selecting the horticultural direction of interest – 2 h.

Study visits to horticultural companies to get acquainted with their experience in sustainable production, storage and marketing of horticultural produce, as well as to revise the knowledge, obtained during the auditorium and laboratory classes, and to obtain basic practical skills in horticultural plant cultivation – 16 h

Requirements for awarding credit points

An exam.
Students who have successfully passed all tests, have developed and got credited practical and laboratory works and have successfully presented their Individual work can take the exam

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Individual work: “Project for Sustainable... (specific specie of the horticultural plant) production”, including an overview of professional and scientific literature, a plantation project (including an area plan), a description of the works to be carried out, the potential volume of production to be obtained and the marketing directions. The work shall be submitted in written form and presented to the student group at the seminar.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The final evaluation of the examination shall be the average mark from the examination and the tests written during the semester and the individual job marks.
It is possible to obtain the accumulating exam rating as the arithmetic mean from the tests written during the semester and the individual job marks, if their score is not lower than 7.

The laboratory, practical and individual works shall be evaluated in accordance with the procedures for assessment specified in the laboratory, practical and individual works tasks

Compulsory reading

1. Temperate and subtropical fruit production (2006). D. I. Jackson, N. E. Looney (ed.). 2nd edition. UK: CABI Publishing, 332 p.
2. Janick P., Janick J., Paull, Robert E. The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. Edited by J. Janick and R.E. Paull. Wallingford, UK; Cambridge, MA: CAB International, 2008. 954 p.
3. Modern technology in vegetable production. Ed. by P. Hazra. Pitam Pura, New Delhi: New India Publishing Agency, 2011. 413 p.
4. Handbook of vegetable science and technology: production, composition, storage, and processing. Ed. by D. K. Salunkhe, S.S. Kadam. New York etc.: Marcel Dekker CRC Press, 1998. 721 p.
5. Brickell C. RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 2010. 744 p.
6. Container Nursery Production and Business Management Manual. J. P. Newman, technical editor. Oakland, California: University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2014. 345 p.
7. Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices, 9th Edition (2017). Fred T. Davies, Jr., Robert L. Geneve, and Sandra B. Wilson. Pearson Education, Inc., New York, 1004 p.
8. Augļkopība. Red. L. Ikase. Dobeles novads: LV Augļkopības institūts, 2015. 544 lpp.
9. Dembovskis A., Drudze I. Gailīte M. u.c. Dārzeņkopība: lauka dārzeņu audzēšana: rokasgrāmata. Pūre : Pūres Dārzkopības izmēģinājumu stacija, 2007. 284 lpp.
10. Apstādījumu veidotāju ceļvedis. Rīga, 2006 (izmantojami arī citu gadu izdevumi)
11. Palmšēna I. Koki un krūmi: dārzkopja enciklopēdija. Rīga: Jumava, 2006. 237 lpp.

12. Mauriņš A., Zvirgzds A. Dendroloģija. Rīga: LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2006. 452 lpp.

Further reading

1. Westwood M. K. Temperate-Zone Pomology. Physiology and Culture. 3rd ed. Portland: Timber Press, 1993. 535 p.
2. Valero D., Serrano M. Postharvest biology and technology for preserving fruit quality [elektroniskais resurss]. Daniel Valero and Maria Serrano. Boca Raton, Fla.: Taylor & Francis Group, 2010. 287 p. [tiešsaiste] Pieejams: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429093333
3. Gough B. An encyclopedia of small fruit [elektroniskais resurss]. Bob Gough. Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth Food & Agricultural Products Press, 2007. 161 p. [tiešsaiste] Pieejams: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429114915
4. Rosa L. A., Alvarez-Parrilla E., González-Aguilar G A. Fruit and vegetable phytochemical: chemistry, nutritional value and stability. Ames, Iowa, Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 367 p.
5. Postharvest: The physiology and handling of fruit, vegetables and ornamentals. 5th edition. By R.Wills, 2007. 252 p.
6. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Garden Design. Editor-in-Chief; C. Young. Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 2009. 360 p.
7. Gailītis M.,Gailīte M. Augļu un dārzeņu kvalitātes novērtēšanas rokasgrāmata valsts inspektoriem. Rīga : Rigana, 2002. 96 lpp.
8. Plīse E. Dārzeņu kaitēkļi. Ozolnieki: LLKC, 2004. 98 lpp.
9. Latvijas ieteicamo krāšņumaugu sortiments: lakstaugi un rozes. Atb. red. S. Ieviņa. Rīga: Zinātne, 1991. 231 lpp.
10. Skrīvele M., Ikase L. 2013. Latvijas ābeles. Rīga: Jumava, 136 lpp.
11. Kārkliņš J., Skrīvele M., Kaufmane E., Ikase L. 2007. Plūmju šķirnes. LVAI, Dobele, 204 lpp.
12. Kārkliņš J. 2004. Bumbieru šķirnes. Dobele, 299 lpp.
13. Ruisa S., Kaufmane E. 2008. Ķiršu, aprikožu un persiku šķirnes. Latvijas Pomoloģija, Izd. Latvijas Valsts Augļkopības institūts, 216 lpp.
14. Strautiņa S., Kalniņa I. 2019. Avenes un to audzēšana. Rīga: Jumava
15. Strautiņa S., Kaufmane E. 2011. Dobeles ceriņi. Rīga: Jumava, 96.lpp.
16. Skrīvele M., Rubauskis E., Strautiņa S. 2011. Augļu koku un ogulāju veidošana. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 96.lpp.

17. Vēsturiskie dārzi. Šķirņu katalogs. Kviklys D., Gelvonauskiene D., Karkleliene R., Juškevičiene D., Dambrauskiene E., Uselis N., Lanauskas J., Ikase L., Lepse L., Kaufmane E., Feldmane D., Dēķena Dz., Zeipiņa S. Babtai: Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centras filialas Sodininkystės ir daržininkystės institutas, 2019. 175 p. - brīvpieejas informācijas avots: http://fruittechcentre.eu/sites/default/files/2019-03/skirnu_katalogs_elektroniska_versija_HG.pdf

Periodicals and other sources

Scientific articles in journals, conference proceedings, monographs etc., for example,
Acta Horticulturae. ISSN: 0567-7572
Journal of Tree Fruit Production. ISSN 1540-8590
Zinātniski praktisko konferenču “Līdzsvarota Lauksaimniecība” rakstu krājumi (brīvpieejas): http://www.lf.llu.lv/lv/lidzsvarota-lauksaimnieciba
“Profesionālā Dārzkopība” - e-žurnāls (brīvpieejas): http://fruittechcentre.eu/lv/profesionala-darzkopiba

Notes

Restricted Elective Course in academic bachelor study programme “Sustainable Agriculture” specialization in Sustainable Plant Production