Diploma in Horticulture

FIRST SEMESTER
DIPLOMA PAPER-1: FUNDAMENTALS OF HORTICULTRE
UNIT-1:
Definition, A brief history, divisions of horticulture, Horticulture and society, classification of
horticultural plants - seasonal, stem type
UNIT-2:
Plant growth environment -A biotic factors, soil - soil profile structure, primary and secondary
nutrients, organic matter. Fertilizers - Organic, inorganic and poting media
UNIT-3:
Plant growth processes - A brief account of photosynthesis, Respiration, Transpiration and
Translocation
UNIT-4:
Application of Genetics - Conventional breeding - Principle, concepts, Hybridization and
selection Breeding methods - Mass selection, Pedigree, Backcrossing
UNIT-5:
Biotechnology and improvement of horticultural plants - Green revolution, methods of
improvement - through genetic engineering. Development of horticulture in India.- ICAR'S is
vision for development of horticulture, Role of IIHR

CORE PAPER CODE: 08 BOT A D2
SECOND SEMESTER
DIPLOMA PAPER-2: SOIL ENVIRONMENT
UNIT-1:
Soil - Definition - Components of soil- Soil physical properties - Soil texture and structure, bulk
density, particle density, pore space, Soil air, Soil temperature, Soil water, Soil consistency -
Significance of physical properties to plant growth - Soil physical constraints and their
management
UNIT-2:
Principles of soil classification: Aims of soil classification -Main classificatory units of soil
classification - Soil order - Suborders -Great soil group, Series, Types and pores, Soil survey -
Objectives and types - Chief soil types of India
UNIT-3:
Soil fertility and soil productivity - Essential plant nutrients, their functions - Deficiency and
toxicity symptoms. Fertilizers - Definition - Nitrogenous fertilizers - Phosphate fertilizers -
Classification - Sources - Reactions in soils - Residual activity - Micronutrient fertilizers -
Complex and mixed fertilizers - Sources - Properties and reactions in soil. Fertilizer use
efficiency - Methods of fertilizer application
UNIT-4:
Organic manures - their role in soil fertility - Green manure - Green leaf manure -Bulky
organic manures, FYM - Compost - Vermicompost - Recycling of organic wastes -
Bioinoculants - Organic farming - Integrated nutrient management - their significance in soil
fertility.
UNIT-5:
Soil conservation: Introduction and factors affecting soil fertility - Soil erosion - Definition and
types of erosion - Agencies causing erosion - Soil conservation Aims - Practical methods of soil
conservation - Biological - Agronomic practices - agrostological - Dry farming practices -
Engineering or mechanical methods - Basin.leaching - Pan breaking - Contour terracing -
Contour trenching

CORE PAPER CODE: 08 BOT A D3
THIRD SEMESTER
DIPLOMA PAPER-3: PROPAGATION OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS
UNIT-1:
Propagation by seeds - Importance of seed - Seed formation -Seed types - Inorganic and organic
seed - Dicot & Monocot seeds - Viability of seeds - Seed dormancy - Mechanism of dormancy
and dormancy breaking- Method of seedling direct and indirect seed nursery activities and
transplanting.
UNIT-2:
Polyembryony, Apomixis - Propagation through specialized underground stem - Corm Tuber,
Sucker, Bulbil, Bulb and Rhizome
UNIT-3:
Vegetative propagation - Methods and techniques of cuttings - Stem, root and leaf Layering
types - Grafting and methods of grafting - budding types.
UNIT-4:
Soiles - production of horticulture crops - Water culture (Hydroponics) - Basic principle &
Applications, Sand culture - Basic Principles and Applications, Gravel culture - Definition -
Nutritional aspects - Applications.
UNIT-5:
Micropropagation techniques, Stages, Multiplication by Shoot tip, nodal culture and callus
culture, Application and limitations - Somatic embryogenesis, Synthetic seeds - Preparation and
potential uses of artificial seeds, embryo rescue

CORE PAPER CODE: 08 BOT A D4
FOURTH SEMESTER
DIPLOMA PAPER-4: ESTHETICS OF HORTICULTURE
UNIT-1:
Flower arrangement - Design - Elements of design - Principles of design - Cut and dried
flowers production and arranging - Cut flower species - Culture - Flower arranging - Dried
flower decorations - Styles of arrangement - Horticultural therapy - Basics and practices
UNIT-2:
Terrarium culture - Types, designing terrarium - tools planting medium - planting care and
maintenance - Bonsai - Principles - Creating the Bonsai - Plant species - Types of bonsai -
Training techniques - Repotting
UNIT-3:
Growing plants Indoors - Factors influencing the choice of plants - Caring - Potting media -
Potting plants - Repotting - Providing support - Diseases and pest of House plants - Common
house plants- Turf production - Purchase of lawns- Establishment - Planting management - Turf
for Athletic purposes.
UNIT-4:
Landscaping - Principles - Plant materials and design - Functional use of Landscape design -
Urban planning - Parks - Subdivisions - Landscaping and public building - Industrial
Landscaping - highways and rood side development - Xeriscaping
UNIT-5:
Post harvest Handling and marketing of horticultural products - harvesting - Post harvest
changes in products - Handling - Storage unprocessed products - Fumigation - Processing of
horticultural products - Marketing - Elements of marketing.

SUPPORTIVE CODE: 08 BOT A S1
FIRST SEMESTER
PAPER-1: MAN AND MICROBES
GOALS: To understand the techniques involved in the culturing of microbes; to emphasize the
role of microbes in food, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries; to assess the role of
microbes in environment biotechnology.
UNIT-1:
Culturing and maintenance of microorganisms : Glassware used in microbiology laboratory,
media preparation(PDA and nutrient agar), sterilization, isolation of microorganism, their
purification and maintenance. Staining of microorganisms (simple and Gram staining).
UNIT-2:
Food microbiology : Microbial spoilage of food, food preservation, fermented food,
Microbiology of milk, single cell protein; Mushroom cultivation.
UNIT-3:
Agricultural microbiology : Nitrogen fixing microorganisms, mycorrhizae, microbial
biopesticides, microbes causing important crop diseases.
UNIT-4:
Environmental microbiology : Microbiology of potable water, water purification, role of
microorganisms in sewage treatment, processing of solid waste, oil eating bugs.
UNIT-5:
Industrial microbiology : Selection and improvement of industrially useful microorganisms,
fermentation process and recovery of end product, Industrial production of alcohol, Vinegar,
antibiotic (penicillin), and enzymes (cellulase).

SUPPORTIVE CODE: 08 BOT A S2
SECOND SEMESTER
PAPER-2: BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
GOALS: To plan and co-ordinate conservation efforts; to sustainability use biodiversity within
management systems such as forestry, fisheries and agriculture; to protect and restore
ecosystems, species and genetic diversity using a variety of in situ and ex situ methods; to
equitably share the benefits of biodiversity through social and economic instruments ; to provide
a legal basis for conservation and sustainable use and to build human and institutional capacity to
integrate measures at bioregional scales.
UNIT-1:
Historical account of conversation of flora in India: Phytogeographical regions and agro -
climatic regions of India ; Plants as protectors of environment.
UNIT-2:
Plant Biodiversity : Role of wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and sacred groves in plant
biodiversity conservation.
UNIT-3:
Plant genetic resources: Endangered and threatened plant species-conservation strategies [in-situ,
ex situ and community conservation]-red data book.
UNIT-4:
Indian Forest Act, Rio earth summit[1992]-role of WWF, UNDP and FAO in forestry programs
in India.
UNIT-5:
Predominant ethnic communities of India in general and Tamil Nadu in particular and their
distribution - ethnomedicine - role of traditional knowledge for therapeutic purposes.

SUPPORTIVE CODE: 08 BOT A S3
THIRD SEMESTER
PAPER-3: PLANTS AND MEDICINE
GOALS : To be aware of the habit and habitat of medicinal plants; to know their scientific
names; to acquire a knowledge of their chemical composition in relation to environmental
factors; to understand the medicinal value of plants and their use in various components of
Ayurvedic, Siddha, Homeopathy and Unani systems of medicine; to understand their importance
in commercial market.
UNIT-1 :
Medicinal plants; Definition, plants in 'allopathic' and 'herbal medicines'; historical account of
medicinal plants in India and their availability in the past, cultivation, medicinal plant gardens,
sacred plants for medicine, trade in raw drugs, local health traditions and household remedies.
UNIT-2 :
Distrobution of Indian medicinal plants; Introduction, ecodistribtuion, mapping distribution in
different bio-geographic zones, natural distribution of Indian medicinal plants included in the
CITES' appendices.
UNIT-3 :
Industrial uses of medicinal plants; Processing of medicinal plants, constraints association with
medicinal plants; process technology [modern and traditional], value added products, pilot scale
production, quality assurance, marketing, research and development, registration and property
rights; technical information.
UNIT-4 :
Trade in Medicinal plants: 'Medicinal Plants' demand and supply, channels of supply, major
importing countries and regions; Conservation, implications of medicinal plant tradeinternational
policy and regulation.
UNIT-5 :
Protection of plant varieties bill [PPV bill]; The provisions of PPV bill, suggestions for the
proposed PPV bill, elements of PPV bill, community based enterprise in medicinal plants sectormedicinal
plant enterprise for the benefit of the stakeholders.