Plants of horticultural importance with numerous species and innumerable varieties and cultivars, ranging from enormous trees of more than 100 m high to small herbs, comprising fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, plantation crops, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants are of great commercial value, providing food, shelter, beverages, oil, paper, rubber, medicine and natural essential oils, etc. Numerous ornamental plants are extensively grown for beautification outdoors throughout the world, and the houseplants indoors, cut flowers constitute a major item in the beautification programme and in commercial floriculture. The plants in general, trees and shrubs in particular, many of which are of horticultural importance are friendly to environment, contributing enormously for sustaining life on the Earth by releasing oxygen, reducing the level of carbon dioxide and industrial gases that cause air-pollution and global warming, minimizing erosion, maintaining soil fertility, encouraging recreation, etc. resulting in a better environment for a better life. The cultivation practices of large number of horticultural crops, in greenhouses and outdoors, standardized through research investigations have resulted in marked improvement in quality and production. Application of biotechnology has also resulted in remarkable progress in the science and production technology of horticultural crops including medicinal and aromatic plants and in developing resistance to diseases and pests through genetic transformation. In view of the enormous importance of horticultural crops for a healthy life in a better environment, an effort was made to write a Dictionary of Horticulture. The major objective of the present endeavour is to provide useful literature in all groups of horticultural crops including those grown in warm climate. In addition to the morphological characters of many genera and thousands of species and cultivars, their uses, cultivation practices of major crops have been written keeping in view that a brief write-up may not always serve a useful purpose as a guide to production. Apart from the usual importance and priority on fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, plantation crops and spices, an emphasis has been given on important medicinal and aromatic plants, many species of which are of tropical and subtropical origin. The uses and cultivation methods of many of these plants have been included. The book will be published in 10 volumes comprising about 600 pages each, with 500 to 600 illustrations in colour. The first three volumes have already been printed and the remaining 7 volumes will be printed at regular intervals and completed by early 2007. This multi-volume publication is expected to augment interest in general horticulture and also to provide useful information on various aspects of different groups of horticultural crops, their taxonomy, uses and production technology, with emphasis on tropical and subtropical plants.
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