Floriculture deals with the cultivation and post cultivation process of flower plantation.
It is the best career choice for those who are in love with flowers, plants and
nature as the industry is developing rapidly providing better opportunities to the
new entries. The discipline involves arts, science and technology and management.
Activities that come under Floriculture:
Floriculture involves the activities right from seed production of the plants. Utilizing
the technology advancement in the flower plantation like hydroponics, creation of
landscapes, Flower decoration, Production management, Micro propagation, extraction
of oils from the flowers as well as plants, research work to enhance the production,
marketing etc. are the basic activities of the industry.
Courses available in the field:
- Certificate in Floriculture Technology
- Certificate in Gardening
- Diploma in Commercial Floriculture
- Diploma in Floriculture and Landscape Gardening
- Post Graduate Diploma in Floriculture
- B.Sc. (Floriculture and Landscaping)
- M.Sc. (Floriculture and Landscaping)
- Ph.D.
Eligibility:
Passing in 10th is eligibility for Certificate courses and Diploma Courses. Passing
in 10 + 2 with Botany as a subject is the academic eligibility criteria for a Bachelor
Degree. Few colleges conduct entrance test and give admission on the basis of the
score. For Post Graduation, Graduation in the stream is the eligibility besides
the score in the conducted entrance test.
Job Prospect:
The floriculturists are basically required in nurseries, Botanical Gardens, farm
companies, Genetic companies, Agricultural product companies. Few industries, like
cosmetics and perfume manufacturing companies, offer a position to the floriculturist
as they need a scientific approach in production and for the better utilization
of raw materials.
Many clubs, resorts, town ships, malls, industrial areas, parks, public gardens,
historical places and historical gardens focus on the decorative attractions and
thus need landscaping experts and designers. Making the plants grow in different
shapes, creating colorful flower beds etc. come under the working activity.
Technicians in the field work for the construction as well as maintenance of watering
systems and the storage systems. Scientists in the field work on the improvements
of the existed techniques besides inventing or discovering new methods for better
techniques of fertigation and irrigation.
The Managers are expected to maintain the cultivation related issues along with
the sales related issues. Marketing, exporting etc. are the duties. The Managers
are often taken as Scientific Officers. Specializations like Green house or Poly-house
management are preferred for the role. Estate manager or Plantation expert cum supervisor
are the other related job titles.
Government bodies like Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), Defence
Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER), Indian Agricultural Research Institute
(IARI), CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) recruit Floriculturists.
Teaching in the agricultural colleges as a Lecturer or Professor is another option.
Clearing National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by UGC CSIR is the eligibility
criteria for lectureship.
Self employment is another good choice of the Floriculturists as there is a huge
demand for the ornamental plants, flowers and bouquets. Floriculturists, with the
technical knowledge, improve the earnings with limited resources. Planned preparation
during the seasons gives productive results. Outdoor flower designing is also an
emerging unit.
With number of opportunities in hand floriculture is attracting the enthusiasts
to opt for the stream.