Posts
.JPG)
Floriculture is the cultivation of flowers for commercial purposes. In Floriculture one id required to take up research on developing improved, disease-resistant and high-yielding varieties of flowers and ensure cultivation of the same after checking their climatic and soil adaptability. Quality control is of prime importance in Floriculture. This is the aspect which has to be kept in mind constantly.
People have always cultivated flowers for ornamental purposes at home, schools, colleges or office premises. In many of these places, planting of flowers may be done on a smaller scale. However, even here a gardener is indespensible. It is not wrong to say that all gardeners are technically floriculturists. Gardening's roots can be traced to our remote past. So the concept of Floriculture is not an entirely new concept.
Eligibility: In order to study Floriculture, one should have completed 10+2 with Botany as an option. To get admitted into an agricultural university offering degree in Floriculture/Horticulture, one has to pass an entrance examinations conducted by them.
The job of a Floriculturist involves studying the patterns, suitable geographical ambience and climatic conditions for the growth of variuos floral plant species. Hence a professional degree is required but you can also start up with a nursery without obtaining a degree or a diploma. Professional training is not a hard and fast requirement for getting a break in the profession of Floriculture. However one should be willing to be hardworking and enterprising enough to maintain such a farm. A degree in Floriculture neverthless serves to give that competitive edge over others engaged in the same profession.
Courses : B.Sc. degree in horticulture/agriculture is offered by numerous agricultural colleges all over the country. Durations, which may vary depending on the institutes, are of three, four or five years depending upon the institution concerned.
Prospects : Job opportunities are offered by variuos companies for career-conscious individuals.
You can take up jobs as supervisors with floriculture companies.
You can take up managerial or marketing positions with flower processing and marketing establishments.
You can also get jobs as farm or estate managers whose job responcibilities include production of certain varieties of flowers placed on the high demand scale.
You can work as specialists with the departments of horiculture and municipal corporations. They are employed by the government to look after the improvise plantation, nursery and landscaping projects run by the former.
Job opportunities are also available with public sector undertakings and government hospitals, etc. that believe in maintaining a clea and green surroundings.
Remunerations: For professionally trained Floriculturists working on private companies or public sector enterprises (PSEs), the starting salary can be between Rs.6,000 and Rs.8,000. For those taking up managerial positions or marketing positions in Floriculture companies, the salary can range between Rs.12,000 and Rs.20,000 or even higher. Those conducting research work on flowers can command a resonable price as consultation fee. However, if you become enterpreneur and serve the domestic or overseas market as a supplier of flowers there can be no limits to your income.
Where to Study:
National Botanical Research Institute, Rapa Pratap Marg, P.B. No. 436, Lucknow - 226001
Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik - 422005