ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE:

Department of Horticulture was established in H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar with the approval of U.P. Government in 1982 with the objectives: to impart education in the field of this discipline; to undertake research activities based on regional needs and to initiate Horticulture Extension Services to the rural masses. The Department runs Undergraduate, Postgraduate, as well as Doctoral degree programmes. The undergraduate and post graduate course being run by the Department is a four years (8 semesters) course as B.Sc. Horticulture (Honors) and two years (4 semesters) course as M.Sc. (Ag) Horticulture & Ph.D. in Horticulture respectively. The Department has also established a Horticultural Research Center (HRC) for providing field facilities for practical training and research activities of students, Research scholars on various horticultural aspects.

The Department of Horticulture is situated in Chauras Campus, District Tehri Garhwal. It is about 2.5 Km from Srinagar. It is spread over an area of 5.0 hectares at an altitude of 540 m above msl. The geographical and climatic conditions of the centre are best suited for the production, propagation and maintenance of nursery of different horticultural crops especially tropical, subtropical and low chill temperate horticultural crops. The research centre established with orchards of tropical, subtropical and low chill temperate fruit crops with addition of vegetable and floriculture research farm.

Department of Horticulture has extended its teaching, research and extension activities nearly in 5.0 ha mainly for the horticultural crops.

VISION:

• To build an institution of excellence for learning in Horticulture with a purpose to create human resource capable of meeting present and future needs of horticulture-based farm science education, industry and other stake holders.

GOALS:

• Educate and train human resource at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in frontier areas of horticulture through excellence in education and skill up-gradation with intensive practical trainings.
• Advanced research in elite areas of horticulture, dissemination of technology in coordination with state/central departments and institutions for sustainable growth of horticulture.
• Creation of sound scientific base for research and extension education in horticulture.
• Extension and dissemination of scientific information among the rural masses of the state as well as the farming community through region-specificific transfer of technology modules.

MANDATES OF THE DEPARTMENT (Teaching, Research and Extension):

• To impart skill-based education in horticulture to develop entrepreneurship and employability at grass root level.
• To expand the reach of professional horticulture education.
• To eligible and deserving students of rural and semi-rural areas of farming community.
• Collection and maintenance of elite germplasm of tropical, subtropical and temperate fruits, vegetable and flower crops and to ensure quality germplasm of these crops to farmers.
• Mass scale production of quality planting material with improved varieties of tropical, subtropical and temperate fruit, vegetable and flower crops for fulfilling the demand of the farmers of Uttarakhand State.
• Establishment of post-harvest/ processing facilities and facilitation of these facilities to farmers and other institutions of the state.
• To impart need based trainings and other extension activities for the promotion of cultivation of horticultural crops especially in the neighboring areas.
• Improvement in quality and yield of horticultural crops without any adverse effect on soil and environment through up gradation of production technologies.
• Identification of farmer’s need, planning and execution of surveys.

INFRA-STRUCTURAL FACILITIES:

• In terms of infrastructure facilities, the department has different well-equipped laboratories for conducting practical and research by students, Research Scholar and faculties. The different laboratories that are present in department are General Horticultural laboratories, Horticulture Extension and Communication laboratories, Post-Harvest Technology laboratories, Plant Protection laboratories, Micro-propagation laboratories, Apiculture & sericulture laboratories, Floral Biology laboratories, Genetics & Plant Breeding laboratories, Plant Physiology laboratories, Soil & Plant analysis laboratories, Farm Power & Machinery laboratories and Computer laboratories.
• The department has also a systematic library with the objective of supporting academic and research programmes of the students, Research Scholar and faculties. The library is easily accessible with sufficient text and reference books, newspaper, periodicals, magazines and journals.