Books in the Horticulture Science Series series

Medicinal plant cultivation has received an impetus in the recent years due to revival of interest in herbal medicines necessitating authoritative information on cultivation and utilization of this valuable flora. The book on Medicinal Plants includes information on current status of medicinal plants, their phytochemistry, quality control, good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices in medicinal plants and information on commercially grown medicinal plants and those important in trade. Details on botany, crop improvement, crop protection, crop production, post harvest handling, chemical composition, chemical analyses and uses of commercially grown crops are also included. The book which is a systematic compilation of available information on promising 65 medicinal species helps in providing specific information on the cultivation and utilization of these crops to farmers, academicians, students and related user industries. This documented information also serves to give an insight to the major research lacunae and formulate appropriate research strategies in these crops.

The book post harvest technology assumes great attention during recent years since preservation of agricultural produce is a basic necessity to sustain agricultural production. It helps to add value of produce, thus having great scope for employment generation at the production catchments.         In this book, the authors have attempted to consolidate different methods of post harvest technology of fruits and vegetables focusing on recent advances. This book will benefit both practicing food technologist/post harvest technologist who are searching for answers to critical technical questions of post harvest technology. Further, it will be useful to agricultural engineers, food processors, food scientist ,researchers and progressive farmers and tom those who are working in relevant fields. it is intended to fill a gap in presently available post harvest technology literature

Tuber and root crops are the third important group of food crops after cereals and pulses, feeding about one fifth of the world population. With the burgeoning population coupled with limited land, water and other resources, the future beckons tuber and root crops in fulfilling the country's food requirements. These crops have higher biological efficiency and greater adoption with profound production potential per unit area per unit time. Tuber and root crops are well known from time immemorial as nature's energy bank and famine savior. This book is conceived to have an updated version on the tuber and root crops especially in the Indian context, including information on the history, biodiversity, geographical distribution, botany, neutraceutical and pharmaceutical values, new varieties, production technologies, IPM strategies, starches, post harvest technologies and value added products, bio-processing, biotechnology, ITK and future thrusts. Various aspects of cassava, sweet potato, elephant foot yam, taro, yams, coleus, yam bean and arrow root are elucidated in 17 s and appendices. This book will be of immense use to the policy makers, scientists, post graduate and under graduate students and officials concerned with tuber and root crops research, development and extension.

The book is a classic covering flowers used in decoration of houses, offices, restaurants, hospitals and private places of rest and relaxation. For nature lovers, it is a paradise of colours, forms and shapes. Fragrant flowers, flowers for bouquet making, flowers for essences and bonsai are narrated to the enchantment of students and scholars as well. There are 21 s dealing with general topics in flower trade, standards, markets and global demand and supply. The specific s deal elaborately anthuriums, carnations, china aster, chrysanthemums, gerbera, gladiolus, helicorneas, jasmine, marigold, orchids, roses and tube roses. An exhaustive on new cut flowers narrates recent introductions .The Japanese Bonsai is dealt in exquisite style. Research and development in this sector are separately dealt with. Future prospects, trends and globalised flower marketing are written for use of floriculturists. Modern technology of protected growing of flowers is informative. All the flowers indicated in the book are presented in colour photograph forms as well.

The book focuses on conventional and recent propagation techniques delving upon crop-wise depictions of different propagation methods in horticultural crops. Adequate insight is given to crop botany, ecology and economic importance of important fruit crops, vegetables, plantation crops and spices. The content of the book undoubtedly will provide a good guidance to students of Agriculture and Botany, Nurserymen and Agricultural Extension workers.

This book on 'Aromatic Plants' contains seven s.  Introductory on 'History, importance and scope of aromatic plants' deals with the importance of aromatic crops and their close association with human health and beauty care from time immemorial.  History of development of cultivation and aroma based industries in different regions of the world is described to emphasize their significance, scope and role in increasing the quality of human life.   Classification of aromatic plants based on their climatic requirement, growth habit and floral morphology elaborated in succeeding will be of great interest to students, researchers and farmers.  on 'Extraction of aroma principles' describes traditional as well as modern techniques employed for efficient extraction of volatile oils and oleo-resins from different plants materials and equipments employed for the purpose.   Quality of oil is found to vary significantly with ecotypes, season, time of collection, crop maturity and weather conditions prevailing during the growth period, extraction method and duration of extraction process.  Conditions and duration of storage also have a bearing on quality of essential oil.  This necessitates development and imposition of appropriate quality standards in trade.  These aspects are covered in fourth on 'Quality assurance of essential oils'.  Aromatic oils & their derivatives and combinations occupy a covetable position in holistic medicines such as aromatherapy.  on 'Aromatherapy' details the use of essential oils in human health care, techniques employed, aromatherapy message, aromatic bath, facial care, hair care etc.  Information on aromatic oil's vide spread application to relieve stress and rejuvenate body are also included.    Sixth and seventh s deal with major and other sources of aromatic oils. Under major sources, 17 aromatic crops and under other sources, 25 crops and discussed in detail.  These s include the common name, botanical name and synonyms if any and family, vernacular names, importance and uses, habitat and distribution, agro technology, soil, climate, season, land preparation, planting, seed rate and spacing manurial and fertilizer recommendation, irrigation, weed control, pest control, harvest, propagation techniques, herbal yield, extraction and utilization, oil recovery, oil composition, properties of oil, storage requirements etc.

This book "Spices" comprehends and provides latest information on economic importance, botany, chemical composition , crop improvement, agro-technology, post harvest technology and end uses of 52 spices identified by the spices board.   The book is organized into 6 chapteThe authors with their vast experience in tropical spices have brought their scientific as well as practical experience in collecting and presenting the information concisely. Although the book is a sublimate of the Indian expertise in spices, the contents are very useful and relevant internationally. the book is targeted to the students and researchers in the area of horticulture, agriculture, industry people, exporters  processors and end users.