Importance of Horticulture

Below are some of the importance of Horticulture which include;

Horticulture serves as source of minerals for proper growth and development of the human body. The body requires minimum of ten elements in sufficient quality. Out of the ten elements for example ca, p, k, and fe are almost totally supplied by vegetables. Cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes and leafy vegetables are source of roughages to the human body and also ease excretion of digested food.

Nutritional value: Vegetables and fruits have been valued for their health giving qualities. They are often called protective food due to their fixation in protecting the body from disease. They also serve as a source of vitamins.

Aesthetic value of ornamental crops: The aesthetic values of ornamental crops are highly important to humans’ pleasure and comfort. This comfort and pleasure cannot be measured quantitatively.

As source of energy: It is thought that 85 – 130g of leafy vegetables and 57 – 130g of fruits vegetables should be consumed and additional 57g should be taken to make up for the food when fruit are not made up in the diet.

Job opportunity: Horticulture also provides employment opportunities for about 65 – 75% of the populace in today’s job seeking.

Aid economic: All plantational crops are source of income for both the farmers, dealers, the state government and serve as source of foreign exchange earnings for the country as a whole.

Source of food: More than 95% of the world population depends on Horticultural products for food.

Windbreak: Some Horticultural crops serve as windbreak.

Research/Teaching: Most Horticultural crops are use for research and teaching purposes in most research institutes and higher schools of learning in today’s knowledge acquisition.

Erosion control: Horticultural crops such as carpet grasses (axonopus compresus) are use to control erosion. This help to prevent the top soil as erosion could wash it away or either by wind.

Beatification: The ornamental crops are used for decoration of our homes, for ceremonies, churches and so on. The beatification of ornamental crops gives a more unique look to surroundings.

Medicinal: Horticultural crops tested and certified are used for the preparation of some drugs both traditionally and pharmaceutically.

Feeding of livestock: Some Horticultural plants such as water leaf, bitter leaf and pumpkin leaves are use for the feeding of livestock.

Raw materials for industry: Horticultural crops such as tomatoes, pineapple, mango, oranges and so on are used by industries for the preparation of tomatoe pastes, as well as juices and so on.

Source of manure: When some of these horticultural crops residues decompose, they provide manure to the soil.