+44-20-4587-4809Organic Horticulture
Organic horticulture represents the practice of cultivation of plants for their fruits, flowers or vegetables but in a natural way i.e. with minimal usage of chemical fertilizers or any other artificial tools and techniques. It also involves the application of eco-friendly practices of soil building and pest management, such as application of organic manures, compost, biological pest control agents as well as following mixed cropping and crop rotation patterns.
Organic horticulture was popularized during the latter half of the 20th century; right after the intensive use of modern agricultural tools, chemical fertilizers and pesticides was promoted. It was soon realized that the incessant use of these chemicals has adverse impact on the inherent quality and taste of the final product. Further investigations indicated that these modern agricultural practices are also responsible for degrading the quality of agricultural soil as well as bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals and pesticides. Hence, people, especially those who are aware of the instant and future consequences of chemical based farming practices, choose to buy organically grown horticultural products. Thankfully, this trend is on a rise, which further promotes the increased adoption of organic horticulture practices by farmers.
It was only recently realized that the benefits of organic horticulture can be further intensified by the application of modern technology. Such innovative application of technology in the field of agriculture encompasses advent and implementation of renewable energy and ecologically sustainable methods that can help in reducing labor inputs while maximizing plant and animal welfare.
Owing to the practical importance of accentuating the research and application of these organic horticulture technologies, the Journal of Horticulture decided to host a special issue that will be specifically highlighting the recent developments as well as future trends in the field of organic horticulture technology.
The journal invites scientific manuscripts that are based on the organic horticultural technological methods and their application. The broad subject areas this special issue will be addressing to include:
• Software for soil nutrient monitoring and management
• Weed management software
• Use of robotics for the development of weeders and animal feeders
• Effective Microorganism (EM) technology in agriculture
• Precision agricultural practices
• Positioning systems
• Biosensors
• Unmanned aerial systems and agriculture
• Yield monitoring of horticultural produce
• Precision irrigation
The special issue will hopefully become a stepping stone in the field of organic farming which will ultimately help in development of technological interventions directed towards improvement of quality and quantity of agricultural produce without implying any harmful effects on the environment.
This special issue is now open for submission
Submit manuscript as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at editor@longdom.org