Tropical horticulture

– Overview:
– Tropical horticulture includes perennial woody plants, ornamentals, vegetables, and fruits like grapes.
– Many crops in tropical horticulture originate from temperate zones but are adapted to tropical conditions through breeding.
– Indigenous crops in the tropics include oil palm, okra, rice, sugarcane, pineapple, banana, papaya, and mango.
– The tropics cover 36% of the Earth’s surface and 20% of its land surface, offering significant potential for tropical horticulture.
– Climate in the tropics is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons, with temperature variations affected by elevation.

– Types of plants:
– Tropical environments support both vascular and non-vascular plants.
– Plants in the tropics are cold-sensitive, adapted to high solar radiation, and sensitive to small photoperiod variations.
– High night temperatures in tropical lowlands hinder the adoption of temperate crops.
– Tropical plants can withstand extended drought, high precipitation, and distinct wet and dry seasons.
– Conditions in the tropics promote high respiration rates in plants, leading to lower net photosynthesis rates.

– See also:
– Agriculture and Agronomy portal
– Arboriculture
– Floriculture
– Horticultural flora
– Olericulture

– References:
– Tropical Horticulture
– Tropical Agriculture and Food Systems
– Physiological Ecology of Tropical Plants
– Tropical Horticulture and Gardening