Fruit Science

Fruit farming deals with the growing of fruit crops, including nuts, primarily for use as human food. The subject of fruit and nut production deals with intensive culture of perennial plants, the fruits of which have economic significance. Horticulture is a boon of nature which is refined by human skill as a science to obtain more and more benefits. It involves rigorous cropping expertise, including the improvement, production, distribution and use of vegetables, fruits, woody landscape and greenhouse plants. Horticulture is now one of the fastest growing industries with striking professional opportunities. An increasing proportion of the world’s population is living in metropolitan environments where their understanding of farming, and therefore of food production, is becoming progressively more poor.

This volume ‘Fruit Science’ offers practical knowledge of the production of tree fruits and nuts, grapes, small fruits and vegetables, and other row crops, and forages. The concentration details factors influencing the growth, development, and productivity of these crops (e.g., site selection, cultivar selection, field and plant establishment, pest management, harvesting, and postharvest handling). The concentration also focuses on ongoing and newly emerging specialty industries and concerns such postharvest technology, plant breeding and biotechnology, integrated pest management, and precision agriculture. It also provides an overview of the health benefits associated with fruit consumption, including brief discussions of underlying protective mechanisms, identifies key scientific findings regarding the health benefits of fruit consumption. Also included in this volume are other essential features of fruit processing operations, such as: the food additives used, microbiology, quality assurance, packaging, grades and standards of fruits, and waste management.