Uses of Plants_bautista

7/28/2019 Uses of Plants_bautista

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Uses of Plants Page 1

NOTES IN BOTANY Prepared by: N.R. Bautista

USES OF PLANTS

Plants are either used in the field of

Horticulture, Agronomy and Forestry.Generally speaking, plants are cultivated in

order to be used as (1) Food & spices; (2)

Clothing & basketry; (3) Housing; (4)

Medicines; (5) Fuel; (6) Medicines /

Pharmaceuticals; (7) Ornamental Decoration;

and (8) Environmental Purposes.

Horticulture means “garden crops”. Their

main division or branches of Horticulture

includes:

1. Olericulture- the production of vegetables

including storage, processing, and marketing.

Vegetable crops are grown for their succulent

and edible parts such as the roots, stems,

leaves, young tops, flowers, fruits, or seeds for

use in culinary preparations either fresh or

preserved in the fresh state.

2. Pomology- the branch of horticulture which

deals with fruit crop production. Fruit crops are

grown for their edible fruits which, as a rule,

are consumed raw.

3. Floriculture- the cultivation and

management of cut flowers, flowering plants,

and foliage plants including their use in

ornamental construct such as flower

arrangement. A term that is used

interchangeably with floriculture is ornamental

horticulture.

4. Plant Propagation/Nursery Crop Culture- the propagation and production of seedlings, young trees,

shrubs and vines, as well as ground covers, turf, ornamental plants and other crops in nurseries for

landscaping, interior plantscaping, or outplanting.




(Top Picture) Various cutflowers sold

in a flowershop. (Bottom) Various

Local tropical fruits in a fruit stand.

5. Landscape horticulture- the branch

of horticulture which includes thedesign, construction and care of

landscapes taking into consideration

proper choice of plants and aesthetic

effects for homes, businesses and

public places.

The following crops are likewise

generally included within the domain

of the branches of horticulture:

perennial bush and tree nuts; and

aromatic and medicinal foliage, seeds

and roots .

Note:

1. Horticulture differs from agronomy

in many ways but some crops can be

classified as both horticultural and

agronomic depending on use (e.g.

sweet corn is horticultural, grain or

forage corn is agronomic). In thetropics, however, the distinction

between horticulture and agronomy is

not clear.

2. Horticulture is intensive. It deals with high-value crops which are intensively cultivated with high

infusion of capital in terms of production inputs, labor and technology per land area.

3. Protected cultivation, as in glasshouses and plastic tunnels, and irrigation are common.

4. The following terms are used to refer to production units for horticultural crops: gardens, orchards,

groves, vineyards, greenhouses, nurseries, and sometimes plantations.

5. Horticulture supports environmental enhancement through a special branch of horticulture called

environmental or urban horticulture which includes home gardening, landscaping, arboriculture

(growing of trees), and interior decorating with the use of plants. These activities have been applied in

horticultural therapy in which horticultural plants are used as therapeutic tools.




AGRONOMY

Agronomy (or “field crops” is a

branch of agriculture dealing with

various physical and biological

factors—including soil management,tillage, crop rotation, breeding, weed

control, and climate—related to crop

production. Agronomy commonly

refers to field crops, e.g. wheat, rice,

corn, sorghum, soybean, cotton, as

well as pasture, sugar, and forage

crops; while horticulture is concerned

with fruits, vegetables, flowers, and

ornamental plants; silviculture, or

forestry , with forest trees; and agroforestry, with mixtures of trees with other crops.

Divisions of Agronomy includes:

1. Cereals – wheat, rice, corn, sorghum, soybeans

2. Forage crops – grasses planted as feed for horses, goats, sheep, cattle. – e.g. paragrass;

3. Sugar crops – sugarcane, sugar beet, maple trees.

4. Fibercrops – cotton, ramie, abaca, cotton, pandan, buri, pineapple, kapok.

Corn is a major cereal crop for non-irrigated fields.




FORESTRY / SILVICULTURE

1. Production of Timber / Firewood

2. Use for Other purposes – cordage, packing

material, basketry

3. Use as Food (Fruits, Nuts, Vegetables)4. Medicinal Use

5. Protection of Natural Habitat

(Environmental)

AGRONOMY – Field Crops (usually planted in wide

open spaces, uses machines in planting, usually

produced in industrial scale)

a. Cereal crops – rice, corn, sorghum, soya

beans, wheat

b. Oil Crops – coconut, African oil palms

c. Fiber Crops – cotton, Pineapple, Buri, giant

Pandan,

d. Forage Crops – grasses used as feeds for cattle, horses, goats – e.g. para grass.

e. Medicinal / Poison Crops

f. Fuel Crops – e.g. ipil-ipil, kakawate, acacia,

g. Sugar Crops – sugarcane, maple trees, sugarbeet.

h. Root crops – cassava, kamote, potato, sinkamas.

i. Green manure – leguminous crops used to be planted and to be plowed under.

(Left) Coconut trees are major oil crops which produced nuts for making cooking oil, coconut milk for food and young coconut

water and meat for the beverage industry.

HORTICULTURE – Garden Crops (planted intensively, with high

capital and inputs)

Plantation Crops - plants grown in large quantities intended

for industrial purposes.

a. Oil Crops - crops grown for their oil content. e.g. Coconut,

African oil palm, lumbang, castor.

b. Fiber Crops - grown for their fibers which is used for textiles,

cordage, pulp, paper, twines, sacks, bags, mats, decorations,

etc. e.g. abaca, buri, maguey, cabo negro, kapok, cotton.




c. Beverage crops - crops grown for brewing non-alchoholic drinks. e.g. coffee, cacao, tea, turmeric

(yellow ginger), ginger, and avocado leaf.

d. Spices, condiments and essences -- crops used to provide special flavors, scnets and colors to

food, perfume, soaps, and body dressings (sprays, splashes, and rubbing ointments) e.g. black

pepper, vanilla, citronella, canella (or cinnamon), turmeric, eucaliptus.

e. Latex and resins - crops grown for their sap (latex) e.g. rubber, chico, pili, rimas, papaya

f. Medicinal and poison crops - crops with curative, laxative or pesticidal properties. e.g. Bunga

(Areca catachu L.) and ikmo (Piper betle L.), Lagundi

Fruits in a local market . Fruits like bananas, papayas, pineapples, melons and mangoes are major

food items sold in markets

Ornamental Crops

a. Cutfoliage or Florist's greens - plants grown for its its foliage (as background in floral

arrangements) e.g. Kamuning (Murraya paniculata) ferns, asparagus (Asparagus plumosus), Fortune

plant (Draceana fragrance).




b. Cutflower or Florist's crops - plants grown for its flowers e.g. carnations, gladiolus, roses,

daisies, lilies, chrysanthemums, anthuriums, sampaguita, orchids, heliconias, bird of paradise.

c. Flowering Pot Plants - plants grown in containers for their beautiful flowers, usually used for

display purposes.

d. Foliage plants - plants grown in containers for their attractive foliage (these plants are usually

shade loving)

e.Landscape plants - plants used for landscaping e.g. palms and trees (as canopy), border plants, accent

plants (flowering center of attention); foundation plants; background/blinds; hedge/wall; barriers;

creepers; foliage / foliar epiphytes; .

f. Turf grasses - usually plants belonging to the Grass family, used for lawns or greens. e.g. Manila

grass, Bermuda grass, Carabao Grass & Blue grass.

g. Others – Bonsai (minature trees) ; Topiary – plants shaped into certain shapes; plant arts - dish

gardens, zen waterfall gardens, lei, corsage,

FRUIT CROPS (POMOLOGY)

a. Tree Fruits – fruits borne on trees (e.g. manga, santol, sampaloc, apple, starapple, guava)

b. Small Fruit – fruit not borne on trees, but grows on vines, or small shrubs. – e.g. strawberry,

grapes, watermelon, melon, dragon fruit.

c. Nut Fruits – fruits with hard shell. – e.g. walnut, cashew nut, Pili nut, Pistachos,

SIGNIFICANT APPLICATION OF BOTANY

Botany is a foundation and pure science. Its branches includes: Plant Anatomy, Plant Physiology,

Genetics, Plant Pathology, Taxonomy or Systematics, PaleoBotany (Plant Evolution), Plant

Geography; Crop Protection; Cytology, Histology, Plant Ecology, Ethnobotany, and others.

Its Disciplines includes: Plant breeding; Micropropagation (plant tissue culture); Nursery

management; Seed Technology; Biochemistry; Post-Harvest

Technologies; Farming systems;

Botany has tremendous applications in Agriculture (agronomy &

horticulture); Forestry; Environmental Science; Biotechnology; Medicine;among others.

© 2013 – Norberto R. Bautista c/o The Biology Department, College of Arts

& Sciences, Rizal Technological University, Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City,

Philippines.

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Uses of Plants_bautista