(By Mujahid Ali*, Dr. C.M. Ayyub**, Karim Yar Abbasi**, Dr. M. Irfan Ashraf**)
(*Horticulture, UOS; **Horticulture, UAF)
Horticulture is valuable enterprise and economic sector of Pakistan. To enhance our economy via horticulture sector in CPEC scenario following facts should be achieved for our sustainable horticulture production.
1. Creating awareness among the public about the importance of horticultural crops for livelihood its dietary value
2. To facilitates dynamics in sustainable horticultural crop production
3. To encourage and promote precision horticulture for sustainability
4. To facilitate protected horticulture for sustainability
5. Classification of fruit, vegetables, flowers, and other horticultural crops like medicinal plants
6. Nursery act should be implemented. There must be at least one agriculture graduate for nursery and orchard management
7. Enhancement of propagation of horticultural crops
8. Rootstocks are very important for fruit production. Should focus on several types of rootstocks in fruit and vegetable production according to environmental conditions
9. To enhance growth and development of horticultural crops
10. To understand horticultural plant physiology
11. Enhancement of plant growth regulator in horticultural production
12. Advancement in nutrient and irrigation management techniques
13. To conserve water and efficiently utilize fertilizers by fertigation in fruit and vegetable crops with drip irrigation
14. High-density plantation of vegetable and fruit crops
15. Training and pruning of plants are basic management practices but our farmer doesn’t bother it. So, we should ensure its importance
16. Improving pollination management in horticultural crops for better fruit set
17. To create awareness about organic crop production
18. Use of IPM for pest management dynamics for sustainable horticulture
19. To control physiological disorders and their management
20. Biotic and abiotic stress management of fruit and vegetable crops
21. Postharvest management of horticultural crops and improving storage conditions
22. Planning of marketing strategies for horticultural crops
23. Research work on climate change and sustainable horticulture by funding different projects
24. Use of molecular markers in horticultural science along with conventional breeding
25. Conventional and modern breeding approaches for quality improvement
26. The mushroom can be good enterprise so, mushroom, bamboo, spices, medicinal, and plantation crop production should be encouraged
27. Enhancement of vegetable seed industry so that import should be minimized. Utilize our skills for hybrid production
28. Subsidizing and controlling prices on inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, seeds etc.
29. Water is becoming a dream, so government must take immediate action for water conservation technologies like drip irrigation system, sprinklers etc.
30. Establishment of floriculture markets and improving post-harvest life of cut flowers for export
