Tropical horticulture is a branch ofhorticulture that studies and cultivates plants in thetropics, i.e., theequatorial regions of the world. The field is sometimes known by theportmanteau "TropHort".
Tropical horticulture includes plants such as perennial woody plants (arboriculture), ornamentals (floriculture), vegetables (olericulture), and fruits (pomology) including grapes (viticulture). The origin of many of these crops is not in the tropics but in temperate zones. Their adoption to tropical climatic conditions is an objective ofbreeding. Many important crops, however, are indigenous to the tropics. The latter embrace perennial crops such asoil palm, vegetables includingokra, field crops such asrice andsugarcane, and particularly fruits includingpineapple,banana,papaya, andmango.[citation needed]
Since the tropics represent 36 percent of the Earth's surface and 20 percent of its land surface, the potential of tropical horticulture is huge.[1] In contrast totemperate regions,environmental conditions in the tropics are defined less by seasonal temperature fluctuations and more by seasonality of precipitation. Thus theclimate in the greater part of the tropics is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons, although such variation is reduced in locations closer to the equator (±5° latitude). Temperature conditions in the tropics are affected by elevation,[2] in which contrasting warmer and colder climate areas in the tropics can be differentiated,[3]: 4–5 and highland areas in the tropics can consequently be more favourable for production of temperate plant species than are lowland areas.[citation needed]
Bothvascular andnon-vascular plants grow in tropical environments. Plants indigenous to the tropics are usually cold sensitive and adapted to receiving high levels ofsolar radiation. They are sensitive to small variations in photoperiod ("short day" plants), and can be adapted to extended drought, high precipitation and/or distinct wet and dry seasons. High night temperatures are a major hindrance to adopting temperate crops (e.g.,tomatoes) to the tropical lowlands. Furthermore, such conditions promote highrespiration rates of plants, resulting in comparably lower netphotosynthesis rates.[4]
