HIGHLIGHTS:

 Department of Horticulture was established in 2009 as one of the foremost professional course departments of Sikkim University, offering integrated B. Sc - M. Sc in Horticulture of 6 years’ duration. In the year 2013, the department started M.Sc (Horticulture) and Ph.D. (Horticulture) with four specializations viz. Fruit Science, Vegetable Science, Floriculture, and Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic crops with the following mandate:-

• To give firsthand experience of cultivation of crops lectures by Progressive Farmer.
• Field Visits by students to give exposure to different agro climatic zones and the crops diversity of the zone.
•  To have better student-teacher relationship through ward counseling in personal and professional aspects.
•  To impart hands-on training in field experiments in scientific way at the Sikkim University Horticulture Farm.
• To inculcate scientific temperament in students to conduct research on their own.
• To provide and promote consultancy services in the fields of Horticultural research, training and dissemination of information and technology.
• The department presently focuses on organic farming, climate change resilient horticulture and value added product development of local horticulture crops.

Courses offered presently: MSc (Horticulture), PhD (Horticulture)

Thrust areas of research in the Department:

• Organic farming- production and insect, pest and disease management
• Horticultural crop improvement – standard varieties development, disease, pest and abiotic stress resistance varieties development
• Conservation and value addition of local horticultural crops
  
  Research contribution (till 31st August 2021):
• Number of PhD awarded: 09
• Number of PhD students registered at present: 18
• Number of Research Projects completed or running in the Department: 10
• Total number of research publications of the Department till: 70 plus
• Development of two microbial consortium viz.,

          i) Biofertilizer consortium for nutrient management and
          ii) Microbial consortium for pest and disease management

• Establishment of community seed banks in 10 villages
• Value addition of indigenous/local fruit and vegetables