Protected Cultivation of Floriculture Crops: Innovative Technologies and Future Challenges

There is a vast potential for the export of high-value ornamental crops in the global floriculture trade owing to the novelty of flower crops. A rapid increase in population, increasing impact of climate change, reduction in land holdings, indiscriminate use of natural resources, and increased quality flower production have resulted in a shift towards protected cultivation. In protected cultivation microclimate surrounding, the plant body is controlled partially or fully, which regulates and provides optimum conditions of light, temperature, humidity, CO2, and air circulation, besides the precise application of inputs, for ideal growth and development of plants. This chapter highlights recent advances that have been made in protected cultivation of ornamentals in the field of environment regulation, fertilizer application, use of plant growth regulators, substrate mixes, and use of AI and robotics in cultivation of ornamental crops.