Department of Horticulture & Landscape

Vision
Department of Horticulture aspires to academic leadership in the science of horticulture through achieving the highest levels of education, scientific research and publication.

Mission
Our department contributes to the development of agricultural production through the construction of national professionals highly qualified in the gardening and research programs of basic and applied research to solve agricultural problems.

Objectives
• Graduation of students qualified in all aspects of horticulture (fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, and gardening engineering) to work in various agricultural sectors.
• Conducting  applied and basic research in the areas of horticulture, which aims to study problems hindering the improvement of production, and provide appropriate solutions.
• Contributing to the development of awareness of farmers and agricultural community interested in agriculture and the dissemination of information in the field of modern agricultural production in cooperation with other college units.

The most important activities of the department of community service
Educational services offered by the department as follows:
• Evaluate dissertations and theses within and outside the university to obtain master and doctoral scientific papers in both special occasions and public subjects
• Textbooks and important translated books in the areas of different subjects
• Evaluate scientific research submitted for publication in local and international journals

Advisory services
• Provision of technical advisory services to farmers and agricultural companies
• Provide advisory services to government agencies related to the different areas of the department

Training services 
• Contribution of the annual agricultural conference in the college
• Establishment of training courses to farmers and graduates within the department
• Establishment of annual training courses in collaboration with the Directorate of Agricultural Extension in the Najaf province-Iraq
• Recent trends in the establishment of orchards and gardens engineering and production of ornamental plants, flowers and maintenance of gardens and parks
• Recent trends in breeding and production of palm and fruit in Iraq
• Care of flowers and indoor plants
• Vegetable production in greenhouses
• Agricultural mechanization

Essential infrastructures of the department
• Graduate Research plant nutrition lab: featuring the latest equipment necessary to conduct advanced studies in the areas of nutrition and physiology of the plant and a soil analysis, water and plant.
• Plant tissue culture lab: aims to conduct scientific studies on the production of crop plants and plant breeding applications.
• Greenhouse operating unit: Unit comprises 5 houses used for the production and propagation of plants, gardens and forests. Two greenhouses equipped with a modern plastic drip irrigation system and fertilization dedicated to the cultivation of vegetable crops.

Certificates awarded by the department
The degree of Bachelor in Agricultural Science (Horticulture) is awarded by the University of Kufa, on the recommendation of the college of Agriculture, Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture and gardening for those who completed graduation requirements (courses required and distributed over 4 years by two semesters per year, in addition to passing the summer training for a period of 45 days after the third year). Furthermore, the department of Horticulture provides a Master’s degree in Agricultural Science as well as Doctorate in terms of Horticulture (vegetable production, fruit production, plant nurseries, production of ornamental plants, tissue culture).

 

About
Department of Horticulture is one of the main departments of the college of Agriculture established in 1997.  Our department teaches agricultural sciences, including the areas of production, physiology and breeding of horticultural plants and gardening engineering. The department also conducts applied research that aims to raise production efficiency and quality in addition to their relevance to the environmental conditions of Iraq. Department of Horticulture proud of the existence of a group of college members who have graduated from distinguished international universities and leading them to a variety of research interests, and that allowing the department an opportunity to deal with the requirements of current and future society. Also, the department seeks to scientific communication with colleges and scientific institutes and other public institutions, local and international. Professors welcome visitors from other universities to exchange experiences and knowledge also welcome graduate students from within and outside Iraq.