Horticulture & Controlled Environments

Fruit, vegetables, vines and ornamentals, greenhouses and postharvest.

Horticulture covers intensively managed crops: fruit trees, berries, grapevines, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Typical research topics include flowering and fruit set, dormancy and chilling requirements, rootstocks, pruning and orchard or vineyard management.

Controlled-environment production - greenhouses, vertical farms, hydroponics and aquaponics - and postharvest science, which studies how quality and shelf life of fresh produce can be preserved after harvest, are major parts of the discipline.

Studying horticulture & controlled environments

Degree programs in this subject often run under these names:

What you typically learn

  • Fruit, vegetable and ornamental crop production
  • Greenhouse and controlled-environment cultivation
  • Viticulture and wine making
  • Postharvest handling and storage
  • Plant propagation and nursery production
  • Horticultural business and marketing

Where graduates typically work

  • Fruit, vegetable and nursery enterprises
  • Greenhouse and vertical farming businesses
  • Wineries and vineyards
  • Postharvest, packing and trade
  • Advisory services and research stations

Curricula differ by country and institution - the program pages linked below have the details.

Where to study horticulture & controlled environments

125 programs in 50 countries. See all 125 programs

Where research is heading

Typical research questions

  • How can fruit quality and shelf life be preserved from harvest to consumer?
  • How does light spectrum and intensity affect growth in greenhouses and vertical farms?
  • How will warmer winters affect chilling requirements and flowering of fruit trees?
  • How can water and energy use in controlled-environment production be reduced?

Publications per year

Papers whose main topic belongs to this field, 2010–2025.

0 15k 30k2010: 20,31920102011: 19,9462012: 20,3532013: 21,1232014: 21,0192015: 22,02320152016: 21,8042017: 21,3232018: 21,1902019: 21,9002020: 21,49620202021: 19,7132022: 18,6692023: 19,3792024: 20,6792025: 25,2932025

Research fronts: fastest-growing topics

Papers 2024–2025 compared with 2021–2022, topics with at least 500 recent papers.

Topic2021–20222024–2025Change
Berry genetics and cultivation research[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object]1,8453,497+90%
Innovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object]2,7104,244+57%
Garlic and Onion Studies[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object]1,7512,147+23%
Urban Agriculture and Sustainability[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object]3,9384,816+22%
Shallot Cultivation and Analysis[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object]814977+20%
Greenhouse Technology and Climate Control[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object]1,7962,104+17%

Largest topics

By number of papers 2024–2025.

  1. Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life Management[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 10,869
  2. Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,944
  3. Urban Agriculture and Sustainability[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,816
  4. Innovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,244
  5. Horticultural and Viticultural Research[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,178
  6. Berry genetics and cultivation research[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 3,497

Highly cited recent papers

Most-cited articles and reviews published 2024–2025. Citation counts favor reviews and papers published early in the window.

  1. Climate change impacts and adaptations of wine production Cornelis van Leeuwen, Giovanni Sgubin, Benjamin Bois et al. · Nature Reviews Earth & Environment · 2024 · 289 citations · Open access
  2. The role of light in regulating plant growth, development and sugar metabolism: a review Wen‐Yuan Wu, Long Chen, Rentao Liang et al. · Frontiers in Plant Science · 2025 · 194 citations · Open access
  3. Challenges of postharvest water loss in fruits: Mechanisms, influencing factors, and effective control strategies – A comprehensive review M. J. Gidado, Ahmad Anas Nagoor Gunny, Subash C.B. Gopinath et al. · Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · 2024 · 143 citations · Open access
  4. Garlic bioactive substances and their therapeutic applications for improving human health: a comprehensive review Mohamed T. El‐Saadony, Ahmed M. Saad, Sameh A. Korma et al. · Frontiers in Immunology · 2024 · 141 citations · Open access
  5. Water quality management in aquaculture Fatimah Md. Yusoff, Wahidah Ahmad Dini Umi, Norulhuda Mohamed Ramli et al. · Cambridge Prisms Water · 2024 · 132 citations · Open access
  6. Global insights and advances in edible coatings or films toward quality maintenance and reduced postharvest losses of fruit and vegetables: An updated review Maratab Ali, Akhtar Ali, Sajid Ali et al. · Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety · 2025 · 126 citations · Open access

All study programs in horticulture & controlled environments

All study programs