SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES FOR HORTICULTURAL CROPS
edited by: Balraj Singh, A.K. Singh, B.S. Tomar, J.K. Ranjan, Som Dutt
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The book titled Sustainable Production Technologies for Horticultural Crops is a distinctive and comprehensive resource that covers all aspects of horticulture. It compiles and organizes scattered information in an easily understandable format, complete with practical recommendations for stakeholders. The book is authored by renowned experts in their respective fields, who have contributed to its 24 chapters. These chapters address topics such as genetic resources, varietal wealth, crop improvement, plant health management, biotic and abiotic stress management, and value-addition of horticultural crops. Additionally, the book delves into general horticultural science.
The book covers a wide range of horticultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, spices, and ornamental and plantation crops. Each chapter is well-illustrated with figures and tables and is cited with the latest references. The critical R&D gaps identified in different research areas are also addressed in each chapter.
Sustainable Production Technologies for Horticultural Crops is a valuable resource for students, teachers, researchers, scientists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. It serves as a comprehensive reservoir of information that can be utilized by all stakeholders in the horticultural industry.
Prof. Balraj Singh is currently serving as Vice Chancellor at S.K.N. Agriculture University in Jobner, Rajasthan. He has held various leadership positions in the past, including as Vice-Chancellor at Agriculture University in Jodhpur, Director of ICAR-NRC on Seed Spices in Ajmer, and Project Coordinator of ICAR-AICRP on Honey Bees and Pollinators at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi. Throughout his 33-year career, Prof. Singh has gained extensive experience in research, teaching, HRD, and horticultural crop extension. He has also undergone international training in "Leadership and Decision Making" at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University in Cambridge, USA, and in "Horticultural Crop Production under Climatic Constraints" at the Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University in Rehovot, Israel. Prof. Singh was a member of the pioneering team that introduced Protected Cultivation Technology to India as part of an Indo-Israeli collaborative project. He has developed numerous low-cost and energy-efficient protected cultivation techniques that are suitable for various agro-climatic conditions, with the goal of assisting Indian farmers. Prof. Singh was also the Consortia Principal Investigator for a NAIP project funded by the World Bank, which was worth approximately 1.0 million USD and focused on "Protected Cultivation of High Quality Vegetables and Cut Flowers: A Value Chain Approach." He has served as a resource person on various working groups formed by Indian states to implement Protected Cultivation and Hi-Tech Vegetable Farming. Prof. Singh's contributions have been widely recognized both nationally and internationally, and he has received several awards and honors. He is the founder secretary of the Indian Society for Protected Cultivation and the Vice President of the Indian Society of Seed Technology. Additionally, he is a Fellow member of the Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Technology; the Indian Society of Seed Technology; the Horticulture Society of India; the Indian Society of Seed Spices; and the President of the Society for Integrated Development of Agriculture at AU, Jodhpur, and SHRD in Ghaziabad.
He has provided guidance to numerous postgraduate and Ph.D. students at ICAR-IARI New Delhi. His extensive research experience is reflected in the publication of over 145 research papers in reputable national and international journals, as well as more than 36 book chapters published both nationally and internationally. Additionally, he has written over 125 technical and popular articles to disseminate technology among farmers and stakeholders. Prof. Singh is the author of the first Indian textbook on "Protected Cultivation of Vegetable Crops" and has also edited the book "Advances in Protected Cultivation," which was forwarded by the former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He has conducted over 50 national and international training programs for scientists, professionals, and farmers on various topics such as high-tech nursery raising in vegetables, advances in protected cultivation of vegetables, plant protection of horticultural crops under protected conditions, and seed production in vegetables. Prof. Singh's contributions include the identification and release of eight varieties of different vegetable and seed spice crops at the state and national levels, as well as the standardization of vegetable crop and seed production technologies under protected and open field conditions. Under his leadership, the ICAR-NRC on Seed Spices, Ajmer, achieved new heights in R&D and received ISO 9001:2008 accreditation for laboratory analysis, seed spice research and development, consultancy, training, and technology transfer to stakeholders. Prof. Singh's accomplishments have been recognized with the Dr. Kirti Singh Gold Medal by HSI and the Life Time Achievement Award by SHRD for his outstanding contributions to the field of Vegetable Sciences.
Dr. A.K. Singh, the Principal Scientist and Incharge of the Regional Station at the Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-CIAH) in Godhra, Gujarat, has dedicated over 24 years to the advancement of dryland fruits, including both major and minor varieties that are grown in hot semi-arid and arid conditions. He has demonstrated exceptional skill in the ex-situ establishment and conservation of the genetic diversity of dryland underutilized fruits in field gene banks, particularly bael, where he has developed 217 clonal and 121 seedling varieties. Additionally, Dr. Singh has developed 30 varieties of fruit and vegetable crops, including 8 varieties of bael (Goma Yashi, Thar Divya, Thar Neelkanth, Thar Srishti, Thar Prakriti, Thar Shivangi, Thar Gauri, and Thar Bhavya) and 12 varieties of other underutilized semi-arid fruit crops, such as jamun (Goma Priyanka and Thar Kranti), tamarind (Goma Prateek and Thar Rashmi), chironji (Thar Priya), khirni (Thar Rituraj), phalsa (Thar Pragati), karonda (Thar Kamal), wood apple (Thar Gaurav and Thar Prabha), custard apple (Thar Amrit), and mahua (Thar Madhu). Additionally, he has co-developed 10 varieties of vegetable crops, including dolichos bean (Thar Ganga, Thar Lakshmi, Thar Vinaya, Thar Kiran), yard long bean (Thar Surya, Thar Deeksha, Thar Prateeksha), vegetable cow pea (Thar Jyothi), ivy gourd (Thar Sadabahar), and spine gourd (Thar Varsha). Dr. Singh has specialized in dryland fruit culture and has developed various production technologies, such as propagation techniques, high-density planting, orchard floor management, organic farming, intercropping, and cropping models, which have been widely adopted by farmers, including resource-poor and tribal farmers, in India. He has also reported the first instances of morphological variations in bael, including metaxenia, cauliflory, and vivipary.
He has published an impressive number of research papers, including 147 in total, with 50 articles having a NAAS rating of over 6. He has also written 11 review papers, 124 popular articles, 59 book chapters, 17 leaflets, 13 technical bulletins, 3 training manuals, 60 full-length papers, and 163 abstracts in conference proceedings. Additionally, he has contributed to 14 books, two of which are e-books. He has played a significant role in generating valuable scientific information from 12 in-house and 10 externally funded projects, which have helped to disseminate technologies among farmers and stakeholders. Dr. Singh has received numerous awards for his work, including best oral and poster presentations, research paper awards, and recognition from scientific professional societies. He is a recipient of national fellowships from CHAI, HSI, and ISNS and has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Current Horticulture and the editor of Indian Horticulture, ICAR, New Delhi. Dr. Singh is also recognized as a Nodal Officer for DUS testing centers on bael, chironji, and tamarind, and as a Co-Nodal Officer for the DUS testing center on aonla, as recognized by PPV&FRA, New Delhi. He is widely respected as a scientist who is dedicated to advancing dryland horticulture research and development for the benefit of the country's stakeholders.
Dr. B.S. Tomar has consistently been involved in the development of seed production technology for vegetable crops under both open field and protected conditions. For over two-and-a-half decades, he has focused on the genetic improvement of brinjal, onion, okra, and cucumber. Dr. Tomar has been instrumental in the development of 30 different vegetable varieties, including brinjal (6), onion (3), okra (1), cucumber (3), musk melon (2), garden pea (1), bitter gourd (2), velayti palak (1), and cow pea (1), among others. Many of these varieties have been commercialized through MoUs, the National Seeds Corporation, and the NHRDF, as well as IARI and its regional station in Karnal. Dr. Tomar has also organized live vegetable demonstrations on vegetable technologies at the UVRD farm and mela site. He has been teaching Seed Science and Technology and the Division of Vegetable Science for the past 24 years and has guided 8 Ph.D. students and 6 M.Sc. students. One of his students, Dr. R Y Vishwanath, won the IARI gold medal for his outstanding contribution to his Ph.D. program. Dr. Tomar has published 101 peer-reviewed research papers on vegetable crops and over 100 popular articles in Indian Horticulture, Phal-Phool, and Khad Patrika, among other publications.
Dr. B.S. Tomar has demonstrated a significant track record of accomplishments in his career as an agricultural expert. He has authored 11 training manuals, 2 practical manuals, and over 30 book chapters. In addition, he has organized a short training course and winter school sponsored by the Agricultural Education Division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, two Model Trainings sponsored by the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and other sponsored farmers training programs in vegetable and seed production. Dr. Tomar has also organized the Sabzi Pathshala program at All India Radio, sponsored by M/s. Dayal Seed, Meerut, and delivered more than 500 talks on All India Radio, Delhi Doordarshan, and DD Kisan program for the benefit of the farming community.
Moreover, Dr. Tomar has served as an expert member in various organizations, including the Union Public Service Commission, the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, the National Fertilizers Limited, the National Seed Corporation, the Central Horticultural Experiment Station, the National Dairy Development Board, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute. He has also served as the Incharge of the Seed Production Unit from 2011-2013.
Dr. Tomar is recognized as a Fellow of the Indian Society of Seed Technology, the Indian Society of Seed Spices, the Indian Society of Vegetable Science, and the National Academy of Horticulture Sciences. He has received several awards for his contributions to the field of agriculture, including the Best Teacher Award-2014 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, and the Dr. G. Kalloo Outstanding Horticulture Scientist Award-2018 by the Society for Horticulture Research and Development, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. J.K. Ranjan was born on October 7th, 1974, in the Madhubani district of Bihar. He completed his 10th grade from MRG High School in Andhra Tharhi, Madhubani, Bihar, and his 12th grade from Marwari College, LN Mithila University, Darbhanga, Bihar. In 1998, he earned his B.Sc. in Agriculture from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. He also holds an M.Sc. in Horticulture (2000) and a Ph.D. in Horticulture (2005) from ICAR-IARI in New Delhi. Dr. Ranjan received the ICAR-Junior Research Fellowship for his Master's program and the CSIR-Senior Research Fellowship for his Doctoral program.
Dr. Ranjan joined the Agricultural Research Service of ICAR as a Scientist in Horticulture (Vegetable Science) in 2005. He was later selected as a Senior Scientist in Horticulture for ICAR-NRCSS in Ajmer. Currently, he works as a Principal Scientist in Vegetable Science at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi. In 2012, he visited Clemson University in South Carolina as a Visiting Scientist. Dr. Ranjan has been recognized as a Fellow of the Indian Society of Seed Spices (2013, Ajmer), the Society for Horticultural Research and Development (2021, Uttar Pradesh), the Indian Seed Vegetable Society (ISVS, Varanasi), and the Indian Seed and Nursery Association (ISNS, Chennai). He has also received the Outstanding Horticultural Scientist Award from the Society for Horticultural Research and Development, Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. J.K. Ranjan has dedicated the past 14 years to the study and improvement of various crops, including temperate fruits and vegetables, seed spices, Solanaceous, and aquatic vegetables. Currently, he is concentrating on the genetic advancement of bottle gourd and brinjal. Throughout his career, Dr. Ranjan has developed two garlic varieties, one apple variety, two Indian spinach varieties, one Ipomea aquatica variety, and a hybrid chili variety, as well as several production technologies and genetic stocks for vegetable crops.
Dr. Ranjan has published an impressive 41 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals, five books, 24 book chapters, four training manuals, eight conference proceedings papers, 20 extension folders/leaflets, and over 50 popular articles. He is also a member of several professional societies, including the Society for Horticulture Research and Development, Indian Society of Vegetable Science, Indian Academy of Horticulture Sciences, Indian Society of Allium, Indian Society of Seed Spices, Association for Promotion of Innovations in Vegetables, and the International Society for Noni Sciences. Dr. Ranjan currently holds the position of Joint Secretary in the Society for Horticulture Research and Development and the Indian Society of Seed Spices.
Dr. Som Dutt obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Botany from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Meerut. He commenced his professional career as a Research Scholar at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi in 1982. Due to his keen interest in popular science writing, he joined the Publications and Information Division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at their headquarters in New Delhi in 1984. As an editor, he oversaw the Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Indian Horticulture, a national semi-technical magazine that disseminated information on all research and developmental activities in horticultural crops across the country. He also edited the Handbook of Horticulture, the first-ever published comprehensive book on horticulture by the ICAR, and other important horticultural publications.
Dr. Dutt has written over 500 articles on agricultural sciences, book chapters, and one book titled 'Phoolon Ki Vyavsayik Kheti' in Hindi. He has made a significant impact on farmers by giving radio talks on agriculture in various programs of All India Radio. He has delivered numerous lectures to farmers, extension specialists, young scientists, and Horticulture Development Officers of various states, which has contributed to increasing agricultural production significantly. Dr. Dutt has been honored with the Chaudhary Charan Singh Award for Excellence in Journalism in Agricultural Research and Development 2008 (ICAR National Award), Raizada Memorial Award for Young Information Scientist 1990, and the Best Editor Award 2008, for his efforts in popularizing agricultural sciences through various media outlets. Currently, he is the Managing Editor of Current Horticulture, a peer-reviewed research journal published by the Society for Horticultural Research and Development (SHRD), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. He has also organized mega events such as the Indian Horticulture Summit-2020 and 2022 and a Webinar on Boosting Immunity through Horticulture in 2020, as the Secretary of SHRD, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
1. Opportunities and Potential of Expansion of Protected Cultivation in India - Balraj Singh
Section 01: Fruits
2. Exchange and Utilization of Fruit Genetic Resources in India - Pragya Ranjan, S.K. Singh, J.K. Ranjan, Vartika Srivastava, Vandana Tyagi, Pratibha Brahmi
3. Fruit Crop Wild Relatives and Their Importance in Breeding - Vartika Srivastava, Pragya Ranjan, Monika Singh and Chavlesh Kumar
4. Role of Rootstock in Production of Citrus Fruits - Awtar Singh and Kanhaiya Singh
5. Impact of Climate Change on Mango Productivity in Indian Subtropics - P.L. Saroj, Dinesh Kumar and Ashish Yadav
6. Research and Development in Arid and Semi-arid Fruit Crops - A.K. Singh, D.S. Mishra, L.P. Yadav, Gangadhara K. and Jagdish Rane
7. Water and Energy-efficient Arid Fruit Production System - Akath Singh and Pradeep Kumar
8. Conservation and Utilization of Wild Fruit Species in India - Prakash Chandra Tripathi
9. Advances in Precision Viticulture - Sharmistha Naik and R.G. Somkuwar
10. Harnessing Indigenous and Exotic Fruits for Nutritional and Livelihood Security - G. Karunakaran, M. Arivalagan, P. Singh, Kanupriya T. Sakthivel, A. Thirugnanavel and P.C. Tripathi
Section 02: Vegetables
11. Advances in Vegetable Nursery Raising - S.N.S. Chaurasia, Anant Bahadur and Swati Sharma
12. Hybrid Seed Production of Vegetable Crops - B.S. Tomar, Yalamalle V.R. and Chaukhande Paresh
13. Vegetable Based Microgreens for Human Health - J.K. Ranjan, Ankita Saha, Gyan P. Mishra, R.K. Yadav, R. Bharadwaj, Ajeet Singh, Pragya, Jogendra Singh and B.S. Tomar
14. Hydroponics: Production Technology for High-Value Vegetables - J. Suresh Kumar, Sandra Jose and A.U. Akash
Section 03: Floriculture and Landscaping
15. Recent Research and Development in Floriculture and Landscaping - S.S. Sindhu and Namita
16. Entrepreneurial Floriculture::A Profitable Venture - S.L. Chawla, Saryu Trivedi, Roshni Agnihotri and Mallika Sindha
Section 04: Tuber and Plantation Crops
17. Breeding Strategies for Development of Bio-fortified Tuber Crop Varieties - Kalidas Pati, Visalakshi Chandra, K.M. Senthil Kumar
18. Scope and Potential of Vertical Farming in Root and Tuber Crops Production - J. Suresh Kumar, M. Nedunchezhiyan, S. Sunitha and T. Janakiram
19. In-vitro Propagation of Coconut (Cocos nucifera) - Neema M., Aparna Veluru and Sudha R.
20. Conservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources of Arecanut - N. R. Nagaraja and T. N. Ranjini
Section 05: Crop Protection
21. Ecological Engineering::A New Approach for Pest Management in Horticultural Crops - K. Rolania, A. Kumar, S. Pilania and S.M. Haldhar
22. Augmentation of Immunity in Human Beings in Challenging Times - Hare Krishna, S N S Chaurasia, Anant Bahadur, Swati Sharma, Rajeev Kumar, Manoj Kumar Singh, R B Yadava and T K Behera
23 Functional Properties of Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Plants - Manish Das
Section 06: Institution
24. Dr YSR Horticulture University, Heralding Horticultural Revolution in Andhra Pradesh - T. Janakiram, B. Srinivasulu, E. Keruna Sree and V. Deepthi
Index
The horticultural science has emerged as the leading discipline in total agricultural development in India. Playing a pivotal role, horticultural science has surpassed total food grain production in our country. Besides, horticultural science has proven facts of protecting mankind from so many dreaded diseases, making food and nutritionally secured country in the world. A number of ICAR institutes and State Agricultural Universities are devoted in the field of research and development of horticultural crops. The large network of National Agricultural Research System consisting of huge manpower is credited for such fruitful research and developmental activities across the country.
Balraj Singh
With time it has been well proved that protected cultivation is a better technology to enhance productivity and quality of the crops by providing a logical and technical solution to manage the major and minor biotic and abiotic stresses encountered under open field cultivation of major horticultural crops. The effectiveness of the technology has also been observed in many parts of the world (Singh, 2013). Presently, the area under different forms of protected cultivation is around 4.5 million ha in the world. During the last two and half decades, the area under protected cultivation has increased exponentially in various countries and around Mediterranean sea.
Pragya Ranjan, S.K. Singh, J.K. Ranjan, Vartika Srivastava , Vandana Tyagi, Pratibha Brahmi
India is the home to a number of fruit species including mango, banana citrus etc. which have global importance. The North-Eastern (NE) region is particularly endowed with tremendous diversity of banana and citrus and a number of wild/ minor species. However, India has been and continues to be highly interdependent for germplasm sharing with many countries. In the early times, development in Indian fruit industry brought about largely by making selections from indigenous variability for large scale production. Selection from natural or introduced diversity was performed by the local growers, often patronized by rulers, continued over the years and resulted in the development of several popular types of different fruits.
Vartika Srivastava, Pragya Ranjan, Monika Singh, Chavlesh Kumar
Indian subcontinent is a mega-center of crop plant diversity, as well as wild relatives and other useful taxa (Zeven and de Wet 1982). Diverse agroclimatic conditions, agricultural practices, and ethnic diversification have resulted in the development of a rich diversity of crop plants among native and introduced taxa (Arora 1991). Fruit crops contribute significantly to nutrition and health because they are high in dietary energy and contain a significant amount of vitamins and minerals (Pareek et al., 1998). Most of these species serve multiple functions, such as food, shelter, timber, fuel, medicine etc. As a result of their numerous applications, tropical fruits significantly contribute to food and nutritional security, income generation, ecosystem and environmental sustainability.
Awtar Singh, Kanhaiya Singh
Perennial fruit crops are largely cultivated under borderline conditions leading to various physiological disarrays. An environment-friendly technique for escaping or reducing losses in production due to biotic and abiotic stresses is their propagation onto rootstocks, which can reduce the adverse effects of external stresses. The scion and rootstock grow together, although genetically different but working infusion and grow as a single entity. The rootstock provides the root system, thus anchoring the tree and acts as an absorbing organ for water and mineral nutrients. The rootstock also influences the tree size, precocity in bearing, fruit quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
P.L. Saroj, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish Yadav
Prevailing climate and weather conditions play crucial role in production and quality of various fruits including mango (Mangifera indica L.). In India, mango has 2.3 million ha area with annual production of 20.5 million tonnes and average productivity of 8.9 t/ha. However, erratic precipitation and high temperature during flowering and fruit setting induced mainly due to climatic disturbance in the recent past had adversely impacted the production potential of mango in subtropics. Analysis of twenty years (2001-02 to 2021-22) weather data of ICAR CISH, Lucknow, indicated that average annual rainfall of the region is 956.41 mm spread over 25-30 number of rainydays.
A.K. Singh, D.S. Mishra, L.P. Yadav, Gangadhara K, Jagdish Rane
A large number of arid and semi-arid fruit crops are used by the local inhabitants. These fruits are better known as protective food as cultivation is restricted and are grown mainly as wild. Being tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, these fruit crops are suitable for growing in drought prone areas. Semi-arid fruits are the oldest fruit tree crops with wide distribution, reflecting their adaptation to a wide range of edapho-climatic conditions. Development of viable agro-techniques, propagation methods, canopy management, and biotic and abiotic stresses management are equally important for improving productivity and quality of arid and semi-arid fruit crops.
Akath Singh, Pradeep Kumar
Agriculture is biggest user of water, accounting 70% of all withdrawals. It is major water-consuming sector due to intensification of agriculture (CWC, 2021). With changing climatic condition, demand of water will increase. Hence, conservation and efficient management of limited water has become the need of the hour for sustainable fruit production. Since per unit returns from horticultural crops are higher, their production system improves the net return of farmers and would impart resilience to aberrant weather (Meghwal et al., 2018). Therefore, immense opportunities for quality production of water-economizing horticultural crops. In arid and semi-arid regions, uncertain, erratic and scanty’ rains coupled with meagre irrigation facilities leads to low and unstable yields.
Prakash Chandra Tripathi
India is floristically extremely rich with about 33 per cent of its botanical wealth (over 15,000 species of higher plants) being endemic. There are about 141 endemic genera distributed over 47 families (Nayar, 1980) the 4,900 endemic species, a large number are localised in the Himalayas (about 2,532 species), compared with the peninsular tract (1,788 species), and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (185 species). Indian region is a major centre of domestication and diversity of crop plants (Zeven and de Wet, 1982; Arora, 1991). About 33 per cent of the cultivated plant species have theirorigin in this region (Damania, 2002). The Indian sub continent is a centre of domestication and diversification of several economically useful wild plant species comprising about 3,000 plants of edible value, 4,000 species having known reputed medicinal value, 700 plants of traditional and social significance, 500 fibre-yielding species, 400 fodder plants, 40 plants having insectivorous uses, 300 gum and dye yielding plants and 100 aromatic and essential oil-yielding species (Arora, 1991).
Sharmistha Naik, R.G. Somkuwar
Precision viticulture aims to optimize vineyard management, reduce use of resources, reduce environmental impact and maximize yield and quality of grapes. New technologies as UAVs, satellites, proximal sensors, variable rate machines (VRT) and robots are being developed and used more frequently in some parts of the world in recent years. Developments and abilities of computers, software and informatic systems to read, analyze, process and transfer a huge amount of data are major milestones in precision viticulture. In addition, different decision support systems (DSSs) for making better crop management decisions at the right time also assist vine growers.
G. Karunakaran, M. Arivalagan, P. Singh, Kanupriya, T. Sakthivel, A. Thirugnanavel, P.C. Tripathi
Underexploited Unexploited fruit crops, jackfruit, tamarind, jamun, karonda, star fruit, etc having high nutritive value, are gaining popularly among the people. Similarly, many exotic fruits, Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp), Avocado (Persea Americana Miller), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L), Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims), Durian (Durio zibethinus L.,) Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour) have been introduced in India. Exploitation of their genetic diversity could provide nutritional and livelihood security. There is a need to know about nutritional composition and health significance of these crops. Therefore, efforts have been made to know their potential nutritional and health benefits
S.N.S. Chaurasia, Anant Bahadur, Swati Sharma
Nursery is a place where planting material, such as seedlings, saplings, cuttings, etc., are raised, propagated and multiplied under favourable conditions for transplanting in prepared beds. In other words, “A vegetable nursery is a place or an establishment for raising or handling of young vegetable seedlings until they are ready for more permanent planting.” There are some vegetables whose seed need to be sown directly in the main plot such as cowpea, okra, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, pumpkin, sponge gourd, ridge gourd, peas, beans, and similar others. Similarly, certain vegetables cannot grow by seeds directly and need to multiply by vegetative means like pointed gourd, ivy gourd, kakrol, kartoli, garlic, zinger, colocasia, Aravi, water chestnut etc.
B.S. Tomar, Yalamalle V.R, Chaukhande Paresh
India is the second-largest producer of vegetables in the world (FAO, 2021). Its diverse soil and climate condition provides ample opportunity to grow a variety of crops (be it tropical, semi-temperate, or temperate type). Vegetables form a significant part of the total agricultural production of the country. India grows vegetables in an area of 10.86 mha with annual production of 200 million tonnes (NHB, 2021). Vegetables alone contribute 66.97 % of the total horticultural production (341.63 million tonnes). During 2021-22, India exported vegetables worth Rs. 5,745.54 crore. The growth in vegetable production is largely due to an increase in productivity of average productivity is 18.18 tonnes per hectare, The increase in productivity has led to improved per caput availability of over 250g.
J.K. Ranjan, Ankita Saha, Gyan P. Mishra, R.K. Yadav , R. Bharadwaj, Ajeet Singh, Pragya, Jogendra Singh, B.S. Tomar
Microgreens, popularly known as “vegetable confetti,” are tender young greens that are grown from seeds of cereals, vegetables, and herbs. These shoots are typically harvested 7-21 days after germination when they are just (2.5-7.5 cm tall. At this stage, microgreens have a central stalk, two mature cotyledon leaves, and a second pair of tender true leaves. Compared to baby greens and sprouts, they are bigger than sprouts and smaller than baby greens. Their distinctive color, texture, and flavour can be either sweet or spicy.). Microgreens are especially important because of their high amount of micronutrients and bioactive substances.
J. Suresh Kumar, Sandra Jose, A.U. Akash
Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions with or without the use of an inert medium such as gravel, soil, vermiculite, rock wool, peat moss, saw dust, coir dust and coconut fibre-provide mechanical support. The term Hydroponics was derived from the Greek words ‘hydro’ means water and ‘ponos’ means labour and means water work. The word hydroponics was coined by Professor William Gericke in the early 1930s; describe the growing of plants with their roots suspended in water containing mineral nutrients. Researchers at Purdue University developed the nutriculture system in 1940. During 1960s and 70s, commercial hydroponics farms were developed in Arizona, Abu Dhabi, Belgium, California, Denmark, German, Holland, Iran, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation and other countries.
S.S. Sindhu, Namita
Floriculture is most diversified and potential component of horticultural industry in India. It is one of the fastest growing sectors in domestic and international trade markets and holds high business potential and prospects for trade. In ancient era, the flowers were used mainly for religious offering but now floriculture sector has emerged as a commercial venture. There is a dynamic shift from sustenance production to commercial production in this era and thereby significant increase in trade of flowers at domestic level because of rapid urbanization, increase in income level, etc. Flower business is considered as a most profitable business as commercial floriculture has higher potential. The cut and loose flowers have opened various avenues for establishment of flower business.
S.L. Chawla, Saryu Trivedi, Roshni Agnihotri, Mallika Sindha
Pandemic brought in tough times, especially for different business sectors. However, the floriculture business was one such sector that people embraced, especially in India. In the current scenario, the floriculture industry in India has emerged as a huge trend setter and a survivor, albeit with a drop in earnings and the convenience of working from home. Flower Market report summarizes top key players overview as Syngenta, Floret Flowers, among others. The Indian economy has been starved of sustainable ideas, especially when the outbreak of COVID-19 saw the loss of jobs and the reverse migration of rural people. The floriculture business provided a vast opportunity that involves specific technical know-how and provided flower and allied business as a medium to earn income and generate opportunity for others.
Kalidas Pati, Visalakshi Chandra, K.M. Senthil Kumar
An emerging, promising, affordable, and sustainable method of providing micronutrients to a large population with limited access to varied meals and other micronutrient therapies is referred to as biofortification. The biofortified tuber crops, particularly sweet potato, cassava, yam, and taro, are giving the targeted people adequate amount of nutrients. When genetic diversity is present in a gene pool of targeted crop, biofortification through conventional breeding approaches has been most successful. The breeding strategies used to elevate micronutrients include pre-breeding, large-scale germplasm screening, molecular marker development and understanding genetic control and Genotype x Environment interaction (GxE).
J. Suresh Kumar, S. Sunitha, T. Janakiram
Vertical farming is a system of growing crops in multiple layers in skyscrapers, to maximize the use of land by having a vertical design, whereby plants, animals, fungi and other life forms are cultivated for food, fuel and fibre by artificially stacking them vertically above each other (Despommier, 2009; Kalantari et al., 2017). It is estimated that nine acres in a horizontal farm is equal to 1 acre in a vertical farm. The concept of vertical farming started during the mid 90s by Dr Dickson Despomier, professor of Public and Environmental Health at Columbia University
Neema M, Aparna Veluru, Sudha R.
Plant tissue culture is the process in which mass multiplication is possible from the somatic cells of the plant by utilizing the principle of totipotency. Each plant cell can grow into a plant by converting the somatic nature of the cells to embryogenic ones. In tissue culture, plantlets can be produced either directly through organogenesis or indirectly by somatic embryogenesis. Organogenesis is the process in which shoots develop from the explants directly and then rooting is induced. In indirect somatic embryogenesis, the explant cells pass through a callusing stage where the cells get multiplied. These cells then obtain embryogenic potential and develop somatic embryos. These somatic embryos later germinate and develop into plantlets
N. R. Nagaraja, T. N. Ranjini
Arecanut is an important traditional plantation crop of India and South-Eastern Asia. Also known as “betel nut”, the kernel is obtained from its fruit. It is mostly used by the people as masticatory and is an essential requisite during several religious, social and cultural functions of India. Arecanut has been widely used in East Africa, South-East Asia, and the Pacific Ocean islands, providing economic security for millions of people and for many sole means of livelihood in the Indian sub-continent. Arecanut is commercially cultivated in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Its current world production is 17.96 lakh tonnes from 12.26 lakh ha (FAO STAT, 2020).
K. Rolania, A. Kumar, S. Pilania, S.M. Haldhar
Ecological engineering has recently emerged as a paradigm for considering pest management approaches that rely on the use of cultural techniques to manipulate farm habitat and to enhance biological control. In contrast to the intensive use of ecosystems, these days to enhance productivity can affect agro-ecosystems through soil and water depletion, biodiversity loss, challenging pest problems and disruption in flow of ecosystem services. Ecological engineering for pest management mainly focuses on increasing the abundance, diversity and function of natural enemies in horticultural crops habitats by providing refuges and alternate or supplementary food resources and also attracts different kinds of pollinators like honeybees.
Hare Krishna, S N S Chaurasia, Anant Bahadur, Swati Sharma, Rajeev Kuma, Manoj Kumar Singh, R B Yadava, T K Behera
Nutrition affects the development of human body immune system, playing a vital role in modifying the threat of exposure and susceptibility to infectious patho gens, acuteness of morbidity and success of treatment. Keeping in view the pres ent pandemic and emerging viruses such Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Hantavi ruses, Nipah viruses for which no effective preventive and curative treatment is in hand, a healthy immune system could be one of the most important defences to f ight off (El-Gamal et al., 2011). Vegetables are rich source of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibres; however, certain vegetables hold more significance in view of boosting immunity.
Manish Das
Plants have the ability to synthesize a wide variety of chemical compounds that are used to perform important biological functions, and to defend against attack from predators such as insects, fungi and herbivorous mammals. Many of these phyto chemicals have beneficial effects on long-term health when consumed by humans, and can be used to effectively treat human diseases. At least 12,000 such compounds have been isolated so far; a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total (Tapsell et al., 2006; Lai and Roy, 2004). These phyto-chemicals are divided into: (1) primary metabolites such as sugars and fats, which are found in all plants; and (2) secondary metabolites (SM) – compounds which are found in a smaller range of plants, serving a more specific function (Meskin, 2002). For example, some secondary metabolites are toxins used to deter predation and others are pheromones used to attract insects for pollination.
T. Janakiram, B. Srinivasulu, E. Keruna Sree, V. Deepthi
Government of Andhra Pradesh has identified Horticulture sector as one of the growth engine with a focus to increase the production, productivity and quality all horticultural crops coupled with value chain development and marketing linkages for better price realization. Total area under horticultural crops is 17.95 lakh ha with a production of ` 314.78 lakh tonnes. Horticulture sector has recorded 10.17 % growth over previous year and contributing ` 49,189 crores during 2020-21 to GVA of Andhra Pradesh (DH, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, 2021).
A Accessions 278 Agriculture 104 Antagonistic 221 Anti-inflammatory 303 Antioxidants 299 Apiculture 326 Aquarium 246 Arecanut 276 Arid and semi-arid 85 Aromatherapy 244 Artificial Intelligence 328 Aryan 16 Ascorbic acid 303
sustainable production technologies, horticultural crops, comprehensive resource, genetic resources, crop improvement, plant health management, biotic stress management, abiotic stress management, value-addition, horticultural science, fruits, vegetables, ornamental crops, research gaps, stakeholders