eChapters

1. Horticulture sector covers % of total cropped area.

 a) 10% b) 15%

 c) 20% d) 25%

 2. World Trade Organization is situated at:

 a) Geneva b) Rome

 c) Paris d) Brazil

 3. AVRDC is situated at:

 a) Phillipines b) Taiwan

 c) Japan d) India

1. Horticulture sector covers % of total cropped area.

 a) 10% b) 15%

 c) 20% d) 25%

 2. Which of the following is / are pre-emergence herbicide(s)?

 a) Diquat b) Paraquat

 c) Diuron d) All of these

 3. Potassium plays an important role in:

 a) Osmotic regulation b) Opening and closing of stomata

 c) Sugar translocation d) All of these

2.1 Introduction

India is known for its richness in bio-resources including floristic diversity and the associated cultural diversity that evolved over time and holds a vast amount of indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) assembled over millenniums. The ability to convert this knowledge into wealth of products for social good through the process of innovation based on validation of available information holds great promise. In-depth studies using the modern technologies and further examination of potential sources will determine the future of India in the 21st century, commonly referred to as the century of scientific knowledge and technological expertise/advancements that belongs to Asia/India. In this regard, five technologies namely, biochemistry, biotechnology, herbal technology, information technology, and nanotechnology are going to be the most powerful elements that are crucial for ensuring prosperity, security, and welfare of the people of the nations and the globe at large. Production of an inventory of the medicinal aromatic plants with the associated knowledge evolved and documented over millenniums under different Indian traditional medicinal systems shall be the key in promoting and strengthening their exploitation and use under various herbal medicinal systems and/or under an integrated innovative combination of these with modern medicinal systems.

1.1 Perspective

From the very dawn of evolution of human beings, man has been using plants as food, for wellness and as medicine to alleviate diseases and discomfort. People living in different parts of the world, both new and old, in the centres of some of the oldest civilizations, had selected organisms from time immemorial for food and medicine by a process of trial and error or even by experimentation with the biological resources, particularly among the plants growing around them. These have been referred to as ethnic food/traditional food and ethnic medicine/traditional medicine. India is one of the mega centres of biodiversity, and that of the ethnic diversity, that evolved over millennia with settlement of diverse races coming from different regions of the world, besides the indigenous people. Thereby, it inhabits some of the most diverse cultural traditions. This process has led to further evolution of some of the oldest indigenous civilizations originated in the Indian Subcontinent with amalgamation of exotic traditions and the knowledge. Integration of the knowledge associated with the use of plants with medicinal properties has enriched its great heritage of medicinal plant use, the Ayurveda, i.e., the knowledge of life and longevity, dating back to the pre-historic and the early Vedic period.

8.1 Introduction

Considering increased awareness and interest in using herbal products because of their safer nature, the world market of traditional medicinal and aromatic plants is growing at a very fast pace. The global herbal industry is projected to be worth 5 trillion US$ by 2050 (the world bank report, 2000). These resources not only provide primary health care, but also nutraceutical support for wellness. Also, it has been experienced that they may help in curing some of the deadly and painful diseases such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, rheumatism, arthritis etc. India, due to its rich heritage in use of medicinal and aromatic plants under various traditional medicinal systems, which are important source of information about plant properties and use, can become a major player in the global context and can increase its market share substantially. To achieve this, an effective, efficient, and vibrant program is required to cover various aspects of management, research, and development.

7.1 Introduction

The occurrence of different medicinal and aromatic plant species is often associated with a specific ecology and thereby, to a biogeographical or phytogeographical region of the Indian Subcontinent. The Indian Subcontinent is a confluence of at least two biogeographical realms, i.e., Palearctic or Palaearctic (Himalayas) and Oriental (Sino Indian- mainland India to much of insular the Southeast Asia). The most acknowledged classification of biogeographical zones was proposed by Udvardy (1975), which recognized 12 biogeographical provinces in India falling in these two realms. Based on varied climate, terrain, and faunistic information, Roger and Panwar (1988) tried to distinguish India into 10 distinct bio-geographical regions. Their classification did account for distribution of the plant-communities because they provided information about key components to identify the probable habitat for the presence of animals. An attempt for phytogeographical zonation, based on type of vegetation by Gadgil and Meher Homji (1990), distinguished 16 phytogeographical zones. Rodgers et al. (2002) further revised their biogeographical maps using geographical information system (GIS) techniques. They distinguished 10 biogeographical zones and 26 biotic provinces.

6.1 Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) compiled a list of 20,000 medicinal plants used in different parts of the world. An estimated 15,000 medicinal plant species, forming about 21% of the total plant species used for medicinal purposes in the world, fall in the endangered category (Schippmann et al., 2006). In India, medicinal plant species used under different traditional systems to a large extent are still gathered and collected from the wild in from of roots, bark, wood, stem and even the whole plant causing severe destruction of their habitat, resulting in loss of species/populations and erosion of genetic diversity. The remaining few are cultivated as crop plants, but marginally because of lack of assured market and can be safely termed as commercially under utilized and are also under threat. Therefore, despite India being rich in plants species with medicinal properties, genetic diversity within the species and the associated traditional knowledge regarding their use, the lack of awareness regarding the loss of species and genetic diversity due to destructive harvesting from the wild and many other factors, such as infrastructure development, iintroduction of exotic species is causing depletion of genetic diversity or loss of indigenous MAPs.

5.1 Introduction

Considering the richness of floristic diversity of India represented by 47,513 plant species, of which around are 9,500 reported to be of ethnobotanical botanical significance and around 7,500 - 8900 of ethnomedicinal importance (Anonymous, 1994; Pareek et al., 2005). It has been estimated that of these, around 5,000 plant species have been investigated in some detail in search for potential sources of wellness or health or medicinal drugs to cure various human ailments and diseases. As discussed in the previous sections, the Indian literature on medicinal aromatic plants formally documents information on about 2,500 medicinal and aromatic plants under various traditional systems with sufficient details. In addition, indigenous traditional knowledge exists for another 4,000-4,500 medicinal plant species based on long time experience/observations and their use by various tribes and communities and the individual clan or families in cure of specific ailments. However, this knowledge predominantly exists in oral traditions, which are under danger because of the threat to these traditional orthodox societies and loss of the dialect or languages in which they exist.

4.1 Introduction

The adverse effect of non-vegetarian diet, particularly red meat, on human health and on environment due to destruction/clearing of forest for raising more pasture and to increase the industrial production of grains for animal feed have led to greater greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental pollution due to extensive use of inorganic fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides. Clearing of forest has also caused extinction of plant species. For these reasons, greater interest has been generated in vegetarian diet based on the direct consumption of whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that are easily assimilated by the human body, nutritionally more efficient, and have least impact on the environment. In fact, the healthfulness of vegetarian diets has been found to be strongly correlated with sustainability of agriculture because of easy affordability of plant-based foods. Vegetarian people have been often referred to as vegan and pescatarian (including fish and other seafood). Most pescatarians include dairy and eggs as well. Similarly, allopathic medicines, which are synthetic inorganic concentrated drugs, have adverse effect on non-targeted organs, besides being expensive.

3.1 Introduction

India is rich in biological diversity as revealed by its floristic diversity comprising 17,926 species of angiosperm, based on which it has been considered one among the 17 mega-biodiverse countries of the world. Also, it is the centre of some of the oldest civilizations of world, starting with Vedic civilization. Using modern day scientific tools and technology backed up with shashtra pramaana, Vedic civilization has been calculated to be as old as 25000 years (Oak, 2018). Because of its rich ecological and biological diversity, Indian Subcontinent has inhabited a large amount of ethnic diversity, consisting of both the indigenous races and those moved from other parts of the world as settlers looking for greener pastures for better living. The major ethnic races are Caucasoid (Aryan), Dravidians, Mongoloid, Negroid, and Australoid. Anthropological Survey of India has identified 461 tribal communities (Xaxa, 1999), belonging to 227 ethnic groups (Pushpangadan et al., 2018) spread over 5000 forest villages. According to the 2001 census of India, the country has 122 major languages and 1599 other languages. Figures from different sources vary, primarily due to differences in definition of the term’s “language” and “dialect”. The largest of the language families represented, in terms of speakers, is the Indo-Aryan language family followed by the Dravidian language family.

1. Introduction

The Indian economy is heavily dependent on agriculture (employing 53 % population). Around 84 % of the holdings are less than 2 ha while approximately 67% of the farms have less than 1 ha of operational farmland (Government of India, 2013; Pandey and Suganthi, 2015). A large fraction of the farming population is mostly reliant on monsoon rains for irrigation. The condition of the farmers is found to be deteriorating year after year with the revelation that 27% of farmers did not consider farming as a profitable enterprise and 40% were ready to migrate to other avenues for employment (NSSO, 2005; Pandey and Suganthi, 2015). 

1. Introduction

The status of mechanization in India is at a very low level for horticultural crops. The farmers usually go behind the use of traditional methods for different farm operations (Fig 1) and practices for cultivation of horticultural crops, their handling, storage, and processing. This results in less yields, high cost of cultivation and high crop losses from harvesting till processing. The use of different available hand tools, machinery and hi-tech technologies in the production and processing of the crops will lead to increased yields and decrease in losses to a great extent (Mandhar, 1999).

1. Introduction

Therapeutic plants have different metabolites in them because of which they are generally utilized in the whole world by individuals to fix different illnesses. India has a rich history of involving many plants for therapeutic purposes. Therapeutic plants are assuming an exceptionally dynamic part in conventional medications for the treatment of different afflictions. India is a rich wellspring of restorative plants because of the varieties in soil, their heights, and other ecological and geological conditions. India’s utilization of plants for medical services goes back nearly 5000 years, when Ayurveda systematized around 8000 natural cures by utilizing plants. Root and tuber crops possess a striking situation in the food security of the creating scene because of their high caloric worth and sugar content. Some of them are as of now under development; however different species are developing wild as a dismissed gathering of financial plants. A portion of the tuberous species is significant due to their restorative as well as modern application. 

1. Introduction

Plants offer a rich source of active compounds that have been exploited as scents, flavourings, pigments, pesticides, and medicinal compounds for thousands of years. Plants are thought to utilise these metabolites as a primary strategy for adapting to and surviving in a variety of ecological niches and environmental conditions, as well as to combat biotic intrusions in their environment (Weng, 2014). The increased interest in phytomedicine and medicinal supplements, as well as the increased regulatory obligations for their safety and reputable contents of active compounds, has prompted the development of methodologies for the quality control of multi - component concretes found in plant-derived nutraceuticals. Metabolite diversity in plants is thought to have evolved over time to help plants survive in harsh environments, and it is continually changing. 

1. Introduction

Jackfruit is a fruit crop that is under appreciated and neglected. The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is a member of the Moraceae family. India is the world’s greatest cultivator and producer of jackfruit, also known as the poor man’s fruit because it grows more in rural than metropolitan areas. It is a pretty huge tree that bears the world’s largest edible fruit. The jackfruit is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is thought to have originated in India’s rainforests, in the Western Ghats, and is now widely farmed throughout the region’s lowlands. The leading jackfruit producers in the world include Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Jackfruit can be found in East Africa, Brazil, and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica. Bangladesh’s national fruits are the jackfruit, mango, and banana.

1. Introduction

Spices play an important role in human life since time immemorial. Mainly in India, it is not only important as dietary or health product but few spices also have its religious significance. India is being not only largest producer and consumer but exporter of spices also and hence having potential to enhance the economic value of spices. According to Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Spices production in the country grew from 67.64 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to 106.79 lakh tonnes around 2020-21 having annual increase of 7.90%, along with increase in area from 32.24 lakh hectares to 45.28 lakh hectares. With this increase in production and increasing demand of spices because of their health benefits, spices do have economic benefits and farmers can earn better through it.

1. Introduction

Underutilized vegetables are essential to the lives of the poor in rural and urban areas, as they provide poverty reduction and environmental sustainability for healthy societies. Traditionally, underutilized vegetables have been known to play an important role in the nutrition of rural communities, especially during droughts, famines and the dry season. Some of these undeveloped resources have been domesticated, but most are still wild and worthless. The potential of these underutilized vegetables has been overlooked as modern agriculture has progressed. These vegetables are also called by different names including minor crops, orphan crops, neglected species, Underused Vegetables, under developed vegetables, local traditional, alternative vegetables and also promising species. Underutilized species have a lot of genetic variety, and they’re tied to a lot of indigenous knowledge. 

1. Introduction

As purveyors of ornamentation, inciters of attraction, symbols of inspiration and peace as well as repositories of beauty, flowers hold special roles worldwide. Flowers have always been associated with mankind since time immemorial because they were used in religious offerings and other social ceremonies. Today; floriculture has emerged as one of the most lucrative business profession and as a major diversification options in the agri-businessin many countries of the world due to higher income per unit area. Floriculture is also known as sunrise sector of agriculture because of its fast growing and increasing demand. In India, about 3,09,000 hectares across the country was used for floriculture and produced 23,88,000 metric tonnes (MT) of loose flowers. India is second largest flower producer after China.

1. Introduction

India’s horticulture production has exposed multiple rises in the historical two decades and the country is ranking second in the world next to China. The horticultural crops viz., fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, plantation crops and medicinal and aromatic plants have become a vital motorist for economy development in numerous states in India. Horticulture contributes 30.4 per cent to GDP of agriculture, which calls for the need of research and technical backstopping in this sector. Horticulture is a division which has the potential to create multiple springs of income, thereby boosting the economic growth of a country. Horticulture can be undertaken as market driven cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers, as ecotourism, as therapeutic medicinal plant harvesting and as a part of multiple farming to accompaniment the main source of income.

1. Introduction

Eggplant or brinjal (Solanum melongena L. family. Solanaceae) is the major vegetable crop of wet and hot climatic zone of south Asia (Srinivasan and Huang, 2008). After China, India is the second largest brinjal producer country in the world (Majumdar and Das, 2020). It is nutritious vegetable and consumed in throughout the world. Brinjal is considered as Indian native crop and it has been cultivated for last 4000 year. India is known to be the Origin Centre of brinjal cultivation, from where it distributed to throughout the world (Choudhury and Malda, 1968). In India, brijnal crop grow almost throughout the year. Brinjal fruit contains moisture 92.7g, carbohydrates 4.0g, proteins 1.4g, minerals 0.3g, vitamins 124 I.U. and vitamin 12.0mg per 100 g of edible part (Kalra et al., 1988). It is used as vegetable purpose as well as pickle (Singh et al., 1963).