Handbook of Vegetables, Volume 1

This book “Handbook of Vegetables” edited by two eminent vegetable scientists in India (Prof. K.V. Peter and Prof. P. Hazra) and adorned by 26 highly reputed contributors of India and abroad will meet the technology support to maximize productivity against unfortunate diminishing soil fertility, natural resources particularly land and water and rising cost of vegetable production. This book deals in the first part with four important general aspects of Vegetable science viz., Nutritive value and antioxidant potential of vegetables, Origin and domestication of the vegetable crops, Value addition to vegetables and Vegetable hybrid seed industry in India in the present scenario of new diet-health paradigm, value addition and approach towards agro-based industries. In the second part, comprehensive information in the array of Origin, distribution and variation, Cytology and botany, Floral Biology, Genetics, Breeding methods, Biotechnological innovation, Agronomy of the crop, Disease and pest management, Value addition and Seed production for 14 important vegetable crops viz., Carrot, Chilli and capsicum, Cowpea, Drumstick, Eggplant, Onion, Okra, Pea, Potato, Pointed gourd, Pumpkin and squash, Tomato, Tropical cauliflower and Tropical leafy vegetables has been documented. Unique feature of this book lay on about 100 coloured photographs on wild relatives of different crops, species variability, mutants and cultivar level variability because such documentation has not so far been made in any book of vegetable science. This text cum reference book has basically been prepared for the graduate and post graduate level students of Agricultural Universities of India and abroad. Teachers, researchers, professionals, vegetable growers and even nutritionists and dieticians will also get benefit from this book.