horticultural crop production - Nutrition Foundation of India

HORTICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTIONDr K.L.ChadhaPresident, The Horticultural Society of India, New DelhiNutritional security denotes the consumptionand physiological use of adequate quantities ofsafe and nutritious food by every member of afamily and encompasses the process ofequitable distribution among members ofhouseholds and communities. This calls for theconsumption of a variety of food items whichsupply an entire range of essential macro andmicronutrients. Fruits and vegetables areconsidered to be the richest sources of theseessential and beneficial phyto-nutrientsimportant for the human metabolism. Theirlarge-scale production and consumption is,therefore, imperative for ensuring the nutritionalsecurity.At the time of independence, the country facedtwo major nutritional problems. One was thethreat of famine and acute starvation due to lowagricultural production and a vareity of fooditems which supply an acute malnutrition dueto low per capita availability of protective foodslike fruits and vegetables. The other was chronicenergy deficiency due to poverty, low-literacy,poor access to safe-drinking water, sanitationand health care. These factors led to the widespread prevalence of infections and ill health inchildren and adults. Kwashiorkor, marasmus,goiter, beriberi, blindness due to Vitamin Adeficiency and anaemia due to iron deficiencywere major public health problems. The countryadopted a multi-sectoral, multi- prongedstrategy to combat the major nutritionalproblems and to improve nutritional status ofthe population.The Green revolution resulted in increased foodproduction that was sufficient to meet the needsof a growing population. The establishment ofadequate buffer stocks and the PublicDistribution System has ensured adequate percapita food availability and distribution at thenational level. Improvement in per capitaincome, poverty alleviation programmesincluding food for work and EmploymentAssurance Scheme have resulted in betterpurchasing power and household foodavailability. Food supplementation programmeswere initiated to meet the extra foodrequirements of vulnerable groups - namelypregnant and lactating mothers and pre-schoolchildren. The Government initiated programmesfor the prevention of iodine deficiency disorders,anaemia and blindness due to Vitamin Adeficiency.In the last 50 years considerable progress hasbeen made in many of these programmes.Famines no longer haunt the country. There hasbeen substantial reduction in moderate andsevere under nutrition in children and someimprovement in the nutritional status of allsegments of the population. Malnutritioninduced diseases like kwashiorkor, marasmus,beriberi and blindness due to Vitamin-Adeficiency are no longer rampant. However, thewidespread prevalence of a milder form ofchronic energy deficiency (CED) in adults andchildren is a matter of concern. Under nutritioncontinues to be a major problem in pregnantand lactating women; with over one-third of thenewborns still weighing less than 2.5 kg at birth.Even though there has been a marked reductionin blindness due to Vitamin-A deficiency, the lesssevere forms of Vitamin-A deficiency persist.Universal access to iodized salt has not beenachieved and there has not been markedreduction in iodine deficiency disorders. Thereis no decline in the prevalence or severity ofanaemia and its health consequences. In thelast two decades, there have been major lifestyle and dietary intake alterations, especially,among the urban middle and upper incomegroups. As a result, newer problems such asobesity in adolescents and adults and increasedrisk of non-communicable diseases areemerging.Nutritional Importance of Fruits andVegetablesMan needs a wide range of nutrients to performvarious body functions and to lead a healthy22

life. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals andvitamins constitute most of the foods that weconsume. If we analyze the chemicalcomposition of a healthy man weighing 65 kg,a major proportion of it comprises of water (61.6percentage) followed by protein (17%), fat(13.8%) and carbohydrates (1.5%).Energy needs are mainly derived fromcarbohydrates and fats. Animal products andpulses supply the required proteins while fruitsand vegetables supply the required vitamins andminerals. A study of the recommended dietaryallowance (RDA) indicates that an adolescentrequires 3000 k calories of energy, proteins (55g), Calcium (0.5 to 0.6 g), iron (25 mg), retinol(750 µg) and thiamin (1.5 mg) in addition to anumber of other vitamins. Riboflavin (1.7 mg),nicotinic acid (21 mg), ascorbic acid (30 to 50mg), folic acid 50 to 100 µg, vitamin B 12(0.5 to1 µg), vitamin D (200 I.U.) and β carotene (3000µg) are also necessary. These dietaryrequirements can be met through a balanceddiet comprising of cereals (500 g), pulses (75g), fruits (120 g), milk (200 ml), leafy vegetables(125 g) other vegetables (80 g), roots and tubers(90 g), fats and oils (40 g) and sugar (40 g). Inorder to ensure a balanced diet, the diet shouldconstitute of 25 to 30% of fruits and vegetables.Fruits and vegetables form the second mostimportant constituent in USA after cereals.Fruits and vegetables can play a unique role inmeeting the nutritional needs of our population.Taken fresh or in processed form, they not onlyimprove the quality of our diet but also provideessential ingredients like carbohydrates,proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.Horticultural crops rich incarbohydratesCarbohydrates are the building blocks of humanbody. They provide the ready energy in the formof sugars. Nearly 60% of a standard mealcomprises of carbohydrates and (vitamins,minerals and sugars) contribute the rest.Bael fruitUnripe or half ripe fruit contains 31.3%-31.8%carbohydrates, 1.8% proteins and 2.9% fibre.It is also rich in minerals and vitamins. Its highvitamin C contents can overcome scurvy, whichis caused by vitamin C deficiency.BananaThe ripe fruit contains 20% of carbohydrates,rich content of potassium, iron and fair amountsof vitamin B and calcium. It is an important fruitof India with the largest area and production.Even though India is the largest producer ofbanana fruit in the world with a total productionof 15.07 million tones, our per capita availabilityof banana is less than 1.5. kg/person/year. InIndia, fruits of some cultivars of banana likeNendran are also used for breakfast aftersteaming while banana chips are an importantsubsidiary food item in several Southern andWestern Indian states.CassavaIt is the richest source of carbohydrates andserves as a staple food in a number ofunderdeveloped countries. It produces about25,00,00 calories of energy/ha compared to11,00,00 calories from wheat and 17,60,00calories from rice. In areas with no ricecultivation, it is used as a staple diet for the poor.It plays a major role in averting famines arisingfrom food scarcity. Further, there has beenreduction in cassava consumption andproduction due to changes in food consumptionpatterns during the ‘Green Revolution’. Cassavaalso continues as the unchallengedmonopolized raw material for sago productionin India and presently there are more than athousand industrial units in Tamilnadu. On aglobal basis, tuber crop is an importantsubsidiary food after cereals and grain legumes;it produces the highest rate of dry matter perday and is a major energy contributor. Most ofthe tuber crops have wide adaptability and canproduce economic yields in marginal landsunder varied agro-climatic conditions. Tomaintain rhythm in the supply of food materialsand to keep pace with the increasing population,food crops like cassava will have to be retainedwithin the cropping pattern of the marginalfarmers.DatesThe fruits are very rich in carbohydrates, mostlyin the form of invert sugars (75 to 80%),phosphorus, potassium and iron.23

GrapesBoth fresh grapes and dried raisins are a goodsource of energy due to high proportions ofreducing sugars. The fruits are good sourcesof calcium, phosphorus, iron, tartaric acid andpectin. Traces of iodine and fluoride are alsofound in the fruits.JackfruitIt supplies a significant quantity of energy as itcontains 20% of carbohydrates. The aroma richfruit is a good source of protein, fat, β-carotene,thiamine, calcium, iron, potassium, and sodium.PotatoPotato serves as a staple food in a number ofcountries. It possesses 22% of carbohydratesand 2% of high value protein, in addition totraces of vitamins A, B and C. Not only the totalor average yield/kg/ha/day is more in potatowhen compared to rice, wheat or maize but itsdry matter and protein content is also high thanmany other major crops. Energy and proteincontent of potato is 678 (10-K cal) and 176 kg,respectively. In comparison, per hectare foodenergy obtained from wheat, rice, maize andsoybean is 394, 688, 458 and 525 Kg,respectively. Another useful feature of potatoas a major food of the future is versatility of itsuses in a variety of dishes. Potato is devoid offat and thus, can be consumed in largequantities without running the risk of becomingoverweight/obese. An adult male’s total energyrequirement can be met by consuming about3.3 kg of boiled potato. Potato is an importanthorticulture crop in our country, which can begrown all the year round in one or the other partand in almost all types of soils. Potato varietiesare now available, which can fit in both shortand long-day conditions. Potato can be grownwith rice-wheat rotation and can also fit invegetable crop sequences or an inter-crop withonion, okra, french bean and radish. Potatoconsumption level exceeds 100 kg/year/headin U.K., Poland and Germany. Besides beingnutritious, potato is a socially accepted food. Itcan, thus, form a part of our food and nutritionalsecurity programme.Horticultural crops rich in ProteinsProteins are essential for all living processesand carry out a wide range of functions. Proteinsupplementation is vital in early childhood toensure complete brain development. On anaverage, 55 to 65 g of protein is essential forhealthy human beings. Although fruits andvegetables contain less protein; but theirbiological value is high.AlmondIts kernels are rich in protein (20.8%), fat(59.8%) and carbohydrates (10.5%). It is richin magnesium, copper, manganese and zinc.Cashew nutThe kernels are rich in proteins (21.2%), fats(46.9%) and carbohydrates (22.3%). The kerneloil is set to be more nutritive than olive oil. It is agood source of essential amino acids, thiamine,riboflavin and minerals.Horticultural crops rich in fatsFats are concentrated source of energy, whichare involved, in a number of metabolic functions.Some fruits and nuts are rich sources of highquality fats containing essential fatty acids. Inaddition to almond and cashew the followingcrops contain significant quantities of fat.ApricotThe nuts are rich in proteins and oils (40-45%),which is similar to almond oil in terms ofnutritional qualities. Apricots are rich in iron andare an excellent remedy for anaemia. They arerich in natural sugars, vitamin A riboflavin,niacin, vitamin C and minerals like calcium.AvocadoIt is one of the richest sources of fat (24.5%)after olive. The fat is of high quality and is totallyfree from unpleasant butyric acid. The proteinis of finest quality and is far superior to proteinscum-cereals.It is rich in vitamin A and its regularintake offers excellent remedy in acute digestivedisorders.WalnutThe nuts contain 14 to 20% protein and 60 to67% fat, in addition to significant quantities ofvitamins A and B. The immature fruits are richin ascorbic acid.24

Horticultural crops rich in VitaminsFruits and vegetables are the richest source ofvitamins. These water soluble and fat-solubleorganic substances facilitate the metabolism offats, amino acids and carbohydrates. Theirdeficiency leads to a number of diseases inchildren and adults.Vitamin A (Retinol)Retinol is essential for clear vision in dim light.The deficiency leads to redness, inflammationand gradual loss of vision. About 750 µg ofretinol is required per day for a healthy vision.Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitaminA, particularly, those containing yellow pigment,β-carotene. Red palm oil is one of the richestsources of retinol. All leafy vegetables, carrots,fresh apricots, cape gooseberry, ripe mango,orange, raspberry and ripe papaya are also richin retinol. Many ripe yellow fruits (mangoes andpapayas), vegetables (tomatoes, carrots andyellow pumpkins) and tuber crops are richsources of carotene. Leafy vegetables likeamaranth, beet leaf, palak, bassela, fenugreek,coriander, drumstick leaves, curry leaves, mint,radish leaves, etc. are rich sources of carotene.In general, the darker the green leafy vegetable,the higher the content of carotene it has. Thedaily requirement of vitamin A for an adult isestimated to be around 600 mg (2000 IU) ofvitamin A. The requirement of vitamin A isrelatively higher during pregnancy, lactation andchild growth. Animal foods rich in vitamin A areexpensive. Hence, the most inexpensive andconvenient way to ensure an adequate intakeof vitamin A is to include green leafy vegetablesin the daily diet. About 500 gm of common leafyvegetables like amaranth will provide adequateβ-carotene to meet the vitamin A requirementof an adult.Vitamin A is an important micronutrient formaintaining normal growth, regulating cellularproliferation and differentiation, controllingdevelopment programmes for maintainingvisual and reproductive functions. Vitamin Acannot be synthesized by humans and so mustbe consumed as an essential nutrient in the diet.Over the last two decades, there has been amarked decline in blindness due to vitamin Adeficiency; but dietary intake of vitamin A hasremained sub-optimal in the poorer segmentsof the population. As a result, clinical deficiencysigns are being reported among pregnant andlactating women and children even today.Vitamin B ComplexThe B-complex vitamins are essential for properutilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.The important vitamins, their metabolic role,sources, their requirement is summarized in thefollowing table1.Among the B-vitamins deficiencies, folic acidhas become important not only because of its25

problem. India is one of the countries with thehighest prevalence of anaemia. Low dietaryintake and poor iron and folic acid intake aremajor factors responsible for high prevalenceof anaemia in India. Poor bioavailability of ironin phytate fibre rich Indian diet aggravates thesituation. Anaemia due to deficiency of othermicronutrients like copper, zinc, pyridoxine andvitamin B12 is rare in India.Strategies to ensure NutritionalSecuritySeveral initiatives have been taken to improvehorticulture crop production and their availability.These include increased budgetary support,development of Research and development(R&D) infrastructure, introduction anddevelopment of highly nutritive crops, varieties,availability of quality planting material andtechnology for higher productivity. These arediscussed below.Budgetary support for InfrastructureDevelopmentHorticultural research and development was atvery low ebb till the 3 rd five-year Plan andreceived meager attention even thereafter.However, the plan investment in horticulturalR&D increased significantly since the 8 th fiveyearPlan, which resulted in considerablestrengthening of the horticultural R&Dprogrammes in the country. Separate Planallocation for research on horticulture crops bythe Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) was first made in 4 th five-year Plan witha modest allotment of Rs. 34.8 million. This wasenhanced to Rs. 4080 million during Tenth Plan.At present, allocation for research is about 7.6per cent of the total outlay for agriculturalresearch made by the ICAR.The plan allocation for Horticulture developmentalso started with a meager financial allocationof Rs. 20.5 million in the 4 th Plan. However, itrose to Rs.76.2 million in 5 th Plan, Rs.146.4million in 6 th Plan, Rs.250 million in 7 th Plan,Rs. 10,000 million in 8 th (utilization Rs.7890million), Rs.21300 million in 9 th Plan and Rs1,00,000 million in Tenth Plan. While theincrease in budgetary allocation from 4 th to tenthPlan was 117 times for research, it was 400times in respect of development programmes.Research InfrastructureThe ICAR is the premier agency, whichpioneered systematic research on agriculturalcrops in the country. Horticulture research inIndia received very little attention till the 3 rd fiveyearplan. The establishment of the IndianInstitute of Horticultural Research in Bangaloreand the start of eight All India Coordinated CropImprovement Projects to cover differenthorticultural crops was a landmark in the historyof horticulture in IV five year Plan (1969-74).Rapid expansion of the infrastructure took placein 7 th and 8 th Plans. Today, the horticulturalresearch in the country is being carried out atnine ICAR institutes (with 25 regional stations)and 12 National Research centers, one eachon banana, citrus, grape, onion and garlic,mushroom, orchid, medicinal and aromaticcrops, oil palm, seed spices, cashew nut, litchiand makhana besides one full fledged stateuniversity on horticulture at Solan, HimachalPradesh.Area specific, multi-disciplinary research is alsobeing conducted under 14-All IndiaCoordinated Research Projects, one each onTropical, Sub-Tropical, Arid Fruits; Vegetables,Potato, Tuber Crops, Mushrooms; OrnamentalCrops, Medicinal and Aromatic crops; Palms,Cashew, Spices and Betel vine. Post HarvestTechnology is being researched in 215 centreslocated at various research institutes, and StateAgricultural Universities. Research onhorticulture is also being undertaken at severalmulti-crop, multi-disciplinary institutes.Departments of Horticulture in 24 AgriculturalUniversities, one deemed University and onefull-fledged University of Horticulture andForestry are also engaged in horticulturalresearch. In addition, several network projects,one each on ‘Hybrid research in vegetablecrops’, ‘Drip irrigation in perennial horticulturalcrops’, ‘Protected cultivation of ornamentalcrops’ and ‘Phytophthora disease of horticulturecrops’ are now in operation. In addition to 280adhoc schemes supported from AgricultureProduce Cess Fund; a number of foreign-aidedprojects have also been in operation on specificproblems in different horticulture crops. As a27

esult, the country now has a sound researchinfrastructure in horticulture to meet the growingneeds and expectations of the fast developingindustry.Development InfrastructureThe Department of Agriculture and Cooperationin the Ministry of Agriculture is the nodaldepartment for horticulture development in thecountry. It has directorates, one each onCashew nut and Cocoa and Arecanut andSpices located in Cochin and Calicut (Kerala)besides three autonomous boards, NationalHorticulture Board, Coconut DevelopmentBoard and Bee Keeping Board in the Ministryof Agriculture. In addition, the Ministry ofCommerce has been promoting research;development and exports of cardamom, throughthe Commodity Boards set up for that verypurpose - namely Spices Board, Tea Board,Coffee Board and Rubber Board respectively.Also, an Agriculture Produce ExportDevelopment Authority (APEDA) has been setup under the aegis of the Commerce Ministryto promote the export of horticulturalcommodities both fresh as well as value addedproducts. Indirect organizational support forhorticulture development is also being providedby two agencies in the Ministry of Agriculture,namely, the National Cooperative DevelopmentCorporation (NCDC) and the NationalAgricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation(NAFED) and its institute, the NationalHorticultural Research and DevelopmentFoundation (NHRDF).Increasing the Availability of NutritiveFruits and VegetablesIntroduction and cultivation ofnutritive cropsSeveral new crops, rich in nutritional value, havebeen introduced for commercial cultivation, e.g.:Kiwi fruit in the sub-mountain areas of NorthIndia, olives in the mid hills of the North WesternHimalayas, low chilling stone fruits in the NorthWestern plains, oil palm in some coastal states,gherkin in south and west India, baby corn andsweet corn in specific pockets and broccoli,brussel sprouts, asparagus, celery and parsleynear the cities.Identification / Development ofnutritionally rich varieties andTechnologiesFruit CropsA large number of high yielding varieties havebeen developed in several horticultural crops.In fruits alone 123 varieties have beendeveloped in 12 crops e.g. aonla (10), acid lime(4) apple (8), banana (5), custard apple (1),grape (13), guava (13), litchi (4), mango (28),papaya (17), pomegranate (11) and sapota (9).The attributes of some varieties in differentcrops are larger fruits, high yielding aonla,bananas resistant to sigatoka disease, custardapple with a high pulp percentage, grapevarieties suitable for raisin making, less and softseeded guava, early bearing litchi, regularbearing semi dwarf mango, gynodioeciousvarieties in papaya and pomegranate with softand red colored aril.Almond varieties with thin shells have beenidentified for large scale cultivation.Aonla has become very popular in the aridzones of our country due to its high nutritivevalue and ability to grow in marginal soils. Areasunder aonla have been steadily increasing instates like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.Improved propagation techniques helped raisequality-planting material required for areaexpansion. It is one of the richest sources ofvitamin C. Large fruited heavy bearing varietieswith free stone have been developed.Apricot was more popular in the dry fruitsegment earlier, but due to the introduction ofimproved varieties the consumption of freshfruits is steadily increasing.Improved varieties of Avocado are underevaluation and need to be popularized.Improved technologies now make bananasavailable all through the year. A dedicatedNational Research Center on Banana focuseson: new variety development and improvedproduction technologies. It is consumed bothas a vegetable and table fruit in rural and urbanIndia. Improved high yielding varieties suitable28

for high density planting have been evolved,which resulted in attaining the highestproductivity levels in some states likeMaharashtra.Bael is being popularized across the country.Clonal selection led to the development ofsuperior varieties, which are nutritionally rich.Improved propagation techniques helped theirlarge-scale propagation and availability.Technology for the extraction of nutritionally richand refreshing juice from bael has beenstandardized and is being popularized.Ber, considered a poor man’s apple has gainedsignificant popularity in arid regions of India.Improved varieties with small seeds and highyielding abilities have replaced the conventionalvarieties in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Improvedpropagation techniques helped in increasing theavailability of improved varieties in a short spanof time.Cashew nut, which was introduced as a soilreclaimingcrop, has become a major foreignexchange earner for India. The domesticconsumption has increased many folds due toits increased availability owing to improvedpropagation techniques, superior plantingmaterial and improved agro techniques. Adedicated National Research Center onCashew at Puttur, provided the impetus to theoverall development of cashew in India. Till date27 varieties of cashew have been developed.Dates gained popularity in the arid regions ofGujarat and Rajasthan and area under dates inthese states is expanding steadily. Improvedvarieties have been introduced fromAfghanistan and the Middle East.Grape improvement and cultivation technologyare being perfected by a dedicated NationalResearch Center on Grapes at Pune. Improvedvarieties of grapes have been evolved at IARI,IIHR and NRC, in addition to a number ofagrotechnologies. Significant breakthroughshave been made in breaking productivitybarriers through improved productiontechnologies like salt tolerant rootstocks, highdensity panting, growth regulation and newtraining and pruning systems.Jackfruit consumption is steadily increasing asa vegetable and fruit. Clonal selection helpedus to isolate improved, high yielding, smallfruitedtypes suited for smaller families.Improved propagation techniques have ensuredthe availability of superior clones in largenumbers.Mango is the most popular fruit in India. It hasplayed an important role in the socio-economicand cultural life of the country. Almost all statesof India cultivate mango and produce about96,42,130 tonnes. Important states include UP,AP, Bihar and Orissa. Mangoes are very rich incarotenes and in particular, cultivars likeAlphonso, Langra, Dashehari and Neelam havemore than 2,000 µg of vitamin A per 100 gm.Regular bearing in some of the varieties hasbeen achieved. Every year millions of plants areproduced through improved propagationtechniques and are planted to rejuvenate oldand senile orchards. High density planting hasbecome a reality due to dwarfing rootstocks andhybrids. Agro techniques to minimize spongytissue have been standardized.Papaya is a popular fruit in both the orchardsand the kitchen gardens. Efforts made byresearch workers to improve its productivityhave resulted in 11 varieties, namely Co1 to Co6, Coorg Honey Dew, Pusa Delicious, PusaMajesty, Pusa Giant and Pusa Dwarf. Papayais rich in β-carotene. The carotene content,however, varies with the variety, which rangesfrom 960 in Sunrise (OP) to 3,808 in Solo (OP).The β-carotene content in papaya also varieswith the stage of maturity.The problem of a large number of sterile maleplants in papaya progeny has been solved andseveral gynodioecious types have beenreleased. Tissue culture propagation of papayahas also been successful. In tropical climates,the tree bears fruit throughout the year. In NorthIndia, the crop is available only for four months.High density planting has become successfuldue to dwarf varieties like Pusa Nana.The Central Plantation Crop Research Institute,Kasargod led the research and developmentefforts in plantation crops to develop a numberof improved varieties and technologies.Production of coconut hybrids through29

establishment of seed gardens of Tall (T) xDwarf (D) and D x T hybrids is standardized.About 12 varieties of coconut and 5 varieties ofarecanut were developed at this center.High yielding dwarf varieties of coconut haverevolutionized its plantations in the coastalregions of India. Innovative processing andpackaging has resulted in year round availabilityof nutritious tender coconut water even inremote areas in the trade name of COCOJAL.Similarly highly nutritious coconut milk isavailable across the country for culinarypurposes.National Research Center on Oil Palm atPedavegi, developed 2 improved varieties in oilpalm. The area under oil palm increasedsteadily with the improvement in the propagationtechnology availability of quality plantingmaterial.Vegetable CropsIn vegetable crops, 375 varieties have beenreleased. These include 265 open pollinated,108 F1 hybrids and 2 synthetics. Of these,several disease resistant varieties in brinjal(Phomopsis and bacterial wilt), cabbage (blackspot), capsicum (bacterial wilt), cauliflower(black rot), cowpea (bacterial blight), chillies(leaf curl), okra (yellow vein mosaic), onion(purple blotch), french bean (bacterial wilt), pea(powdery mildew and rust), tomato (bacterialwilt, root knot nematode) and multipleresistances in watermelon are included.Amaranthus is a rich source of β-carotene.Research indicates that the β-carotene contentof Amaranthus gangaticus is 38,601 µg and thatof Apaniculathus 66,308 µg/100 gm dry matter.The carotene content of Amaranthusgangaticus at tender stage is 5,520 µg/l00 gmof edible portion. A daily inclusion of 30-50 gmof amaranthus in the diet is sufficient to meetthe vitamin A requirement of an adult. A loss of30 per cent of vitamin A has been reported onboiling leafy vegetables for a period of 30minutes. At IARI, New Delhi, 30 lines ofAmaranthus Spp, including A. tricolor, A. dubiusand A. cruenthus were analysed for β-carotene.The β-carotene content ranged from 14.38 to36.13 mg per 100 gm dry matter. It wasobserved that red and green-red lines had thehighest range of β-carotene. The anti-nutritionalfactor-oxalate level varied from 3.04 to 6.8percent on dry matter basis. The red and greenred types had the highest oxalate level. Thelowest oxalate content was recorded inAmaranthus dubius. Research work is going onto select lines, which should have high contentsof dry matter, crude protein and β-carotene witha low oxalate levelIn Carrot, the area and production of carrot isestimated to be 20,124 hectare and 2,87,000tonnes, respectively in India. However, in majorgrowing areas in the country, particularly in theNorth, red coloured tropical varieties are grownwhich are low in carotene. In comparison, inthe southern states the orange variety Nantes,rich in carotene, is very popular. A carotenerichvariety, Pusa Meghali having 11,500 µg ofcarotene per 100 gm of fresh roots, has beendeveloped at IARI. Pusa Kesar (red lycopenetype) has low carotene, that is, 7,000 µg/100gm of fresh roots. The available high carotenelines (HCL) having carotene contents (up to 475ppm) need to be used either directly asintroductions or in the breeding programmes.Educating the people to grow and consumeorange-coloured varieties, which are rich incarotene compared to red ones, is important.Cassava, is a staple food and consumed in bulk.It can become a very useful source of vitaminA in areas where it grows - Kerala, Tamil Nadu,Gujarat and more recently in Karnataka.Cassava tuber contains β-carotene rangingfrom 22 µg/100 gm to 220 µg /100 gm of tuber.The carotene content of the tubers of cassavaof different varieties seems to vary erroneously.The attempts made to breed varieties rich incarotene having a deep yellow coloured fleshresulted in lines having carotene roughly from324 to 900 µg/100 gm. Cassava research inIndia is being carried out at a dedicated CentralTuber Crops Research Institute atThiruvananthapuram. High yielding varietieswith less cyanide content have been evolved.Cassava forms the base for the thriving Sagoindustry in India.Palak (Spinacia oleracea) contains 9.5 percentoxalate whereas spinach (Pinacea oleraces)30

contains 6.3 percent oxalate on a dry weightbasis. Spinach is a good source of β-caroteneas it contains 5,580 µg of β-carotene per 100gm. Improved varieties of palak released are:all green Pusa Jyoti and Pusa Hans from IARI,New Delhi and Jobner Green from RAU, Jobner.In Potato 34 high yielding varieties have beenreleased for different regions of which 9 aregrown commercially. Kufri Chipsona-1 & 2 aresuitable for processing. Two TPS populationsTPS-C3 and HPS 1/13 have been identified forraising commercial potato crop. Central PotatoResearch Institute, Shimla pioneered the potatoresearch in India and made significantcontribution to crop improvement andproduction technology. A number of varietiessuitable for processing have been evolved formeeting the thriving potato snack industry inIndia.In Pumpkin, the yellow and orange-fleshed fruitsare high in carotene. Analysis of the edible partof the ordinary variety of pumpkin gives 50 µgto 100 µg β-carotene per 100 gm. Though apotential source of vitamin A, pumpkin stillremains a neglected vegetable. However, someprogress has been made. A high yieldingpumpkin line, CM 14, with yield of 34 tonnes/haand with fruits containing high levels of carotene,has been developed by KAU, Kerala forcultivation in southern states. IIHR, Bangalorehas released a variety, Arka Chandan, which isvery rich in carotene content (2,000 µg/100 gm).IARI, New Delhi has also developed andreleased a very high yielding variety of pumpkin- Pusa Vishwas. The flesh colour of this varietyis golden yellow and it is rich in carotene content.In Tomato several recently developed highyielding varieties of vegetables have a highcarotene content. Besides being rich in ascorbicacid content, “tomato is also rich in vitamin A”.Several F-hybrids, which are high yielding andnutritionally rich have been developed, forexample, Arka Vishal, Arka Vardan, PusaHybrid-I, Pusa Hybrid-2.Some of the tuber crops are also rich sourcesof β-carotene. These are one of the cheapestsources of dietary energy. The deeply colouredtuber crops and leaves are rich in carotene.Sweet potato is a very important food crop inthe developing world. This is one of the sevencrops in the world, which produces over 100million metric tonnes of total food per year.Luxury types of sweet potato differ from thestaple and supplemental types. Nutritionally,luxury types would supply large amounts ofvitamin A precursor. Fresh tubers of sweetpotato are a good source of vitamin A. Theyare known to contain sufficient β-carotene, upto 151.5 µg /100 gm in fresh tubers. Sweetpotato leaves are also used as a green leafyvegetable in some parts of the world. This isalso a good source of vitamin A. However, thenutritive value varies substantially with thecolour and portion used. In sweet potatoes,there are many new varieties, which are high incarotene and can be used as salad. In the deeppigmentedvariety, Gold Rush, developed in theUSA, the pigment is made up of 90 per centcarotene. High carotene varieties are used assalad in developing countries. These need tobe popularized in India. Three varieties havebeen released from TNAU - COI, CO2 and CO3.These include curry leaf, which is a perennialtree grown for the leaves which are eaten raw.It is a backyard crop in many homesteads. Thecrop is almost free from pests and diseases.The leaves are a rich source of carotene.Leaves of lettuce are consumed raw in saladsand are a rich source of carotene. Loss ofcarotene due to cooking as in other vegetablesis avoided by using lettuce in the diet.Chekkurmanis is another leafy vegetable, whichis multivitamin and multimineral packed. Thetender shoots and leaves of this drought pronecrop are used for culinary purposes. This canbe grown as a fence or hedge crop in a kitchengarden. There are many other leafy vegetables,which are important from the carotene contentpoint of view. These are fenugreek, mustardgreen, bassela and Spomoea aquatica, whichneed to be given importance. Drumstick(Morninga pterigosperma) is a perennial treevegetable used mainly for its tender fruits,leaves and flowers. It performs well under dryand arid tracts and has a good yield. Drumstickis a highly valued vegetable in Kerala. It is anessential ingredient of popular culinarypreparation. Besides the fruit, its leaves are alsoedible: 100 gm leaves contain 1,130 µg ofcarotene.31

Propagation of Quality PlantingMaterialVegetative propagation technique for manyhorticultural crops, which are hithertopropagated by seed e.g., aonla, bael, ber, blackpepper. Cardamom, cashew, cassia, cinnamon,clove, custard apple, jackfruit, jamun, nutmeg,sapota and walnut have been standardized.Seed Plot Technique has been standardized inpotato resulting in successful disease freepotato seed production in the tropics and subtropics of the country. Micro-propagation and invitro micro-tuber production have beendeveloped in potato. Micro propagationprotocols were developed in banana, grape,strawberry, cardamom, ginger, turmeric andbetel vine. Rootstocks in citrus, grape, mangoand apple have also been identified forcommercial use.Tissue cultured plants of papaya, are nowmarketed for extraction and processing ofpapain. Efforts to standardize technologies formicro propagation of cashew, litchi, mango andwalnut have not met with success. Success hasalso been achieved in applying meristem culturein banana to generate bunchy top free plantingmaterial. Success stories from China, Taiwan,Japan and Spain in generating virus free citrusplantations have lent optimism to applyingmicro-grafting in citriculture industry.Agro-Techniques for HigherProductivityAgro-techniques have been developed in allmajor crops suitable for different regions.These include high-density plantations inbanana, citrus, mango and pineapple and highproduction technology in several crops likepineapple, black pepper and cardamom.Several varieties in pea (Arkel) cauliflower(tropical varieties) onion (N-53) radish (PusaChetki) and tomato (Pusa Sheetal) haveenabled off-season production and almost allthe year round availability of vegetables.The introduction of high-density plantings is oneof the most innovative technologies to achievehigh productivity per unit area both in perennialand short duration crops. High density plantingin tree crops was first introduced in Europe incase of apple in sixties, with the developmentof Malling and Malling Merton Series ofrootstocks. Subsequently, this was tried in othercrops. Today, majority of apple orchards inAmerica, Australia, Europe and New Zealanduse this intensive system of fruit production.Intensive orchardising system has also beenadopted in peach, plum, sweet cherry, pear,banana, pineapple, papaya and more recentlyin mango. High-density orchards not onlyprovide higher yield and net economic returnsper unit area in the initial years but also facilitatemore efficient use of inputs and easy harvest.Future high density plantings have to be madepossible through development of dwarfing scionvarieties, standardisation of rootstocks -interstocks, as also a combination of canopymanagement and growth regulators.In vegetables, development of agro-techniquesin all major vegetables, standardization of kharifonion technology in North India, developmentof vegetable based cropping system and IPMschedules in several crops has beenstandardized. A number of potato basedmultiple and inter cropping systems have beendeveloped. Technology for raising commercialpotato crop using TPS has been developed. Anational seed production programme wasestablished at CPRI, Shimla with a currentproduction of 26,000 tonnes of breeder’s seed.In vegetables, over 220 tonnes of foundationseed of different vegetables crops is beingproduced by National Agricultural Researchsystem. Seeds of 39 varieties of temperatevegetables are being raised at Katrain, whilethose of F1 hybrids both in public and privatesectors. Self incompatible and male sterile lineshave been identified in a number of vegetablesfor hybrid seed production.Poly-house production of vegetables hasextended the availability of vegetables besidesensuring a regular supply of vegetables. It hasalso made crop production profitable even underadverse agro-climates like hot desert and highrainfall areas. Uses of hybrids in vegetableshave increased productivity per hectare by 40-55 per cent. Development of leaf nutrientstandards in several crops and drip irrigationschedules in banana, grape, papaya,32

pomegranate and mandarin were standardizedfor improving yield and quality of fruit, whichultimately results in the saving of water by nearly30-40 %.Use of Plant Growth RegulatorsSeveral plant growth regulators arecommercially employed in production andquality improvement of horticultural crops.These include Dormex for hastening bud burstin grapes; NAA and 2,4-D for control of fruit dropin mango and citrus; urea spray for cropregulation in guava, paclobutrozol and calciumcarbide for flower induction in mango and pineapple and GA for improving berry elongation intable and raisin grapes.Crop ProtectionImproved disease detection techniques such asELISA and ISEM for improving seed quality andtissue culture technique for rapid multiplicationof potato have been standardized. IPMstrategies have been developed for fruit borerin brinjal, diamond back moth in cabbage, thripsin chillies, Phytophthora foot rot in black pepper,“Katte”, rhizome rot in cardamom, rhizome rotin ginger, late blight and bacterial wilt of potato.The biological control measures for the mealybug in grape, fruit borer in tomato and okra havealso been developed. .Post Harvest ManagementPre-harvest treatments to control post harvestlosses in citrus, mango and grape have beenstandardized. Maturity standards for mango,guava, grape, litchi, ber have been perfected.Chemical treatment for regulation of ripening inmango, sapota, banana have also beenstandardized. Optimum storage temperatureshave been calculated out for several fruits,vegetables and tuber crops. A mango harvesterand fruit peeler; hand and pedal operatorcassava chipping machine, harvesting tools (5-14 times efficient); implements formechanization of potato cultivation e.g.,oscillating tray type potato grader, fertilizerapplication cum line marker, potato culti-ridger,soil crust breakers, potato digger and automaticpotato planter diggers were designed andfabricated indigenously. Low cost environmentfriendly storage system for fruits, vegetables,potato and onion has been developed. Vapourheat treatment for control of fruit fly and agrotechniquesfor control of spongy tissue in mangohave been developed.Progress has also been made towardsenhancement of shelf life of fruits by film waxing,fungicidal application, growth regulators andethylene absorbents. A state of the art washing,grading, packaging line has been installed atNRC citrus at Nagpur. A mango harvester andpeeler has been developed.In vegetables, use of perforated and stackableplastic crates has been standardized for forcedair curing of onion and potato. Similarly, besidessolar drying of vegetables, low cost onionstorage structures using bamboo pipes havebeen designed. Passive evaporative coolingsystem has been developed for storage ofpotatoes for 3-4 months during summer and lowcost zero energy cool chamber has beendesigned for on-farm storage of fruits andvegetables.Availability of raw material and changes in foodhabits have also resulted in increased numberof processing units (4270 in 1994 to 5198 in1999) installation capacity (12.60 lakh tonnesto 21.00 lakh tonnes) which in turn have givenway to increased production (5.59 lakh tonnesto 9.40 tonnes) of processed produce.There is a need to use innovative technologiesfor grading, packaging and storage. Whilesignificant advances have been made in recentyears by introduction of corrugated fibreboardcartons; recent research has succeeded indeveloping equipment for grading. Commercialprototypes have been developed utilizingacoustic response ultrasonic photometry, lightreflectance, delayed light emission, short-waveradiation response and machine visiontechnique. Equipment has also been developedfor orientation of fruits and vegetables to meetthe needs of different types of gradingmachines.We also have to make use of innovativetechnologies in packaging and storage. Theseinclude Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP),33

Controlled Atmosphere Packaging (CAP),Modified Humidity Packaging (MHP),Biodegradable Film Packaging and ControlledAtmospheric Storage and Hypoboric Storage.However, lot still needs to be done before thesecan be applied in our conditions. Trialsconducted by APEDA for export of mango fromMaharashtra and Andhra Pradesh haveindicated that CAP shipment has achievedpartial success. Problems with quality issueslike overcoming chilling injury, latex staining,uneven ripening of stored fruits still need to beattended to, effectively.Modern cold chain is a temperaturemanagement facility involving a number ofequipments such as pre-cooling units, coldstorage, humidity controlled atmosphericstorage, reefer-container, mobile coolers andintegrated handling and storage systems. Itprovides ideal conditions for preservingperishable agro-commodities from their pointof origin to their point of consumption. It consistsof pre-cooling units, refrigerated transport, coldstorage and refrigerated retail shops. The coolchain is vital for perishable commodities likefruits and to keep them in prime condition, thus,reducing their wastage.By adopting innovative processing methods andincreasing the scale of operation, quality ofprocessed products can be improved and costreduced. Extrusion processing, individual quickfreezing (IQF), osmotic and asceptic processingTable 3. Area and production of important horticultural crops in India(Area m.ha., Production m.tonnes, Productivity t/ha)Commodity 1991-92 2001-02 % increaseArea Prod Pty Area Prod Pty Area Prod PtyFruits 2.87 28.63 9.98 4.01 43.11 10.72 39.7 50.2 7.5Vegetables 5.59 58.53 10.47 6.15 88.62 14.41 10.0 51.4 37.6Spices 2.05 1.9 0.93 2.31 3.00 1.30 12.7 57.9 40.1Coconut 1.53 6.93 4.53 1.89 8.82 4.67 23.5 27.3 3.0Cashew 0.53 0.30 0.57 0.77* 0.50* 0.65* 45.2 66.6 14.0Arecanut 0.21 0.24 1.14 0.31 0.38 1.23 47.6 58.3 7.3Others 0.21 0.26 1.24 1.46 1.84 1.26 595.2 607.6 1.61Total 12.33 96.53 7.83 16.59 146.27 8.79 34.6 51.0 12.2*figures for 2002-2003technologies hold considerable promise.Similarly, another innovative process isIndividual Quick Freezing (IQF). This processpermits production of free flowing frozen foodsand, therefore, various IQF commodities canbe mixed together like dry ingredient and canbe packed in bulk container.Impact of Research andDevelopmentThe technologies discussed above haveresulted in significant achievements throughincreased area, production and productivity.FruitsArea under fruits increased from 1.22 millionhectares (1991-92) to 4.01 million hectares in2001-02. India, with a production of 43.1 milliontonnes (2001-02), is the second largest fruitproducer (next to China) in the world (Table 3).India produces 65% of world’s mango, 11% ofworld’s banana, ranking first in the productionof both the crops. It has the highest productivityof grapes in the world and significant expansionhas been taken up in aonla, ber, pomegranateand sapota cultivation.In coconut, the area has been increased from1.53 million hectares in 1991-92 to 1.89 millionhectares in 2001-02. India has become one ofthe largest coconut producing countries of theworld. Production of coconut has gone up from34

6.9 million tonnes to 8.82 million tonnes nuts.The productivity in coconut has increased by33.0% during the period. Coconut contributes700 billion rupees to the GDP of the country.The contribution of the crop to the total edibleoil pool in India is around 6 per cent.India is the leading producer, processor andexporter of cashew kernels in the world. Incashewnut, area has increased from 0.533million hectares in 1991 to 0.77 million hectaresin 2001-02. The production in cashew has goneup from 0.30 million tonnes to 0.50 milliontonnes in 2001-02. Cashew stood fourth inposition amongst horticultural products exportedfrom India, after tea, coffee and spices. Indiacontinues to dominate the world in area,production and productivity of arecanut and hasachieved self-sufficiency in arecanut production(0.38 million tonnes). Most of the production isdomestically consumed.VegetablesIndia ranks second in the world vegetableproduction (88.62 million tonnes) after China.Vegetable production has increased three timesin the last 50 years (Table 3). A large area isnow covered with F1 hybrids in vegetable cropsresulting in increased yield and thus a bettersocio-economic status of farmers. Vegetableslike tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, radish andonion are now produced almost all the yearround and India has attained self-sufficiency inseed production of temperate vegetables. Theproductivity of vegetables has increased from10.4 t/ha to 14.4 t/ha in 2001-02 (Table 3).Mushroom production has increased from 100tonnes in 1970 to 30,000 tonnes in 1996-97.Mushroom cultivation has spread to almost allparts of the country.In potato, area, production and productivity hasincreased from 0.234 million hectares, 154million tonnes and 6.59 t/ha in 1949-50 to 1.2million hectares, 224.9 million tonnes and 17.6t/ha respectively in 2001-02. The annualcompound growth rate for potato during thisperiod was 6.07 compared to 5.6% for wheat,2.7% for rice and 2.74 for total food grains. Indiais the only country in South East Asia having anational disease free seed productionprogramme producing 2600 tonnes of breeder’sseed annually.In cassava, productivity increased from 7 t/hain 1960-61 to 22t/ha during 1992, which is morethan double the world average (9.81t/ha). Sagoand starch industry based on cassava alsodeveloped.Achieving Nutritional SecurityHorticultural crops, particularly fruits andvegetables not only add greater variety to thediet in terms of colour, flavour and texture, butthese are also rich sources of nutrients. Theyhave high vitamin A and C content and a fairamount of vitamin B-complex. They makeexcellent contribution to the calcium and ironlevels in the diet and provide minerals, besides,high quantity fibre for maintenance of normalgastro-intestinal motility. Thus, fruits andvegetables constitute 25-30 per cent ofrecommended Indian balance diet. Besides,increased per capita availability of thesecommodities through increase in area,production and productivity, efforts are alsounderway to develop improved quality of fruitsand vegetables. Carrot variety Pusa Meghaliand pumpkin variety Arka Chandan have highcarotene content while some F1 hybrids intomato have high lycopene content. Even in themost advanced countries like the USA, fruitsand vegetable are the second importantconstituents of food. Some major crops that cansupplement food and nutritional security arebanana, potato, sweet potato and leafyvegetables.Emerging ChallengesThe burgeoning population, shrinkage of arableland for agriculture due to urbanization andindustrial growth and global competition havelimited the possibilities for horizontal expansion.The answer, in horticulture, therefore, lies invertical growth in terms of appropriate locationspecifichigh value crops with maximumproductivity and cost effectiveness.After attaining food security, our efforts havebeen focussed on achieving nutritional securityby laying emphasis on production, protectionand post harvest management of horticultural35

crops. We now have the mandate to increaseper capita availability of these crops in order tomeet the domestic, and export needs, besidesthe needs of the processing industries. Theoverall demand for horticultural produce isestimated at 300 million tonnes by 2011-12(Table 4).Despite several achievements, there areseveral challenges to be met for achieving thetargeted produce. The land area is limited whilethe population of India has already crossed thebillion mark. The global scenario has beenchanging with signing of WTO by India, removalof quarantine curbs resulting in access todomestic market. Thus, it has becomenecessary to be competitive internationally.Simultaneously, the Indian scenario has alsobeen changing fast. Horticultural cropproduction has moved out of rural confines tourban areas. Traditional enterprises have givenrise to horticulture business. Hi-techgreenhouse technology has been introduced invegetable and flower production. Other featuresinclude increased use of micro-irrigation,exploitation of biotechnological tools in massproduction of planting material and increasedinternational trade.The past success in the horticultural productionhas been a direct result of two major policyinitiatives of the Government of India, namely,promotion of diversification of Indian Agricultureand introduction of far reaching economicreforms. However, the emerging worldwidetrend, which is also reflected in our country,indicates a paradigm shift in dietary needs ofpeople. This means that the demand forhorticultural produce will continue to rise withrise in income levels.Since the growth of horticultural crops iseconomically rewarding, this sector is expectedto grow and contribute to food and nutritionalsecurity, provided, the sector is nurtured withfocussed infrastructural development andhaving a conducive policy environment. Thesector has recieved proper attention in theformulation of Agricultural Policy of Governmentof India, which aims at a systematicdevelopment of horticulture.Future ThrustsThe report of the working group onDevelopment of Horticulture in the Tenth planproposes several thrust areas for priorityattention. The areas relevant for nutritionalsecurity are briefly discussed below.Improving ProductionTo achieve the targets set for tenth plan andbeyond, it is necessary to increase production.This can be increased substantially by utilizingavailable arable land; by changing crop prioritiesand promoting use of wastelands for growingsuitable horticulture crops. Since dry landregions account for more than 60 per cent ofarea, strategies without focussed attention tothese areas may not yield desired results. Thereis also need to emphasize horticulture cropproduction in states having potential for areaexpansion like Orissa, promotion of costeffective poly houses in the arid temperateTable 4 Projected demand of various horticultural produceCommodity Production (Million tonnes) Growth Rate (%)2001-02 2007-08 2011-12Fruits 43.0 75.00 81.00 8.8Vegetables 88.6 160.00 185.00 10.9Spices 3.0 5.00 5.50 8.3Coconut 8.8 18.00 20.00 12.7Cashewnut 0.5 1.50 1.70 24.0Others 2.2 6.00 6.80 20.0Total 146.1 265.50 300.00 10.536

egions of Lahaul & Spiti, Leh & Ladakh andproduction of off-season vegetables usinggreenhouses. Urgent attention needs to be paidfor better utilization of area through intercropping/mixedcropping in existing orchards,growing crops in vacant space, growing ofshade-loving crops in developed orchards, etc.Mango, cashew, sapota, jack fruit can be intercroppedwith suitable crops of the region;coconut, arecanut and oil palm with cocoa,banana, pineapple, bush pepper, flowers andmedicinal and aromatic plants. Black pepper,tree spices, bush pepper, pineapple, medicinalplants, ginger, turmeric can also be planted inthe inter-spaces. Some of the other practicesincluding adopting a Mission Mode approachfor integrated development of medicinal &aromatic plants should also be employed.Eastern and North Eastern regions of India havethe potential for horticulture development, whichhas not been tapped fully. Thus, IntegratedDevelopment of Horticulture in North Easternand Eastern India needs to be taken up. Specialthrust needs to be given to increase theproduction of raw cashew in the country, whichis presently inadequate to meet therequirements of the processing capacityinstalled in the country. Development ofhorticulture, in island ecosystems and emphasison nut crop development in the North WesternHimalayas, is also a need.Improving ProductivityThe average productivity of most horticulturalcrops in India is low. There is, thus, a wide gapbetween yields obtained and potential yieldswith improved varieties and technologies.Programmes, therefore, need to be taken up toreduce the yield gap by improving productivity.The main emphasis should be on improving theproductivity by production of disease free,quality planting material of only released andrecommended varieties / hybrids, both in thepublic and private sector. Improving orchardefficiency and by gap filling and rejuvenation ofold, unproductive, senile plantations throughsubstitution of old varieties with improved highyielding varieties in crops like mango, apple,cashew, rubber, tea and coconut. High densityplanting by reduction in planting distance or byuse of plant growth inhibitors and dwarfingrootstocks as recommended for crops likemango, citrus, apple, banana, pineapple andsome temperate fruits will go a long way. Useof protected cultivation under controlledconditions for growing fruits like strawberry,vegetables such as cucumber, cabbage,capsicum, tomato and temperate vegetables inplain areas and high value cut flowers fordomestic use and export need to be promoted.The cultivation of crops, which produce higherbiomass/unit area/unit time like, banana,pineapple, papaya, potato, sweet potato,tapioca, elephant foot yam should be taken upin areas requiring poverty alleviation andnutritional security.Reducing Cost of ProductionIn view of the global competition, as a result ofimplementation of WTO w.e.f. April 1, 2001,reduction in unit cost of production ofhorticultural commodities, which are exported,has become inevitable. There is also a dangerof large-scale imports of horticulturecommodities from abroad if our local productioncosts are not lower / comparable. Appropriateprogrammes are therefore, required to reducethe cost of production by reducing the cost ofplanting material by mass multiplication ofhorticulture crops using micro-propagation,wherever feasible. For instance in banana,cardamom, vanilla, ornamental and medicinalplants, reduction in cost of fertilizer bydetermination of plant needs through leafnutrient standards and applying only requiredquantities, efficient utilization and conservationof water and applied nutrients through drip /micro irrigation and fertigation, weed control,moisture conservation and solarizationtechniques. Integrated nutrient managementshould be followed by cover cropping withleguminous crops in perennial plantations andincorporating them to improve soil fertility, thus,supplementing the fertilizer needs; and therebyreducing cost of production. Promotion ofintegrated pest and disease management, thus,reducing costs of chemical pesticides andfungicides should be taken up. There is a needto reduce post harvest losses by proper pre andpost harvest handling, proper packaging andcreating suitable infrastructure like low cost coldstorage for fruits and vegetables, storage forpotato and onion cold chain transport and othertechnologies. Use of pre-cooling units,37

controlled/ modified atmosphere/ refrigeratedcontainers, particularly for transport by sea; willgo a long way in enhancing the shelf life of fruitsand vegetables such as mango, grape, litchi andreducing transport losses.Increasing Value AdditionValue added products are now attracting agreater export market like oleochemicals,oleoresins, essential oils and so thedevelopment of new value added products inspices, coconut and cashew will go a long wayin export promotion. The development andpopularization of newer processed fruits,vegetables, ready to serve food items;modernizing processing units and capacity ofexisting units need to be encouraged. Theprescribed international and domestic SPAstandards should also be disseminated andadhered to.Price StabilizationHorticulture crops suffer price fluctuations dueto over production, underproduction andfluctuation in exports, lack of short and long termstorage facilities, lack of market intelligence andinadequate database. The strategy suggestedfor price stabilization is a collection of reliabledatabase, developing a long-range export policyand timely introduction of Market InterventionScheme (MIS), Minimum Support Price (MSP)and creation of Price Stabilization funds.Use of Hi-Tech HorticultureTechnologies for Production ofNutrition Rich Fruits and VegetablesThe population of India has already crossed abillion mark, while the yield of several crops hasreached a plateau. The challenge now is togrow more food of high nutritive quality, on acontinuously shrinking land area. The solutionlies in developing and adopting hi-techhorticultural technologies to boost productivityin an eco-friendly manner.Genetically Modified VarietiesSome of the traits that are being modifiedthrough genetic engineering include highproductivity, pest, herbicide and droughtresistance, increasing shelf life and improvingnutritional quality. Such varieties have beendeveloped in a number of fruits and vegetablecrops.MicropropagationIt is a proven means of producing millions ofidentical plants. An added advantage isproduction of pathogen-free planting material.Tissue cultured plants of papaya, are nowmarketed for extraction and processing ofpapain. Tissue cultured anthurium, orchids andgerberas have attained commercial importance.Efforts to standardize technologies for themicropropagation of cashew, litchi, mango andwalnut have not met with success.Micro-Irrigation / FertigationIt has been very successful for irrigatinghorticultural crops like mango, banana, grapes,pomegranate, guava, citrus, brinjal, cucumber,okra, capsicum, coconut, cashew, etc. Theemphasis now is on applying liquid fertilisersthrough microirrigation. This results in saving30% fertilizer, increasing 100% yield, saving of70% water, preventing weed growth, savingenergy and improving quality of produce.Integrated Nutrient ManagementAn increasing need is being felt to integratenutrient supply with organic sources to restorethe health of soil. Bio-fertilisers offer aneconomically attractive and ecologically soundmeans of reducing external inputs andimproving the quality and quantity of internalresources. These are less expensive, ecofriendlyand sustainable. The beneficialmicrobes in the soil, which are of greatsignificance to horticultural situations are thebiological nitrogen fixers, phosphate solubilisersand the mycorrhiza fungi.Organic FarmingWith increasing health consciousness andconcern for environment, the organic farmingsystem has been drawing attention worldwide.As a result, there is a widespread organicmovement. Demand for organic products,especially, in developed countries, has beenincreasing by leaps and bounds. Major38

components of organic farming are croprotation, maintenance and enhancement of soilfertility through biological nitrogen fixation,addition of organic manures and use of soilmicroorganisms.Integrated Pest ManagementIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) aims atjudicious use of cultural, biological, chemical,host plant resistance/tolerance, physicalmechanicalcontrol and regulatory controlmethods. Agenda 21 of the United NationsConference on Environment and Development(UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992identified Integrated Pest Management inagriculture as one of the requirements forpromoting sustainable agriculture and ruraldevelopment.Protected Cultivation / Green HouseTechnologyIt is a high tech, high precision technology forintensive cultivation of vegetable and flowersvirtually year round. It is the best alternative forpoor soil and bad climate as it can alter/ modifyenvironment for optimum plant growth andproduction of uniform, high quality produce.Post Harvest ManagementThere is a need to lay sufficient emphasis onpost harvest management of horticultureproduce. Some technologies, which requireevaluation and follow up include MAP, MHP,biodegradable film packing and hypobaricstorage. Cool chain is another temperaturemanagement facility, which can suitablypreserve perishable horticultural crops from thepoint of origin to consumer. However, India isnot yet ready for cool chain except for productsthat are to be sold through modern stores inmetropolitan cities and for exportable items.ConclusionsAlthough, India has the highest productivity insome horticultural crops like grape and banana;much needs to be done in rest of the horticulturalcrops where the productivity levels are dismalwhen compared to the world average.Tremendous scope to enhance the productivityexists through a number of interventions. Sincethe land resources available are shrinking dayby-dayfor agricultural related activities due toincreasing urbanization and industrialization, aprudent option open to Indian horticulture is toincrease the productivity levels to meet theincreasing demands. Although, it is difficult toget fertile lands in this changing scenariodegraded soils and problematic soils, which areavailable in abundance, can be brought undercultivation with horticultural crops. Fruits andvegetables rich in nutritive value like aonla, ber,bael can be grown in such soils. Concrete effortsare needed from different agencies to reclaimsuch marginal and degraded soils and bringthem under productive cultivation. Advances inbiotechnology opened up avenues to tailormadeagricultural products to tackle specificdeficiencies. Biotechnology advances in rice tocreate vitamin-A rich strains (golden rice) offerunique scope for genetic improvement inhorticultural crops as well. The greatestadvantage of such fortification of nutrient valuelies with the horticultural crops because anumber of them can be consumed in a freshcondition. Efforts are underway to create ediblevaccines to tackle a number of diseases bygenetically engineering fruits and vegetables,which are consumed raw. Similar efforts togenetically engineer fruits and vegetables withhigh nutritive value will, therefore, holdenormous promise for horticultural crops.Introduction of plastics in agriculturedramatically improved the productivity andquality of a number of horticultural crops.Nutritious exotic vegetables can now be grownin polyhouses to meet the nutritionalrequirements in adverse climates like colddeserts which are covered with snow during amajor part of in a year. The rampant malnutritionamong the tribes in the cold deserts of Laholand Spiti, Ladhak and Kargil is a matter of pastdue to year round cultivation of vegetables inimprovised protected structures.Horticultural crops possess pharmaceutical andnutraceauticals principals to tackle seriousailments. For instance, a disorder like, agerelated macular disorders (AMD), which isprevalent in old people is due to acute deficiencyof leutin, a constituent of carotinoid pigments.Since the body cannot synthesize its leutinrequirements for the development of retina,39

external supplementation through fruits andvegetables is the only means of supply;therefore, reduced intake of fruits andvegetables often results in AMD in old people.Besides ensuring the human sight carotenoidpigments also act as anti-oxidants, antagonizingthe destructive free radicals, which areproduced in the body.Focused efforts are required to promotecontainer growing and kitchen gardening in theurban areas to meet the nutritional requirementsof the families. The technology for containergrowing of fruits and vegetables is available ina number of research organizations, which canbe popularized among the urban population toensure adequate nutritional supplementation.The demand for organic fruits and vegetablesis increasing in a rapid pace. Such horticulturalproduce grown through organic means isnutritionally superior and free from the injuriouspesticide residues that are otherwise found ininorganically grown produce. Growingawareness, therefore, about the organic fruitsand vegetables would further enhance thesupply of nutrients in a safer way.40