Author(s):

Anil Kumar Jena, Rimi Deuri, Pranamika Sharma and Surya Prakash Singh

Abstract: Vegetables are the key component of balanced human diet and also the main drivers in achieving global nutritional security by providing nutrients, vitamins and minerals. This spectacular growth in vegetable production has increased and this was possible due to development of improved varieties/hybrids/ production and protection technologies through systematic research coupled with large scale adoption by the farmers. However, this remarkable production was contributed by only few major vegetables. Although, diverse agro climatic conditions of India permit to grow more than 60 cultivated and about 30 lesser known vegetable crops, not much attention has been given on underutilized vegetables known. The vegetable crops which are neither grown commercially on large scale nor traded widely may be termed as underutilized vegetable crops. The possible reasons for the low utilization of underutilized vegetables, in spite of their recognized importance are due to lack of availability of planting material, lack of awareness on nutritional and medicinal importance and lack of information on production technique of these crops. In this context, there is an urgent need to take up programme on genetic resources exploration, management, utilization and improvement of underutilized vegetable crops to ensure food and nutritional security for future. The climate and soil of India are favourable for the production of different underutilized vegetables. Thus, the government of India has been taking some steps towards highlighting the underutilized vegetables. Finally, it can be concluded that, underutilized vegetables production will meet the shortage of per capita consumption availability there by solve the nutritional problems and at the same time it generates the employment and also increase the income of rural people and finally it could contribute the national economy.

Pages: 402-407  |  5690 Views  3594 Downloads

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