ADVANCES IN VEGETABLES PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Indian agriculture is passing through transition in this century under the influence of globalized trade and liberalization of Indian economy during early 1990s. Horticulture in particular has attained a pride place contributing 28.65 % to GDP from merely 8.5 % of area and has a high potential for further value addition and foreign exchange. In view of the competitive world environment in the context of the WTO agreement, renewed concentration on productivity, quality, and value addition has become imperative. To keep pace with the growing population, we need to increase horticulture production to 540 million tons by 2050 from the current level of 277.35 million tons (NHB 2014). The prospect of enhancing horticultural production by increasing area is limited. Thus, it becomes absolutely essential to increase the productivity. Adoption of modern technologies in horticulture (cultivation, micro-irrigation, fertigation, micro-propagation, high-tech postharvest management including cold chain, etc.) has become essential to enhance productivity. Cultivation has a tremendous potential to increase productivity, especially under horticulture. Reducing the cost of production, a cropping pattern to minimize pest damage and reduced application of pesticides will significantly contribute to sustainable production, profitability, and food safety of vegetables produced in protected structures. I am sure that the book will be of immense value to policy makers and the scientific community involved in teaching, research, and extension activities on horticulture. It would also be useful for teaching at postgraduate level as well as for growers’ cultivation in the country.