With reference to India.

Successful vegetable production in a modern competitive market requires an understanding of many more factors than the biology of crops and the production techniques involved. This major new textbook brings the science and practice of vegetable production right up to date by addressing modern culture techniques and the recent challenges of consumer demand facing producers today. It introduces vegetable production from the perspective of producing high quality produce that satisfies the needs of the modern consumer. Beginning with the basics of how vegetables are grown using high and low input methods, including organic and sustainable production techniques, the book goes on to introduce and discuss many topics covered less comprehensively in older texts, including Good Agricultural Practices to improve quality, reduce biological contamination and secure food safety; water management; cropping systems; plasticulture; protected culture and mineral nutrition. Vegetable Production and Practices also introduces the use of molecular biology for genetic improvement of crops. Issues specific to individual vegetable crops are addressed by family, including their diseases, harvesting, quality attributes and other issues of increasing importance to consumers, including the role of vegetables in human health. Professor Gregory E. Welbaum has a long history of teaching successful courses in horticulture at Virginia Tech and other universities in the US and worldwide. Vegetable Production Practices has been specifically designed to accompany courses in vegetable crop production, so is ideally suited to inspire students in crop and horticultural sciences, as well as provide a useful reference for experienced practitioners.

The book contains latest information on varieties and scientific crop production practices of more than 70 vegetables right from nursery to marketing. In addition to crop improvement, crop production and protection of individual vegetables, the basic principles of vegetable production, systems of classification, special systems of vegetables production including high-tech production, organic farming, hydroponics, biofertilizers are also dealt in this book. The book is oriented for undergraduate programme in agriculture and horticulture and gives a comprehensive picture on the production scenario of vegetables in the country. The students, teachers, researchers and other interested in the field of vegetable production and breeding will be immensely benefited.

"Vegetable growing is a substantial branch of horticulture. But it is no longer confined to growing in a small garden as vegetables are now cultivated on a large scale commercially. The study of vegetable culture is called as Olericulture. Vegetables are rich and comparatively cheaper source of vitamins. Consumption of these items provides taste, palatability, increases appetite and provides fiber for digestion and to prevent constipation. They also play key role in neutralizing the acids produced during digestion of pretentious and fatty foods and also provide valuable roughages which help in movement of food in intestine. It is the most important factor influencing crop yield therefore for getting proper yields; it is essential to know the climatic requirement of the vegetable crops. Almost all the vegetables have optimum range of climatic components and beyond those limits vegetables cannot perform up to the mark. The perishable nature of vegetables demand comprehensive planning for movement, Storage, processing and distribution of vegetable products. The growth of vegetable industry as a commercial proposition largely depends on mainly allied enterprises like storage, processing marketing and maintenance and service enterprises to encourage vegetable growing. This Books covers original researches in the field of breeding, physiology, ecology, production, management, seed technology, genomics molecular breeding, plant genetic resources, disease and pest management, marketing, post-harvest etc. innovative articles on all aspects of vegetable production, including growth regulation, pest management, sustainable production, harvesting, handling, storage, shipping, and final consumption. While the primary focus of this volume is on the production of improved, indigenous, and wild vegetables, consideration of their nutritional, medicinal and industrial importance and genetic conservation are also outlined to provide a comprehensive overview of their contributions to the concepts of stability and sustainability of tropical agriculture. The contributed chapters are written by researchers, practitioners, and academics present current findings on new crops and protected culture as well as traditional crops, examine marketing trends in the commercial vegetable industry, and address vital issues of concern to breeders, production managers, and processors working in all continents where vegetables are grown."

Specific emphasis has been placed long back through the education on vegetable science with the publication of the text-cum reference book in a single volume "Vegetable Crops in India" as early as 1986. Keeping the demand and interest of the stakeholders in view, this book was revised further in 1993 and 2003 under three volumes in the name "Vegetable Crops". Wide array of modern research approaches on vegetable crops in India and abroad during last two decades warrants further revision of the book in fourth edition in four volumes. In this fourth edition, every aspect of production, protection, breeding and biotechnology of more than 50 major and minor vegetable crops (Volume 1: Leguminous vegetables and root crops; Volume 2: Cole crops, okra and tropical tuber crops; Volume 3: Solanaceous fruit vegetables, salad crops and leafy greens and Volume 4: Cucurbits, bulb crops and perennial vegetable crops) were dealt with by renowned academicians and scientists in the country. This book, structured with thousands of references and colour photographs stands as unique of its own. Students, researchers, vegetable specialists, horticulturists, agricultural research scientists and extension personnel across the world will find this book very informative as well as practical.