This edited book is compiled by renowned Horticultural scientist Padma Shri Prof. Brahma Singh and Former Head of Vegetable Science Division, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi Dr Pritam Kalia. The book is mainly focused on two aspects of vegetable crops - nutrition and entrepreneurial potential. The book explains the importance of vegetables crops as essential food items for managing food security and malnutrition. Since vitamins and minerals deficiency is on the increase globally, this book highlights the presence and availability of essential nutrients, vitamins in addition to other food constituents necessary for human health. The book also emphasizes on the potential of vegetables crops as an affordable avenue for entrepreneurial ventures. It explains the important steps in respect of vegetable crops, such as production, harvesting, packaging, transport, storage, marketing of fresh vegetables, processing and value-addition etc. The book chapters are written in simple language with recent scientific developments by the experienced and acknowledged scientists in the field. The book is a useful reading material for curriculum and examination requirements of undergraduate and postgraduate, and other university examinations. It is also of interest to professionals, researchers, policy makers and potential entrepreneurs in the field of vegetable crop farming
About the Author: Prof. Brahma Singh
Prof. Brahma Singh PhD (Horticulture)is Padma Shri Awardee- the fourth highest Indian Civilian Award. He is a Fellow of NAAS, NABS, IAHS, ISVS, AFST(I), BVd, ISNS, Hon. FISAE. Prof. Singh is Founder Chairman, Prof Brahma Singh Horticulture Foundation, Delhi; Founder President, Indian Society for Protected Cultivation, New Delhi; President, Indian Society of Vegetable Science, Varanasi; Former President of Society of New Age Herbals; Member, Planning Board, Ladakh UT. He had the privilege to work under Dr AP J Abdul Kalam, former President of India both in DRDO and at President House, New Delhi. He is known for his contributions in greening of Leh valley - a cold Himalayan desert, protected horticulture in the country and exploitation of natural growth of Sea buckthorn/Brahmphal in Ladakh, UT besides developing root-knot nematode varieties of tomato, several varieties of different vegetables suitable for higher Himalayan region. He is organizer of BSHF series of webinars since last two years. A monograph on Life Sciences Research in DRDO for the Service of Soldiers have been released which is compiled by Prof. Singh. Contact: 09818313660 (For details Google Wikipedia/Brahma Singh)
Dr. Pritam Kalia
Dr. Kalia headed the Vegetable Science Division, at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi for more than six years and contributed significantly in overall modernization of division. He also served as ICAR-Emeritus Scientist for full term and worked on a very important futuristic topic entitled, "Advances in biotic stress resistance breeding and β carotene biofortification in Indian cauliflower and nutraceutical mapping in carrot". Dr. Kalia developed 33 varieties of different vegetable crops with major contributions in exotic vegetables, nutraceutical and resistance breeding and genetic mechanisms facilitating hybrid breeding in cauliflower and carrot. He is credited with introduction of new vegetable crops in India such as broccoli, leek developing their indigenous varieties and popularized them. He identified genes (Xca1bo & Xca1bc), which impart resistance to black rot disease in cauliflower being bred into commercial varieties through marker assisted breeding. Dr. Kalia has introgressed beta-carotene enhancing Or gene in Indian cauliflower which will go a long way in tackling beta-carotene malnutrition problem in India. For his outstanding contribution to Vegetable Science, he was awarded VASVIK Award, IAHS Shivshkthi lifetime achievement Award and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award of ICAR.
