Vegetables are so common in human diet that the meal without a vegetable is supposed to be incomplete in any part of the world. India is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world, next to China. Keeping in view the largest demand of vegetables for domestic consumption and enormous scope of exports, the yield can be increased manifold and there is possibility of increasing the productivity by 200 to 300 per cent, by using advanced technology.
Points to be taken into consideration while growing Vegetables: ------
- Most of the vegetables being short-duration crops should be produced in succession on the same plot and also they can be used as intercrops in long duration crops. Also legumes can be used to improve fertility status of the soil.
- Being labour intensive, all the family labour of the vegetable-grower can be usefully employed throughout the year.
- Seed production is a technical job unlike in the case of most other crops and these techniques are also different in biennial and annual vegetables and required environmental conditions are also different, therefore vegetable growers have to depend on outside agencies for seed requirements. Only NSC certified seed nurseries should be the sources of seeds.
- Use of high yielding improved varieties is advised, as vegetable production is very time and labour consuming.
- In addition to soil fertility evaluation provided by the field fertilizers experiment, other evaluation methods such as nutrient deficiency symptoms, plant tissue nutrient analysis, soil chemical analysis, measured plant response to nutrients in green house, glass house, screen house or growth chambers techniques, are to be considered and used.
- The nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, if required should be applied at proper time and spacing only.
- Manuring is to be done to improve the nutritional status of the soil by increasing the store of nutrient present and thus to raise the yield from a lower to a higher level. FYM, poultry manure with its low carbon nitrogen ratio and good nutrient value due to large quantities of easily mineralisable nitrogen. Biogas slurry has been found to be effective in improving the taste, color and storage life of vegetables. Compost is the organic manure most frequently recommended to kitchen gardeners. Vermicompost contains major and minor nutrients in available forms to plants, enzymes, antibiotics, vitamins and plant growth hormones and have definite advantage over other organic manures in respect of quality and self-life of produce.
- To improve the production of good quality vegetables and conservation of environment biofarming is beneficial but sudden shift towards it may result in reduction in yield. Therefore initially involving a harmonious blend of organics, biofertilizers and then complete organic is recommended.
- Crop protection should be carried out using biological insecticides, for e.g.- derivatives of neem and scores of other plants and bioagents instead of using chemicals.
- To maintain heat at the least and hygroscopic conditions at the most is very essential for the proper growth of crops, go for green house, polyhouse or glass house technology.
- Since the vegetables are mostly consumed fresh or only partially cooked they should be devoid of residual effect of chemicals. In this context the concept of biofarming or organic farming which involves the use of organic manures and naturally occurring substance, can act as an alternative to the costlier environment demanding and energy intensive chemical inputs.
Export is an important need of our country as well as today's farmers so that they will have the idea about foreign market. Hence to go for export is beneficial for each and every vegetable grower and they should not bother for the export.
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