Nagendra Rai – författare

Vegetable production in our country is primarily reliant on locally available genotypes or open-pollinated varieties, which have low yields and are susceptible to insect pests and diseases. This situation is largely due to the lack of knowledge and poor extension services among farmers. To address this issue, it is essential to cultivate vegetable hybrids that can increase productivity and quality. The development of hybrids from existing varieties not only boosts productivity but also helps to overcome various challenges faced by farmers. To achieve these goals, the authors have made an effort to provide information on the development of vegetable hybrids, including both theoretical and practical aspects, in the form of a book titled Heterosis Breeding in Vegetable Crops. This publication contains 17 chapters organized into two sections. The first section includes 10 chapters that cover the theoretical aspects of heterosis, such as the introduction to heterosis, the basis of heterosis, commercial exploitation of heterosis, reproduction, pollen, and pollen biotechnology, population improvement of parents/hybrids, genetic purity testing of hybrids, hybrid variety testing and release procedures in India, biotechnology, and vegetable improvement, intellectual property rights related issues in hybrid technology, and economics, import, and export. The second section consists of seven chapters that focus on practical aspects of hybrid seed production, such as solanaceous crops (tomato, brinjal, chilli, and bell pepper), malvaceous crops (okra), cole crops (cabbage and cauliflower), cucurbitaceous crops (bitter gourd, bottle gourd, cucumber, muskmelon, watermelon, pumpkin, ridged, and smooth gourd), root crops (carrot), bulb crops (onion), and hints for hybrid cultivation. All the chapters include references, illustrations, and tables, and the publication also contains the characteristics of national released hybrids with colored photographs. This book would be useful to teachers, scientists, students, extension workers, the vegetable industry, and farmers in our country.

Vegetable production in our country is still dominated by locally available genotypes or open-pollinated varieties, which are low-yielding and susceptible to various insect pests and diseases. This is largely due to farmers lack of knowledge and poor extension services. Therefore, there is a need to cultivate vegetable hybrids to increase production, productivity, and quality. The development of hybrids from existing varieties plays a crucial role not only in increasing productivity but also in combating several problems faced by farmers. To achieve these objectives, the authors have made an effort to provide information on the development of vegetable hybrids, both theoretically and practically, in the form of a book entitled Heterosis Breeding in Vegetable Crops. This publication contains 17 chapters in two sections. The first section includes 10 chapters related to the theoretical aspects of heterosis, such as (i) Introduction to Heterosis, (ii) Basis of Heterosis, (iii) Commercial Exploitation of Heterosis, (iv) Reproduction, Pollen, and Pollen Biotechnology, (v) Population Improvement of Parents/Hybrids Varieties, (vi) Genetic Purity Testing of Hybrids, (vii) Hybrid Varieties Testing and Release Procedures in India, (viii) Biotechnology and Vegetable Improvement, (ix) Intellectual Property Right-related Issues in Hybrid Technology, and (x) Economics, Import, and Export. The second section consists of practical aspects of hybrid seed production and includes seven chapters on different vegetable crops, such as (xi) Solanaceous Crops—Tomato, Brinjal, Chilli, and Bell Pepper, (xii) Malvaceous Crops—Okra, (xiii) Cole Crops—Cabbage and Cauliflower, (xiv) Cucurbitaceous Crops—Bitter Gourd, Bottle Gourd, Cucumber, Muskmelon, Watermelon, Pumpkin, Ridged and Smooth Gourd, (xv) Root Crops—Carrot, (xvi) Bulb Crops—Onion, and (xvii) Hints for Hybrid Cultivation. All the chapters include references, illustrations, and tables. The publication also contains characteristics of national released hybrids with colored photographs, which would be useful to teachers, scientists, students, extension workers, vegetable industry, and farmers in our country.

Vegetable production is a vital component of agriculture, and significant progress has been made in this area since independence, with an initial yield of just 5.8 tons per hectare. However, the increasing demand from growing populations necessitates further increases in vegetable productivity.The constraints of shrinking land and water resources, coupled with the threat of climate change, require effective human and financial resources to support the development of technologies. The development of vegetable hybrids with genes for increased yield and resistance to biotic/abiotic stress, the production and protection of crops in problematic soils with reduced water and nutrient use, and safe pest and disease management, as well as the reduction of post-harvest losses and value-added processing are all important priorities.The book Vegetable Science: Objective Type provides a comprehensive overview of vegetable crops, covering topics such as production, breeding, and biotechnology, as well as statistics, biometrics, and the application of computer technology. The book also includes a special chapter on General Agriculture, providing readers with up-to-date information on agricultural practices.