Cultivation of Exotic Vegetables in India
Ever since globalization has occurred, there have been many changes in the development of our country. The changes in climatic conditions have led the food production to decline at a major rate and it has become the biggest concern to provide food security for the whole globe.
The degradation of native vegetables production due to climatic charges has marked the need for growing vegetables under controlled environmental conditions.
Artificial control over the climatic factor could ensure productivity with a higher yield and high valued crops. The control over the climate is modified as per the requirement of the crop. Exotic vegetables are also cultivated in such an environment where the crops are kept in controlled conditions like in ‘Polytunnels’. Exotic vegetables were not cultivated before but their growing market has led to an increase in their cultivation.
Here we will see the cultivation practices of these Exotic Vegetables.
Exotic Vegetables – Introduction & its Status in India
With the change in generation, the food habits of the peoples are also changing day by day. Exotic Vegetables are such vegetables that originate in a distant foreign country and are imported and then grown and sold at a higher price. Exotic Vegetables are not common vegetables for us and in India it is grown in nethouses or polyhouses.
Vegetables are a rich source of nutrition for humans and can be eaten either raw or cooked. They have a low fat and carbohydrate content but high in Vitamins, Minerals and Fibre. The available exotic vegetables in India include broccoli, asparagus, cherry tomato, bell pepper and zucchini.
Exotic vegetables are mostly delivered to the restaurants and five star hotels but they are making their way to retail shops as well. In India, Maharashtra alone is growing half of the exotic vegetables and some of its districts like Pune, Nashik and Satara are now growing asparagus and broccoli.
How to do cucumber farming in polyhouse.
Himachal Pradesh has also started cultivation of exotic vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, leek, Chinese cabbage, snow pea and parsley in Theog, Narkanda, Matyana, Saproon Valley, Nauradhar in Sirmour, Katrain, Sanj Valley and Manali.
In India, the exotic vegetables took up 75% of the total area of the polyhouses and almost 50% of the farmers have been shifted to exotic vegetables cultivation. India imports more than 85% of the vegetables and the market is growing by 15 to 20% annually. The nutritive value has increased their demand in the domestic market as well as in the five star cultures of the cosmopolitan cities.
The farmers have assured the market of the exotic vegetables because the vegetables are grown as per the market demands. Growing of exotic vegetables has become a more profitable business than the cultivation of any other traditional Indian vegetables.
Examples of Exotic Vegetables
In India, most of the Exotic vegetables are grown in the winter season only where the seeds are sown in October-November for getting better results. Many of them grow well in sunlight while some of them can withstand full sunlight also at least in winters. The plants need well drained soil with lots of organic manure.
Jackfruit farming guide for beginners.
Some of the Exotic vegetables are:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Coloured Capsicum
- Cherry tomato
- Parsley
- Celery
- Chinese cabbage
- Red cabbage
- Zucchini
- Pak Choy or Bok Choy
Importance of Exotic Vegetables
Exotic vegetables hold a lot of importance that are:
- It is an important source of cash income for farmers.
- The seeds are sold to farmers at a reasonable price by public and private sector suppliers.
- It contains a range of health promoting phytochemicals and can prevent nutritional deficiencies and reduce the risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
- They can be originally grown at home which are not available in the market.
- They serve as a commercial crop and can be lent to small scale and part time farming.
Polyhouse – Types, Cultivation & Importance
Polyhouse is one kind of greenhouses where polythene is used as a cover and it is one of the main popular greenhouse technologies due to its low cost of construction. The temperature, humidity and ventilation can be controlled by fixing the equipment in the polyhouse.
How to take organic certification in India?
Types
Polyhouses are of different types:
- Depending upon the control system, it is divided into semi automatic control systems and fully automatic control systems.
- On the basis of the environmental control system, it is divided into naturally ventilated polyhouse and environmental control polyhouse.
- On the basis of the number of spans it is of two types, single span and Ridge & Furrow.
- On the basis of construction it is divided into Low tech & Cheap polyhouse, Moderate Tech polyhouse and High-grade Polyhouse.
Cultivation process
The cultivation inside polyhouse depends upon some factors like:
- Selection of Right location – The site for growing crops should be chosen very carefully. The crops are generally grown in polyhouse so as to get a warmer climate. It should be made pollution free. There should not be any water stagnation. Also, the polyhouse must be easily accessible and the road connectivity should also be very good.
- Size – The size of the polyhouse should be well decided. If there is no proper ventilation then a bigger polyhouse should be constructed and in the case of a naturally ventilated polyhouse it should not exceed 60 metres.
- Water system – Inside a polyhouse, the best technique for watering is Drip irrigation and it should be ensured that the water is dispersed at the root area only and it does not fall on leaves because it may lead to infection, spreading of diseases and even scorching.
Garlic farming information guide for beginners.
Importance
- The crops can be protected against adverse environmental conditions like high humidity or high temperature.
- High production of crops with original color & quality.
- Protection of crops against animals & birds as they can’t enter inside the polyhouse.
- More crops in less space.
Cultivation of Exotic Vegetables in a Polyhouse
Exotic vegetables are grown inside a polyhouse and different crops have different requirements. However, the basic requirements like well drained soil, irrigation, fertilizers, organic manure, sunlight are the same for all crops. The difference lies in the difference in climatic requirements, spacing of plants, seed rate, etc.
Here we will understand the requirements of some exotic vegetables with the help of the table given below:
| Exotic vegetables | Broccoli | Brussels Sprout | Red Cabbage | Parsley | Celery |
| Scientific Name | Brassica oleracea var italica | Brassica oleracea var gemmifera | Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f.rubra | Petroselinum crispum | Apium graveolens |
| Family | Brassicaceae | Brassicaceae | Brassicaceae | Umbelliferae | Apiaceae |
| Origin | Italy | Belgium | Southern Europe | Mediterranean region | Mediterranean region |
| Temperature Requirement | 20-25°C(germination stage)
25-26°C(day time) 16-17°C(night time) |
17-23°C (ideal condition) | 20-25°C(germination stage)
15-20°C(growing & head formation stage) |
9°C for base
24°C for germination 15-18°C (Ideal range) |
12-30°C (optimum temperature)
25-30°C (ideal temperature during sowing) |
| Humidity Requirement | 70-75% | cold humid climate | cool climate | cool & dry climate with low humidity | |
| Soil Requirement | Sandy & Silt Loam soil is best. | Well drained loamy soil. Land is prepared using disc plough, hammering 2 to 3 times to obtain a fine tilth. | Soil should be rich in Potassium & Nitrogen. Well manured fertile soil is preferred mostly.
|
Well drained sandy loam soil rich in humus.
|
wide range of soils ranging from sandy loam to clayey soils. Proper drainage facility should be ensured. Waterlogging should be prevented. |
| Soil pH | 5.5-6.5 | 6.0-6.8 | 6.5-7 | 6.5-7.0 | 5.5-6.5 |
| Seedling Preparation | Raised in plug trays & takes 5 to 6 days for germination and can be transplanted after 35 days. | Raised in portrays and takes 4 to 5 days for germination and can be transplanted after 30 days. | Raised in portrays & takes 5 days for germination and can be transplanted after 25 days. | Raised in pots with growing medium and then moistened by sprinkling water immediately after sowing. When the seeds germinate and reach a height of 5 to 8 cm it is transplanted to sterilized beds. | Raised in pro trays at a sowing depth of 2 to 4 cm. It takes 12 to 15 days for germination and is then transplanted onto the sterilized bed. |
| Bed Preparation | Raised beds with bed height of 45 to 50cm, bed width of 80 to 100cm, and pathways between beds as 30 to 35 cm.
Disinfect the bed with Formalin @ 8 to 10 liters for every hundred square metres and cover with a polythene sheet for 2 to 3 days & then plough the soil for loosening
so as to escape the harmful fumes from the soil. |
Raised beds with 3-4m × 3-4 m.
Soil is sterilized in nursery beds with Formalin @1:49 before 15 to 20 days of seed sowing and covered with polythene sheet for 6 to 7 days & then plough the soil for loosening so as to escape the harmful fumes from the soil.
|
Raised beds with bed height of 15 to 20cm, bed width of 1 to 1.2m, and pathways between beds as 40 to 50 cm.
After bed Preparation, soil is sterilized with Formalin @8litres formaldehyde per 200litres of water and cover with a polythene sheet for 3 to 4 days & then plough the soil for loosening
so as to escape the harmful fumes from the soil.
|
Raised beds with bed height of 15 to 20cm, bed width of 70 to 100cm, and pathways between beds as 50 to 55 cm.
After bed Preparation, soil is sterilized with Formalin and cover with a polythene sheet for 3 to 4 days & then plough the soil for loosening so as to escape the harmful fumes from the soil.
|
Raised beds with bed height of 20 to 25cm, bed width of 80 to 100cm, and pathways between beds as 40 to 50 cm.
After bed Preparation, soil is sterilized with Formalin and cover with a polythene sheet for 3 to 4 days & then plough the soil for loosening so as to escape the harmful fumes from the soil.
|
| Spacing of crops | 60cm(rows) × 45cm(plants) | 45cm(rows) × 70cm(plants) | 45cm(rows) × 45cm(plants) | 45cm (rows) × 10cm (plants) | 45cm(rows) × 25cm(plants) |
| Seed Rate | 300-400g/ha | 600-700g/ha | 400-500g/ha | 200g/ha | 400g/acre |
| Fertilizer Management | N:P:K = 120:60:60 kg/ha. Half of Nitrogen and full Phosphorus & Potassium is applied as a basal dose and remaining Nitrogen as top dressing after 30 to 35 days. | N:P:K = 100:60:40 kg/ha. Half of Nitrogen and full Phosphorus & Potassium is applied as a basal dose and remaining Nitrogen as top dressing after 30 to 45 days. It can also be added with 20 tonnes of Farmyard manure for better growth. | N:P:K = 100:80:40 kg/ha. Nitrogen is applied in three splits – during the pre planting stage 20 to 25% is applied, another 25% during the initiation of growth stage and remaining after the first cutting. | N:P:K = 150:60:40 kg/ha. Half of Nitrogen is applied at transplanting and remaining Nitrogen as top dressing after 45 days. It can also be added with 20 to 30 tonnes/ha of Farmyard manure for better growth. | |
| Irrigation | Irrigation is must as it requires adequate soil moisture and is critical at flower head formation stage. | Irrigation is necessary during the sprouts ‘ formation stage. Immediate irrigation after transplantation, followed by subsequent irrigation at 15 days interval. | Immediate irrigation after transplantation, followed by subsequent irrigation at 10-15 days interval. Drip Irrigation is preferred with plastic mulching to cover the beds.
|
The crop should not undergo a drought stage and should be irrigated whenever necessary. | Drip irrigation is preferred. Immediate irrigation should be done at the time of wilting and thereafter at an interval of 15 days. Irrigation is very critical for this crop. |
| Harvest | Harvesting is done when the heads are 5 to 6 inches in diameter by cutting the head close to ground and the leaves trimmed. | Pick the sprouts when they attain ideal size or remove it from the stalk. | It is ready to harvest in 90-120 days. Harvest the heads above the base of lower leaves and don’t delay harvesting as it could burst the heads. | During harvesting, Either single leaves are harvested or the whole bunch is cut close to the ground. | As soon as the crop matures it is cut from the stalk with the help of a sickle. Harvesting is preferred in the morning and delay in harvesting leads to seed shredding. |
| Yield | 200-250 q/ha | 200-300 q/ha | 80-120 tonnes per hectare | 25-30 tonnes per hectare | |
| Varieties | Pusa KTS-1 and Fantasy, Green mountain, Evergreen, Royle Green etc. | Rubine, Jade cross, Prince Marvel, Bubbles. | Rodima, Dorota etc | Triple curl, Banquet, Evergreen. | Red giant, Pascal the Golden, Monterey, Tall utah, Tango hybrid White plume etc |
Conclusion
The result of polyhouse cultivation is 4 to 8 times greater than open field crop cultivation. Polyhouse cultivation techniques make it possible to grow the crops throughout the year and achieve higher crop yields.
Cauliflower information guide.
The increase in Urban population and their changing lifestyle, food habits and increasing number of foreign tourists has created a lot of opportunities for cultivating exotic vegetables in India and these vegetables fetch more price in the market.
