2020, Vol. 8, Issue 6, Part B

author(s)
Thakur Riya and Verma VK

abstract
Vegetables are essential for maintaining a well-rounded human diet and are crucial for achieving global nutritional security. They serve as rich sources of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, making them indispensable for overall health and well-being. This progress has been made possible through dedicated research and widespread adoption by farmers. However, this success has been largely limited to a handful of major vegetable crops. Despite India’s diverse agro-climatic zones, which support the cultivation of over 60 recognized vegetable species and around 30 lesser-known ones, underutilized vegetables have received minimal attention. These crops, which are not widely cultivated on a commercial scale or traded extensively, are categorized as underutilized vegetable crops. Several native crop species that are underutilized have long been a component of conventional farming practices. Their entire potential is still mostly unrealized, despite the fact that they are still utilized to some degree on a local, national, and even international level.