EXOTIC VEGETABLES

 EXOTIC = Not indigenous ; not native ; not commonly existing

in the place of reference;

 Vegetables or their varieties imported from other countries

 Grown and sold at higher price than our Indian vegetables

 Used in preparation of exotic dishes in big hotels /homes

IMPORTANT EXOTICS
GROWN IN INDIA

 Broccoli
Pak choi
 Chinese abbage
Brussels sprouts
Red cabbage
Celery
 Lettuce
Parsley
Cherry Tomato
Leek
Cucumber
Asparagus
Cherry tomatoes
Zuccihini
 Col. Capsicum
 Why Exotic vegetables
High value, High nutrition, Export market, Contract farming,
Less area required Change in lifestyle and Growing demand.
 Potentials of high value exotic vegetables
Demand in five star hotels, foreign tourist, India is
importing more than 85% exotic vegetables.

Domestic market due to their nutritive value. adds colour

and quality to existing vegetables

The diverse agro-climatic conditions, growing demand

@of 15 to 20%, has major two niche market hotel industry
and export
Strategy for production of exotic
vegetables in India.
 Globalization and free market trade has promoted the
demand and sale of exotic vegetables particularly of
European origin in Indian market.
 The new vegetables such as lettuce asparagus, broccoli,
European carrots , red and yellow capsicum, snow peas,
leek, Brussels sprout, parsley, celery, chives, and sweet
corn.
 Lettuce is one of the major leafy vegetables consumed as
salad World over.
 The demand for red and yellow capsicum picked up due to
European tourists and multinational food chains in India.
 In view of the increasing demand for exotic vegetables
and their nutraceutical value there is a lot of scope for
to cultivate them under protected cultivation.
 In the Indian scenario , north west Himalayan region,
Solan and nilgiri hills, in and around Bangalore, pune
regions in Maharashtra providing a best climate for
cultivation of the exotic vegetables in India
Reason why scope is gaining higher
for exotic vegetables in India
 Easy availability of seeds or planting material
(improved varieties ) from multinational companies.
 Better adaptable capacity of varieties.
 Better capitalization on nutritional and commercial
value of exotic vegetables.
Importance of exotic vegetables in
home gardens :
 In view of the immense nutritional value as health
food and nutraceutical properties, exotic vegetables
have a special place in the home gardens.
 The unique advantage of growing vegetables
organically at home garden makes exotic vegetables
excellent choices which are not easily available in the
market.
Importance of exotic vegetables for
commercial cultivation
These are boon for small and marginal farmers.
 Main objectives
 of cultivation of exotic vegetables under protected
structures are
 One can get offseason produce
 Artificially most of the weather parameters can be
controlled.
 Less incidence of pest and diseases being crop itself
grown under controlled environmental conditions
 Harvested produce has highest shelf life than the crop
has been grown in open condition.
 More over better utilization of plant growth inputs and
space as well.
 Due to more glossiness crop grown under protected
cultivation fetches more price in markets.
 One can expect high yield and quality produce.
 BROCCOLI
(Brassica oleraceae var italica
F:Brassicaceae)

Broccoli is green, containing a group of green buds and thick

fleshy lower stalk forming head
It is highly nutritious, good source of vitamin A and C as well as
dietary fiber, Anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant due to presence of
alkaloid called (Sullforaphane).

Cool temperature of 20-250 C is optimum and 15-200 C at

heading stage. Heads become loose with rise in temperature.

Shoots become more fibrous under dry soil, 5.0-6.5 pH is

optimum.
 Sowing time
 In plains and low hills : Sept-oct
 In mid hills : Aug- sept
 Higher hills: during summer ( March- Aug).
Seed rate : 500 gm/ha
Manure and Fertilizers: FYM =200 q/ha
N:P:K= (90:75:60 Kg/ha)
Harvesting and yield
 Broccoli may take 45 to 90 days to harvest after
transplanting.
 Broccoli can harvest when the central head reaches a
diameter of 10-15cm at this stage the broccoli head may
weigh 250-450 gm.
 Yield varies significantly with cultivars and
environmental conditions and may vary from 150-250
qtl/ha
Plant protection measures.
Important Diseases Management
Downy mildew Spray metalaxyl+ mancozeb (0.25%)
Black spot Mancozeb(0.25%) iprodione (0.05%)
Block rot Hot water seed treatment.
Disinfecting of seeds with
formaldehyde solution (1:7).

Important pest Management

Diamond back moth Use NSKE(4%) and systemic
insecticides
Aphids Use NSKE(4%) or oxydmeton methyl
(0.02%)
Lepidopteron pests Spray systemic insecticides like
imidochloprid (0.1%).
Red cabbage (Brasica oleracea var capitata f rubra F: Brassicaceae)

leaves are red/ purple due to the pigment anthocyanin. It is used as

salad or cooked vegetable.

It is a rich source of Vit-A, B, C and K and Potassium. On cooking

its colour turns to blue.

Is grown on acidic soils and this is the reason why the leaves of
these cabbages are red in color. Ph Indicator
 Sowing time
 In plains and low hills : Oct-Nov.
 In mid hills : Aug- sept.
 Higher hills: during summer ( April-May).
 Seed rate : 400 gm/ha.
 Spacing= 45×45 cm.
 Manure and Fertilizers: FYM =15 t/ha.
 N:P:K= (120:50:30 Kg/ha).
 Harvesting and yield .
 Red cabbage is ready for harvest in 14-16 weeks after sowing
and should be harvested when the heads are tight and
compact and the color is well developed .
 Avg yield = 20-25 t/ha
 CHINESE CABBAGE

Brassica rapa F: Brassicacea

Cool season crop, ready to harvest in about 60-70 days
Used fresh in salads or cooked like regular cabbage.
It is a rich source of Vit-C, Ca, Mg and Iron.
Two types

Pak- choi
Pe- tsai
  Sowing time
 In plains and low hills : october
 In mid hills : sept-oct
 Higher hills: during summer (April-June).
Seed rate : 625-750 gm/ha
Manure and Fertilizers: FYM =10 t/ha
N:P:K= (75:30:30 Kg/ha)
 Harvesting and yield .
 Heading type Chinese cabbages are harvested when
appropriate head size of (1-2kg) is obtained .
 Avg yield 60t/ha can be obtained.
LETTUCE
Lactuca sativa L.; F: Composite

An important salad leafy vegetable grown globally and

used as a fresh, raw product and a pleasure food with low
nutrient density but also an excellent source of bulk and
fiber.
It can be grown under milder cool weather but does well
under protected condition if price is remunerative
targeting continental hotels, metropolitan consumers.
Lettuce is an annual polymorphic plant particularly in
respect of foliage characteristics.
 FOUR TYPES

Butter Head Crisp Head

Loose Leaf Lolo- rossa lettuce

Important morphological types of
lettuce
Sr. No Type Varieties

1 Crisp head/ ice berg types a. Greate lakes, b. iceberg, c. ithaca, d.Alano

2 Leaf lettuce a. Black seeded simson.

3 Romaine or cos type a. Green towers.

4 Stem type lettuce a. Celtuce.

 Sowing time
 In plains and low hills : Spt-Nov
 In mid hills : sept-oct
 Higher hills: during summer (March-Jully).
 Optimum temp: 180 C .
 Spacing : 45×30 / : 30×20 cm
 Seed rate : 375-500 gm/ha
 Manure and Fertilizers: FYM =10t/ha
 N:P:K= (60:40:30 Kg/ha)
• Harvesting and yield .
o Since lettuce is a delicate salad crop, the plants after attaining
markatable maturity should be hand harvested and packed .
o Trimming of senescent and unusable leaves and packing into
cartons.
 Plant protection measures .
Diseases Control measures

Damping off Soil drenching with formaldehyde (1:7) , COC (0.3%).

Downy mildew Spray with Metalaxyl and mancozeb ( 0.25%).

Grey mould Spray with captan or mancozeb (0.25%) as soon as the disease
noticed .

Drop Spray benomyl or Carbendazim (0.1%) to avoid disease .

 CHERRY TOMATOES
Rich in vitamins and sugar content.

Smaller in size confused with wild tomato

 Mostly used as salad and vegetable

purpose.

 Its demand in 5 star hotels due to their

strong flavour
 Tomato Black Cherry
– This is the first truly round black cherry
tomato on the market with classic black
tomato flavour, sweet yet rich and
complex.

Tomato Black Plum

Greenhouse Black Cherry Tomato
– Small elongated to oval fruits that are deep
mahogany with a very tasty sweet fruity flavour.
Excellent as a snacking tomato or in salads and
good crops of 50gm fruits can be expected under
glass on 6ft plants.
 Small Plum Tomato - Tomato
Floridity F1 – A mini-plum type with
a striking tomato aroma. Floridity
has a long cropping season and
being of medium height yet rich and
complex.

Yellow Tomato - Tomato Golden

Sunrise - Golden yellow, medium
sized tomatoes which add colour to a
salad and have a rich, fruity flavour all
of their own.
 CLIMATE
 Tomato prefers moderate temperature and thrives well in
the temperature range of 25-300C. The prevalence of low
temperature and high humidity causes severe infestation of
diseases
 NURSERY MANAGEMENT
 Seeds are sown in raised beds under protected structures.
Seeds can be sown about 25-25 days before planting. The
average seed rate for tomato is 350-400g/ha. Seeds are sown
with row spacing of 10 cm and seed spacing of 0.5 cm.
densely populated seeds produce weak and lanky seedlings.
The beds should be drenched
with Trichoderma+Pseudomonas culture @ 2% to manage
damping off.
 PLANTING
 Tomato should be planted on the raised bed with the bed width of
1.5m. There should be a path of 0.6m between two beds. 20-25 day old
seedlings should be planted at the distance of 1.0x0.8cm before
planting the root of seedling should be dipped for 15 minutes
inTrichoderma+Pseudomonas culture @ 10%. Planting should be
preferably be done in small pits for better root development.
 NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
 The nutrient requirement of tomato is moderately high (N100,P60,
K80 kg/ha) and shows good response with the addition of nutrients.
FYM should be applied @ 5.0kg/m2along with neem cake @200g/m2 .
At the time of planting seedling should be treated with
Azospirillum+PSB(20%) for 15 minutes. The addition of vermicompost
@ 1kg/m2 further improves the production.
 Plant protection.
Diseases Control measures.

LATE BLIGHT 1. Nursery soil treatment with Trichodermaculture @2%.

2. Soil drenching with Trichoderma culture@ 2% before planting.
3. Seedling treatment with Trichoderma culture@10% for15
minutes.

TOMATO EARLY For best control, apply copper-based fungicides. early, two weeks
BLIGHT before disease normally
 ZUCCHINI Cucurbita pepo

 It is a small summer squash.

 It can be yellow, green or light green and generally
has a similar shape to a ridged cumber.
 For decorating dishes or using it as toppings,
the Fresh Yellow Zucchinis are the best choices
 Soil
Sandy loam soil rich in organic matter with good drainage
is suitable. The pH ranging from 6.5 - 7.5 is found ideal.
 Seed rate
1.0 kg /ha of seeds required.

Seed treatment
Soak the seeds in double the quantity of water for 30
minutes and incubate for 6 days. Treat the seeds
with Azospirillum just before sowing.
 Sowing
Sow the seeds (five seeds/pit) and thin the seedlings to
two/pit after 15 days of planting.

Fertigation
Apply a dose of 60:30:30 kg NPK/ha throughout the
cropping period through split application. Apply 75%
of the phosphorus as superphosphate as basal dose.
 Harvest
When the fruits turn from green to yellow and easy
detachment of stalks from the stem, harvesting can be
done. Well matured fruits are harvested 85 - 90 days
after sowing.
 CELERY
 Just like coriander but not having any flavour.

 Mostly used as decorative vegetables in 5 star hotels.

 Soil & climate- Soil pH of about-5.5 to 6.7, cool climate require

for better crop. Maturity- 75 to 90 DAT.

 Grown on a small scale in Punjab, Haryana, UP, HP, TN,

Karnataka and Kerala.
Celery is a highly nutritive crop contains dietary fiber, it has some
sugar but no starch.
It is good source of Vit A ,C.
Climate and planting
 Celery requires exacting climate for optimum growth.
 Temperature of 16-210 C is optimum for successful
production.
 Stalk celery is a typical cool season crop can only
cultivated in hills .
 Sowing season
 Plains: sept- oct
 Mid hills : Aug-sept
 Higher hills : March – April.
Seed rate and spacing.
100 gm seeds required per hectare.
Transplanting stage : 56 -70 days after sowing and
plants are ready for transplant when they attain a
height of 10-15cm and about 0.50 cms in diameter.
Spacing : plants may be planted at 20cm distance
within rows .
Rows may be spaced 60 cm apart.
 Manure and fertilizers
 FYM: 20 t /ha
 N:P:K = 200: 90: 125 kg/ha
 For celery cultivation calcium and boran are the 2
minor nutrients requires majorly so addition of minor
nutrients like boran and calcium is highly beneficial
for growth and development
 Deficiency of calcium leads to : black heart in celery
 Deficiency of Boran leads to: stem cracking.
 Harvesting and yield
 Leaf celery can be harvested 3-4 times if the leaves are
cut sufficiently above soil line to enable re-growth of
new shoots .
 Stalk and leafy celery types yields can be as high as
50-60 tones per hactare.
 But celeriac celery yield 30-40 t/ha .
 PARSLEY

Petroselinum crispum F: Apeaceae or Umbeliferae)

Is a bright green biennial herb often used as spice. It is used as

coriander. It has a milder flavour and used as a garnish.

Curled- leaved Plain- leaved

 LEEK
known as Allium Ampeloprasum.

The bundle of leaf sheaths is the edible part of the leak

vegetable is commonly known as stem or stalk.

The Fresh Leeks have mild garlic & onion-like taste and
add flavor to varied dishes, soups, etc.