How Olericulture Helps To Grow Safe Vegetables at Home

 

Vegetables play a very important role in our lives. They are the ultimate source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The science of cultivation of vegetables for human and animal consumption is known as Olericulture.

Olericulture is originated from Latin word ‘oleris’ meaning pot herb and English word ‘culture’ meaning raising of plants. It is the branch of horticulture which deals with the culture of herbaceous plants.

It is the production of plants for the use of their edible parts. It includes production, storage, processing, transportation and marketing of vegetables.

The steps involved in olericulture are

1) Selection of cultivar

2) Seedbed preparation

3) Crops establishment by seeds and transplants

The basic requirements of all the plants are water, nutrients, light, temperature and oxygen and when these conditions are fulfilled vegetables can be grown for food.

Scope in India 

India is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world (surpassed only by China), accounting for about 10 per cent of the world's production.

Biotechnology in Olericulture

Biotechnology has played a major role to increase vegetable production to meet the demands of growing population. Some of the techniques used are as follows:

1) Traditional breeding: Pollen and ovule from desired male and female parents are crossed to get desirable characteristics. Example- honey crisp apple

2) Mutagenesis: Mutations are induced in crops by mutagenic chemicals or radioactivity to create variety within crops and to get desired traits. Example ruby red grapefruits

3) Polyploidy: polyploidy is induced in crops to change the chromosome number to influence its fertility and size. Example- seedless watermelons are created by crossing 4 set chromosome watermelon with a 2 set chromosome watermelon

4) Protoplast fusion: joining of cells to transfer traits of species. Ex-male sterility was transferred from radish to red cabbages by protoplast fusion

5) Transgenic: introduction of foreign gene using plasmid vectors. Example: Rainbow papaya that gives it resistance to the papaya ringspot virus

Methods of Vegetable Cultivation: Nowadays there are many methods for vegetable cultivation. Some of them are as follows

1) Mulching: This practice involves covering of cultivated plants with some covering materials like leaves, straw, sawdust, peat moss, compost, gravel etc. or synthetic, like polyethylene and PVC to conserve soil moisture, maintain higher soil temperature and to control weeds.

2) Poly-house/greenhouse: It is the practice of growing vegetables in an inflated structure using transparent covers to create greenhouse effect. This enclosed space allows partial control on microclimate of crop and high carbon dioxide concentration improves plant productivity.

3) Low Tunnels: Low tunnels cover rows of plants in the field and provide protection against low temperatures and frost, winds and insect pests.

4) Hydroponics: It is the science of growing vegetables in water having dissolved nutrients.

It is also referred as soilless cultivation in which plants can be grown in an inorganic substance like sand, gravel, perlite, Rockwool or in an organic material like coconut fiber, pine bark or sphagnum peat moss and periodically watered with a nutrient solution.

5) Aeroponics: It is the science of cultivating vegetables in air or mist environment and not in soil. In this plants are suspended in closed environment and the roots and stems of plants are atomized with nutrient rich solution.

The common problem in any agriculture practice is of pest management. This is no different than any classical farm practice, therefore, let's just see how to do it.

Pest Management

 

New, or in their appearance so far unknown pests, might occur in the beginning, which may involve inputs of chemicals. However, appropriate use of cover crops should also help in this task, since the beginning, by interrupting the infection chain between subsequent crops. 

Weed Management

 

Synthetic chemical herbicides may be necessary in the first years, but have to be used with very much care to reduce the negative impact on soil life. Mulch cover and cover crops, crop rotations, desiccants and herbicides are the technologies to control weeds. 

Mechanical weed control through rolling, cutting or breaking can also be applied. For exceptional cases mechanical weeders exist for animal traction and tractors which can work through a mulch cover. 

Fertility Management

 

Any soil limitations, such as acidity, salinity or toxicity problems must be addressed before and during the implementation of Conservation Agriculture. 

Soil Organic Matter (SOM) and judicious choice of crops and cover crops play a key role in soil fertility management, and especially SOM provided by root decomposition. 

The integration of livestock in the system can also be a solution, especially for the farmers with poor resources or access to mineral fertilisers. The use of organic and mineral fertilisers may be necessary. Appropriate application can be done with combined tools for direct seeding-fertilisation.

Written By - Chavi Goel