What is olericulture?
Olericulture is the branch of horticulture dealing with cultivation, production, storage, and marketing of vegetable crops.
Which crops are studied under olericulture?
Olericulture studies leafy, root, tuber, bulb, fruit, and flower vegetables grown for human consumption.
Why is olericulture important in agriculture?
Olericulture improves nutrition, farmer income, employment generation, food security, and sustainable agricultural diversification.
Which vegetables are called leafy vegetables?
Leafy vegetables include spinach, lettuce, cabbage, fenugreek, amaranthus, and kale consumed for edible leaves.
What are root vegetables in olericulture?
Root vegetables are crops where enlarged roots are edible, such as carrot, radish, beetroot, and turnip.
What are tuber vegetables?
Tuber vegetables are underground modified stems storing food, including potato, yam, and sweet potato.
What are bulb vegetables?
Bulb vegetables have underground bulbs made of fleshy scales, such as onion, garlic, and shallot.
Which vegetables are fruit vegetables?
Fruit vegetables include tomato, brinjal, chilli, capsicum, cucumber, pumpkin, and other edible fruit crops.
What is the climatic requirement of vegetable crops?
Vegetables require specific temperature, humidity, rainfall, and sunlight depending on crop type and growth stage.
Which vegetables are cool-season crops?
Cool-season vegetables include cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, radish, pea, spinach, and lettuce.
Which vegetables are warm-season crops?
Warm-season vegetables include tomato, brinjal, chilli, okra, cucumber, pumpkin, and watermelon.
What is the ideal soil for vegetable cultivation?
Well-drained, fertile loamy soil rich in organic matter is ideal for most vegetable crops.
Why is soil pH important in olericulture?
Soil pH affects nutrient availability, microbial activity, root growth, and overall vegetable crop productivity.
What is nursery raising in vegetables?
Nursery raising is growing seedlings in protected beds before transplanting them into main fields.
Which vegetables require nursery raising?
Tomato, brinjal, chilli, cabbage, cauliflower, and onion commonly require nursery raising.
What is transplanting in olericulture?
Transplanting is shifting seedlings from nursery beds to main field for better establishment and spacing.
Why is spacing important in vegetable cultivation?
Proper spacing ensures optimum sunlight, airflow, nutrient uptake, and reduces disease incidence.
What is crop rotation in olericulture?
Crop rotation is growing different crops sequentially to improve soil fertility and control pests and diseases.
Why is crop rotation important for vegetables?
Crop rotation prevents soil nutrient depletion, pest buildup, disease cycles, and improves yield sustainability.
What is intercropping in vegetable farming?
Intercropping involves growing two or more vegetable crops together to maximize land and resource use.
What is mulching in vegetables?
Mulching involves covering soil surface with organic or plastic materials to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
Why is mulching beneficial in olericulture?
Mulching improves soil temperature, moisture retention, weed control, and enhances vegetable crop yield.
What is irrigation requirement of vegetables?
Vegetables need frequent, light irrigation depending on crop, soil type, growth stage, and climate.
Which irrigation methods are used in olericulture?
Furrow, drip, sprinkler, basin, and micro-irrigation methods are commonly used in vegetable cultivation.
Why is drip irrigation preferred for vegetables?
Drip irrigation saves water, improves nutrient efficiency, reduces weeds, and increases vegetable yield.
What are manures used in olericulture?
Farmyard manure, compost, vermicompost, green manure, and poultry manure are commonly used.
What is integrated nutrient management in vegetables?
Integrated nutrient management combines organic manures, chemical fertilizers, and biofertilizers for balanced nutrition.
What are biofertilizers used in vegetables?
Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Rhizobium, PSB, and mycorrhiza enhance nutrient availability in vegetables.
What is pest management in olericulture?
Pest management involves controlling insects, mites, and nematodes damaging vegetable crops.
What is integrated pest management in vegetables?
IPM uses cultural, biological, mechanical, and chemical methods to control pests sustainably.
Which common pests affect vegetable crops?
Aphids, whiteflies, fruit borers, cutworms, thrips, and leaf miners commonly damage vegetables.
What are major diseases of vegetables?
Vegetables suffer from fungal, bacterial, viral, and nematode diseases reducing yield and quality.
Which fungal diseases affect vegetables?
Damping-off, powdery mildew, downy mildew, blight, and wilt are common fungal diseases.
What are viral diseases in vegetables?
Viral diseases cause mosaic, leaf curl, stunting, and yield reduction in vegetable crops.
How are weeds controlled in vegetable fields?
Weeds are controlled by hand weeding, hoeing, mulching, herbicides, and cultural practices.
What is harvesting in olericulture?
Harvesting is picking vegetables at proper maturity stage to ensure quality, yield, and market value.
Why is correct harvesting stage important?
Harvesting at correct stage improves taste, shelf life, nutrient content, and consumer acceptance.
What is maturity index in vegetables?
Maturity index indicates the stage when vegetables are ready for harvesting based on size, color, or age.
What is post-harvest handling of vegetables?
Post-harvest handling includes cleaning, grading, packaging, storage, and transportation of vegetables.
Why is post-harvest management important?
Proper post-harvest management reduces losses, maintains quality, and increases farmer income.
What are post-harvest losses in vegetables?
Post-harvest losses occur due to improper handling, storage, pests, diseases, and transportation damage.
What is grading of vegetables?
Grading is sorting vegetables based on size, quality, color, and market standards.
What is packaging of vegetables?
Packaging protects vegetables from physical damage, moisture loss, and contamination during transport.
Which materials are used for vegetable packaging?
Baskets, crates, cartons, plastic bags, net bags, and biodegradable materials are used.
What is cold storage in vegetables?
Cold storage preserves vegetables at low temperatures to slow respiration and spoilage.
Which vegetables are suitable for cold storage?
Potato, onion, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, and peas are suitable for cold storage.
What is shelf life of vegetables?
Shelf life is the duration vegetables remain fresh and marketable under proper storage conditions.
What is seed rate in vegetables?
Seed rate refers to the quantity of seed required per unit area for optimum plant population.
Why is seed quality important in olericulture?
Good seed quality ensures better germination, uniform growth, higher yield, and disease resistance.
What are hybrid vegetables?
Hybrid vegetables are produced by crossing two genetically distinct parent lines for higher yield.
Why are hybrid vegetables popular?
Hybrids give higher productivity, uniform size, better quality, and improved disease resistance.
What is open-pollinated vegetable variety?
Open-pollinated varieties reproduce true to type when seeds are saved and replanted.
What is organic vegetable farming?
Organic vegetable farming avoids synthetic chemicals and relies on natural inputs and ecological balance.
Why is organic vegetable farming important?
It improves soil health, environmental safety, and provides chemical-free vegetables to consumers.
What is protected cultivation in olericulture?
Protected cultivation grows vegetables under greenhouses, polyhouses, or net houses.
Why is protected cultivation used for vegetables?
It enables off-season production, higher yield, better quality, and reduced pest incidence.
Which vegetables are grown under protected cultivation?
Tomato, cucumber, capsicum, lettuce, and leafy greens are commonly grown under protection.
What is kitchen gardening?
Kitchen gardening involves growing vegetables around homes for family consumption and nutrition.
Why is kitchen gardening beneficial?
It provides fresh vegetables, saves money, improves nutrition, and promotes self-sufficiency.
What is urban vegetable gardening?
Urban gardening involves growing vegetables in terraces, balconies, rooftops, and small spaces.
What is hydroponic vegetable cultivation?
Hydroponics grows vegetables without soil using nutrient solutions for plant growth.
Why is hydroponics gaining popularity?
Hydroponics saves water, space, produces faster growth, and suits urban environments.
Which vegetables are suitable for hydroponics?
Lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumber, herbs, and leafy greens grow well in hydroponic systems.
What is vertical vegetable farming?
Vertical farming grows vegetables in stacked layers to maximize space efficiency.
What is nutritional importance of vegetables?
Vegetables supply vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and protect against chronic diseases.
Which vegetables are rich in vitamin A?
Carrot, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potato, and leafy greens are rich vitamin A sources.
Which vegetables are rich in vitamin C?
Capsicum, tomato, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower contain high vitamin C.
Which vegetables are rich in iron?
Spinach, beetroot, fenugreek, amaranthus, and legumes are good iron sources.
What is economic importance of olericulture?
Olericulture provides high returns, employment, export opportunities, and value addition.
What is the role of vegetables in food security?
Vegetables enhance dietary diversity, nutrition security, and availability of affordable food.
What is value addition in vegetables?
Value addition includes processing vegetables into pickles, sauces, dehydrated, frozen products.
Why is vegetable processing important?
Processing reduces post-harvest losses, increases shelf life, and improves market opportunities.
What are common processed vegetable products?
Pickles, ketchup, sauces, frozen vegetables, dehydrated powders, and canned products.
What is seed production in olericulture?
Seed production involves growing vegetables specifically for quality seed harvesting.
Why is vegetable seed production important?
Quality seed production ensures reliable supply, better yields, and crop uniformity.
What is pollination in vegetable crops?
Pollination transfers pollen from anther to stigma enabling fertilization and seed formation.
Which vegetables require insect pollination?
Cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, bottle gourd, and ridge gourd require insect pollination.
What is self-pollinated vegetable crop?
Self-pollinated crops fertilize within same flower, such as tomato, pea, and French bean.
What is cross-pollinated vegetable crop?
Cross-pollinated crops require pollen from different plants, such as cabbage and carrot.
What is biennial vegetable crop?
Biennial vegetables complete life cycle in two seasons, like carrot, beetroot, and cabbage.
What is annual vegetable crop?
Annual vegetables complete life cycle in one season, such as tomato, cucumber, and okra.
What is perennial vegetable crop?
Perennial vegetables live for several years, such as drumstick and asparagus.
What is seed dormancy in vegetables?
Seed dormancy is inability of viable seeds to germinate under favorable conditions.
What is hardening of seedlings?
Hardening prepares seedlings for field conditions by gradually reducing water and shade.
Why is hardening necessary in vegetables?
Hardening improves survival rate, stress tolerance, and establishment after transplanting.
What is thinning in vegetable crops?
Thinning removes excess seedlings to maintain proper spacing and healthy growth.
What is pinching in vegetables?
Pinching removes terminal buds to promote branching and better yield in some vegetables.
What is staking in vegetables?
Staking supports plants like tomato and cucumber to prevent lodging and fruit damage.
What is earthing up in vegetables?
Earthing up involves covering plant base with soil for support and tuber development.
Why is earthing up done in potato?
It promotes tuber formation, prevents greening, and protects tubers from sunlight exposure.
What is bolting in vegetables?
Bolting is premature flowering due to temperature stress, reducing vegetable quality.
Which vegetables are prone to bolting?
Spinach, lettuce, radish, beetroot, and cabbage are prone to bolting.
What is physiological disorder in vegetables?
Physiological disorders are non-pathogenic problems caused by nutrient imbalance or environment.
What is blossom end rot in tomato?
Blossom end rot occurs due to calcium deficiency causing black sunken spots on fruits.
What is cracking in vegetables?
Cracking occurs due to irregular watering causing fruit skin splitting.
What is sunscald in vegetables?
Sunscald is tissue damage caused by excessive sunlight exposure on fruits.
What is tip burn in leafy vegetables?
Tip burn is calcium deficiency causing browning of leaf edges.
What is frost injury in vegetables?
Frost injury damages vegetable tissues due to freezing temperatures.
How can frost damage be prevented?
Mulching, irrigation, covers, and protected cultivation reduce frost damage.
What is heat injury in vegetables?
Heat injury causes flower drop, sunburn, and reduced fruit set.
What is role of vegetables in balanced diet?
Vegetables provide essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants for healthy body functions.
What is export potential of vegetables?
Vegetables have high export demand due to nutritional value and year-round production.
Which vegetables are exported from India?
Onion, okra, bitter gourd, chilli, potato, and cabbage are major exports.
What is sustainable vegetable production?
Sustainable production balances productivity, environmental protection, and farmer profitability.
What is climate-smart olericulture?
Climate-smart olericulture adapts vegetable farming to climate change impacts.
Why is research important in olericulture?
Research improves varieties, productivity, disease resistance, and resource efficiency.
What is future scope of olericulture?
Olericulture has vast scope in nutrition security, agribusiness, urban farming, and export markets.
What is spacing requirement in vegetable crops?
Spacing requirement ensures proper growth, sunlight penetration, airflow, nutrient uptake, and higher vegetable yield.
Why is seed treatment important in olericulture?
Seed treatment protects seeds from diseases, improves germination, and enhances early seedling vigor.
What chemicals are used for seed treatment in vegetables?
Fungicides, bioagents, and microbial inoculants are commonly used for vegetable seed treatment.
What is germination percentage in vegetables?
Germination percentage indicates proportion of seeds producing healthy seedlings under favorable conditions.
What is viability of vegetable seeds?
Seed viability refers to the ability of seeds to germinate and produce normal seedlings.
What is transplant shock in vegetables?
Transplant shock occurs when seedlings face stress after transplanting, causing temporary growth reduction.
How can transplant shock be reduced?
Proper hardening, irrigation, shading, and careful handling reduce transplant shock in vegetables.
What is thinning operation in vegetables?
Thinning removes excess seedlings to maintain ideal plant population and healthy crop growth.
What is gap filling in vegetable cultivation?
Gap filling replaces missing plants to ensure uniform crop stand and maximum yield.
What is roguing in vegetable crops?
Roguing removes diseased, off-type plants to maintain crop purity and health.
What is weed competition in vegetables?
Weed competition reduces nutrient, water, light availability, lowering vegetable growth and yield.
Which weeds commonly affect vegetable fields?
Grasses, sedges, and broadleaf weeds commonly infest vegetable cultivation areas.
What is critical weed-free period in vegetables?
Critical weed-free period is early growth stage when weeds cause maximum yield loss.
What is herbicide use in vegetables?
Herbicides control weeds efficiently when applied at recommended dose and crop stage.
What is integrated weed management?
Integrated weed management combines cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical weed control methods.
What is foliar nutrition in vegetables?
Foliar nutrition supplies nutrients through leaves for quick deficiency correction.
Why is micronutrient important in olericulture?
Micronutrients regulate enzyme activity, growth processes, and quality of vegetable crops.
Which micronutrient deficiencies affect vegetables?
Deficiencies of zinc, iron, boron, calcium, and magnesium commonly affect vegetables.
What is fertigation in vegetable farming?
Fertigation applies fertilizers through irrigation water for efficient nutrient delivery.
Why is fertigation useful in vegetables?
Fertigation improves fertilizer efficiency, uniform distribution, and crop response.
What is pruning in vegetables?
Pruning removes unwanted shoots to improve airflow, fruit quality, and yield.
Which vegetables require pruning?
Tomato, cucumber, capsicum, and indeterminate vine crops require pruning.
What is training in vegetable crops?
Training guides plant growth along supports to improve light exposure and yield.
What is staking material used in vegetables?
Bamboo sticks, wires, ropes, and trellises are used for vegetable staking.
What is flower drop in vegetables?
Flower drop occurs due to temperature stress, nutrient imbalance, or moisture deficiency.
What is fruit set in vegetables?
Fruit set is successful development of fruit after pollination and fertilization.
What is parthenocarpy in vegetables?
Parthenocarpy is fruit development without fertilization, producing seedless vegetables.
Which vegetables show parthenocarpy?
Cucumber, tomato, brinjal, and capsicum may show parthenocarpic fruit development.
What is physiological maturity in vegetables?
Physiological maturity is stage when vegetables reach full development but not necessarily edible stage.
What is edible maturity in vegetables?
Edible maturity is stage when vegetables are best for consumption and marketing.
What is harvesting index in vegetables?
Harvesting index helps decide correct harvest time based on crop characteristics.
What is manual harvesting in vegetables?
Manual harvesting uses human labor for careful picking of delicate vegetable crops.
What is mechanical harvesting in vegetables?
Mechanical harvesting uses machines for large-scale vegetable production.
What is curing of vegetables?
Curing heals wounds and toughens skin to improve storage life.
Which vegetables require curing?
Onion, garlic, potato, and sweet potato require curing.
What is washing of vegetables after harvest?
Washing removes soil, chemicals, and microbes from harvested vegetables.
What is grading standard in vegetables?
Grading standards classify vegetables based on size, shape, color, and quality.
What is sorting in vegetable marketing?
Sorting separates damaged or inferior vegetables from marketable produce.
What is pre-cooling in vegetables?
Pre-cooling removes field heat immediately after harvest to slow deterioration.
What is refrigeration storage of vegetables?
Refrigeration storage preserves vegetables at low temperatures to extend shelf life.
What is controlled atmosphere storage?
Controlled atmosphere storage regulates oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to slow respiration.
What is respiration rate in vegetables?
Respiration rate measures metabolic activity influencing vegetable shelf life.
What vegetables have high respiration rate?
Leafy vegetables have high respiration rate and shorter shelf life.
What is ethylene effect on vegetables?
Ethylene accelerates ripening, senescence, and spoilage of vegetables.
Which vegetables are ethylene sensitive?
Leafy greens, broccoli, cucumber, and carrot are ethylene sensitive.
What is chilling injury in vegetables?
Chilling injury occurs when vegetables are stored below critical temperature.
Which vegetables suffer chilling injury?
Tomato, cucumber, brinjal, okra, and chilli suffer chilling injury.
What is freezing injury in vegetables?
Freezing injury damages cell structure due to ice crystal formation.
What is dehydration loss in vegetables?
Dehydration loss occurs due to moisture loss during storage and transport.
What is shrinkage loss in vegetables?
Shrinkage loss reduces weight and market value due to moisture loss.
What is marketable yield in vegetables?
Marketable yield includes vegetables meeting quality standards for sale.
What is unmarketable yield in vegetables?
Unmarketable yield includes damaged, diseased, undersized vegetables.
What is cost of cultivation in vegetables?
Cost of cultivation includes inputs, labor, irrigation, fertilizers, and plant protection.
Why are vegetables considered high-value crops?
Vegetables provide higher income per unit area compared to cereal crops.
What is vegetable entrepreneurship?
Vegetable entrepreneurship involves commercial production, processing, and marketing.
What is contract farming in vegetables?
Contract farming ensures assured market and price through agreements with buyers.
What is export quality vegetable produce?
Export quality vegetables meet international standards of size, safety, and appearance.
What is Good Agricultural Practices in vegetables?
GAP ensures safe, sustainable, and quality vegetable production.
Why is traceability important in vegetables?
Traceability tracks produce from farm to consumer ensuring food safety.
What is food safety in vegetable production?
Food safety prevents contamination from chemicals, pathogens, and harmful residues.
What is residue-free vegetable production?
Residue-free production minimizes pesticide residues through safe practices.
What is climate resilience in olericulture?
Climate resilience helps vegetable crops withstand extreme weather conditions.
What is drought tolerance in vegetables?
Drought tolerance enables vegetables to survive limited water availability.
What is future demand for vegetables?
Future demand increases due to population growth and nutrition awareness.