New innovations boost vegetable crop yields: Experts

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Experts at the 44th annual meeting of the All India Coordination Scheme on Vegetable Crops, held at Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University, highlighted that high yields in vegetable crops are achievable through intensive research and innovative practices. About 300 scientists from across the country shared advancements in seed production, virus-resistant varieties, high-yielding hybrids, and climate-resilient crops.

Telangana Agriculture Secretary K. Surendra Mohan emphasized training over 800 farmers as vegetable cultivation volunteers to boost productivity and double farmer incomes. He underlined integrating best practices nationwide, improving marketing systems, and enhancing soil carbon through balanced fertilizers.

Dr. Sudhakar Pandey noted that horticulture contributes ₹7.6 lakh crore annually, with production rising rapidly and demand expected to grow further. Vice Chancellor Dr. D. Rajireddy called for expanding cultivation areas and training 400 farmer-producer company members. Dr. Rajesh Kumar highlighted that 640 vegetable varieties have been developed, focusing on high yields and resilience.

The meet emphasized modern technologies such as speed breeding, genomics, and genome editing to enhance vegetable productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.