Textbook Of Vegetables, Tubercrops And Spices by Kisan Forum Pvt. Ltd.

Vegetables, Tubercrops and Spices

TechnicalEditors S THAMBURAJ NARENDRA SINGH

A HISPSHjr

ICAR

Published by Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

New Delhi

First Printed First Reprint Second Reprint Third Reprint Fourth Reprint

July 2001 September 2003 March 2005 August 2013 July 2014

Project Director (DKMA) : Dr Rameshwar Singh

Incharge (English Editorial Unit) : Dr Aruna T Kumar

Chief Production Officer Chief Technical Officer

Assistant

: Dr V K Bharti : Kul Bhushan Gupta

ISBN : 8 1-7164-001-X

Price : ? 300

Published by Dr Rameshwar Singh, Project Director, Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan-I, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012 and printed at M/s Chandu Press, D-97, Shakarpur, Delhi 110 092.

Gontfenfs

Foreword

Preface

Importance of vegetables Solanaceous vegetables • Tomato • Brinjal • Chillies and capsicum Cole crops • Cauliflower • Cabbage • Broccoli • Brussels sprout

1 10

• Knol khol Root crops • Radish

• Carrot • Beet root • Turnip Bulb crops

•

147

165

Onion

• Garlic Peas and Beans • Pea • French bean • Cowpea • Cluster bean • Indian bean • Lima bean • Broad bean • Winged bean Okra Cucurbitaceous vegetables • Muskmelon • Cucumber • Watermelon

196

222 238

CONTENTS

•

Bottle gourd • Bitter gourd • Summer squash • Snake gourd • Pumpkin • Pointed gourd • Ivy gourd • Ash gourd

• Chow chow

• Ridge and sponge gourd • Disease and pests of cucurbits Potato Sweet potato

Leafy and salad vegetables • Palak • Spinach

•

320 341 351

Lettuce

• Amaranth

•

Chinese cabbage

Herbal vegetables and spices • Fenugreek • Coriander

• •

364

Cumin Herbal spices

13. Perennial vegetables • Bread fruit • Drumstrick • Cassava • Yams

398

• Asparagus • Globe Artichoke • Rhubarb

•

Chow chow • Curry Leaf • Chekurmanis

• Ceylon Spinach or waterleaf • Basella • Minor Tubercrops Bibliography Subject index Names and addresses of contributors

452 455 468

.es A K CHAKRABARTI

Vegetables comprise of a large number of plants, mostly annual, of which different parts like leaf, stem, flower bud, flower, fruit, root etc. are eaten. They are rich in nutrients and are essential items of a balanced diet. Vegetables are called protective food as their consumption can prevent several diseases. Many vegetables are important items of commerce and thus can play a major role in the economic development. VEGETABLES AS A SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS eat food for sustenance of our body. The food we eat contains nourishing substances called nutrients. There are five major nutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. The first three are required in larger quantities and all of them supply energy to keep the body going. Vitamins and minerals are required in small amounts. They do not supply energy but are required for physiological processes and metabolic activities of our body. Vegetables and fruits are the only natural sources of protective food supplying all the nutrients especially minerals, vitamins and crude fibre. Vegetables are rich in and are comparatively cheaper source of vitamins and minerals. They are not, in general, considered to be the primary source of carbohydrate, protein and fat. However, some of them with underground storage roots and tubers are rich in carbohydrate, particularly starch, in quantities comparable with cereal crops. Vegetables which are rich source of carbohydrate are potato, sweet potato, colocasia, yam, tapioca or cassava, elephant-foot yam etc. The leguminous vegetables such as pea, cowpea and all beans like french bean, hyacinth or lablab bean, broad bean, cluster bean etc. are rich in protein and supply as high as 14% protein, the dry seeds supplying still more. Vegetables are not rich in fat content which is less than 0.1% in most of them. Most of the leafy vegetables and root crops are rich in minerals. Major mineral elements which are obtained from vegetables are calcium, iron and phosphorus. Some of the leafy vegetables are also rich in micro-elements such as copper, manganese and zinc. Vitamin A is produced in our body from carotene which is present in higher amounts in leafy vegetables, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, colocasia, turnip green, knol khol leaves etc. Vitamin B is present in appreciable amount in pea, beans, garlic, tomato, colocasia, asparagus etc. Vitamin C rich vegetables are cauliflower, cabbage, knol khol, turnip, tomato, pepper, drumstick leaves, fenugreek leaves, amaranth etc. Most leafy vegetables are rich in carotene

I tA i BUUK

OF VEGETABLES, TUBERCROPS AND SPICES

(provitamin A), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and minerals. It has been estimated that lOOg of tropical leafy vegetables can provide 60-140mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 100)ig of folic acid, 4â&#x20AC;&#x201D;7mg iron and 200-400mg of calcium. Consumption of 100g of leafy vegetables a day can supply 15% or more of the total protein intake. Only 30g of leaves will be sufficient to meet the requirements of vitamin A and C. The B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin and niacin) will be increased by 15-30%, and the entire requirement of folic acid will be met. Vegetables also play a key role in neutralizing the acids produced during digestion of proteins and fatty foods and also provide roughages in the form of dietary fibre which help in digestion and bowel movement. The nutrient composition of vegetables is given in Table 1.

Balanced diet Vegetables play an important role in the balanced diet by providing not only energy but also supplying vital protective nutrients like minerals and vitamins. Scientists in India have carried out several careful experiments to find out how much of each nutrient is needed by persons of various ages every day. The requirement varies with age and a man needs more calories (energy) and proteins than a woman. When a woman is pregnant or nursing a baby, her need for calories and proteins goes up. She also needs more calcium, iron and vitamins. Indian. Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given a recommendation that an average man needs daily a diet which can provide 2,800 calories, 55g protein, 450mg calcium, 20mg iron, 3000(tg P-carotene vitamin A, 50mg vitamin C, 100|Xg folic acid, l.Opg vitamin BĂżlAmg thiamine, 1.5mg riboflavin, 19mg niacin and 5|ig vitamin D. Lists have been drawn up showing the quantities of different food materials which men, women and children of various age groups should eat every day to get these nutrients. These are called balanced diets. It has been said earlier that vegetables play an important role in a balanced diet. According to the recommendation given by ICMR, an average man with vegetarian or non vegetarian food habit should consume 125g of green leafy vegetables, lOOg of roots and tubers and 75g other vegetables. The recommendation for an average woman is more or less same with exception in roots and tubers which should be consumed @ 75g per day.

Flavour compounds In addition to their role in nutrition, vegetables increase attractiveness and palatability of a diet by providing sensory appeal through their variety of colour and flavour. They contain some volatile flavour compounds in the intact tissues while some are produced by the action of enzymes when the tissue is cut or crushed. The flavour compounds in vegetables include (i) volatiles like aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, sulphur compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons etc. and (ii) non-volatiles like organic acids, sugar, fatty acids and amino acids. The characteristic flavour of 2

rop

Celery Chinese cabbage Cho cho Cluster bean Cowpea Cowpea leaves Cucumber Drumstick Drumstick leaves

Cassava Capsicum Cauliflower

Carrot

Basella Bitter gourd Bottle gourd Bottle gourd leaves Brinjal Broad bean Brussels sprout Cabbage

Amaranth

(

16 48 38 13 26

85.7 90.8 92.4

45 32 25 12 39 24 48 45 24 42 157 22 27 17 14 27

86.9 75.9

96.3

96.1 87.9 92.7 85.4 85.2 92.4 82.2 59.4 93.4 91.0 94.1 95.0 92.5 81.0 85.3 89.0

(g)

4.9 1.3 1.1 0.7 1.2 2.7 0.9 1.2 0.7 3.2 3.5 3.4 0.4 2.5 6.7

1.4 4.5

4.0 2.8 1.6 0.2 2.3

(g)

Moisture Protein

(kcal)

Energy

0.2 0.7 0.1 0.1 1.7

0.5 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 1.4

(g)

Fat

Macronutrients

4.1 2.5 3.7 12.5

10.8 8.1

5.7

8.3 5.4 -9.7 38.1 4.0 5.2 3.9 3.0

7.2

4.0

4.2 2.5 6.1

4.2

6.1

(g)

CHO

900 60 240 150 0 326 930 10019 0 181 11187

122 15 550 130 11000

9108 12276 208 0

A (iu)

0.04 0.08 0.10 0.05 0.06 0.05 0.06 0.11 0.03 0.05 0 0.09 0.07 0.05 0.03 0.50 0.06

0.03 0.07 0.03

0.16 0.05 0.05 0.10 0.06 0.10 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.09 0.08 0 0.70 0.05

0.11

0.16 0.09 0.01 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.8

0.5 0.2

0.5

7 120 220

25 128 78 9 25

12 12 102 47

88 0

50 36 49 37 50 9 25 39 43 140 130 72 290 10 30 440

20 20

200

Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Ascorbic Ca (mg) (mg) (mg) acid (mg) (mg) 0.03 0.30 1.2 397 99

Vitamins

fable I Nutrient composition of vegetable per 100 g edible portion

64 80 29 36 40 22 56 28 40 30 57 59 58 25 110 70

83 35 70 10

(mg)

Minerals Fe

0.3 0.6 0.6 4.5 2.5 20.1 1.5 53 7.0

1.1

0.9 1.4 1.5 0.4 0.7 0.9 0.7

25.5 10.0 1.8 0.7

(mg)

ÂŁ â&#x20AC;&#x153;O

H ca

< m

O -n

n m

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4ÿ

Potato

Pointed gourd

Pea

Okra Parsley

Onion Onion stalk

Muskmelon

Lettuce Lime bean

Hyacinth bean Indian squash Ivy gourd Kale Kakrol Knol khol Leek

Garlic

Elephant-foot yam Fenugreek leaves French bean Garden beet

Crop

35 16 84 20 97

30 48 21 18 53 52 29 77 14 123 17 50 41

(kcal)

Energy

78.7 86.1 90 1 87.7 62.0 86.1 93.5 93.5 82.7 84.1 90.3 78.9 95.1 67.5 95.2 86.6 87.6 89.6 90.0 78.0 92.0 74.7

(g)

2.2 6.3 2.0 1.6

0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.1

0.2

0.5

8.4

0.3 1.2 0.9 1.9

0.1 0.9 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.8 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.2

(g)

Fat

1.2 4.4 1.9 1.7 6.3 3.8 1.4 1.2 6.0 3.1 2.0 1.8 1.2

(g)

Moisture Protein

Macronutrients

8.8 29.8 6.7 3.4 3.1 9.0 7.7 6.6 17.2 2.5 22.1 3.5 11.1 8.9 6.4 1 .3 14.4 2.2 22.6

18.4 6.0 7.1

(g)

CHO

429 3861 600 0 Trace 308 21 257 10000 2673 20 30 900 290 279 Trace 993 86 5200 640 252 40

A (iu)

0.06 0.04 0.08 0.04 0.06 0.10 0.04 0.07 0.16 0.05 0.06 0.23 0.06 0.24 0.11 0.08 0.05 0.07 0.08 0.35 0.05 0.10 0.06 0.12 0.08 0.01 0.03 0.10 0.11 0.14 0.06 0.01

0.08 0.26 0.18 0.04

0.08

0.07 0.31 0.11 0.09 0.23 0.06

0.3 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.7 2.9 0.5 1.2

1.4

0.3

0.7 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.3 0.7 2.1 0.6 0.3

13 90 27 29 17

66 11 8 29 26 11 17

15 186

0 52 19 10 13

50 66 125 26 30 10

50 395 56 18 30 210 25 40 249 33 41 50 35 52 32 47

Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Ascorbic Ca (mg) acid (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg)

Vitamins

0.6 16.5 0.8 1.0 1.3 1.7 0.9 1.4 2.9 4.6 0.5 2.3 2.0 2.8 1.4 0.7 7.4 1.5 2.0 1.9 1.7 0.7 34

40 116 40 40

50 50 56

142

55 310 68 24 30 93 42 51

(mg)

Minerals

n m

> z a

n 73

m 73

> CO I— m

< m

O O

tup

Yam

Winged bean

Water spinach Wax gourd

Turnip green Watermelon

Taro leaf stalks Tomato Turnip root

Sweet potato Swiss chard Taro

Pumpkin Pumpkin leaves Radish Ridge gourd ' Snake gourd Spinach Spinach beet Sponge gourd Sprouting broccoli Summer squash

(

81.9 94.4 95.2 94.6 90.7 86.4 93.2 89.1 94.8 70.6 92.0 73.1 93.0 93.5 91.6 81.9 92.6 90.3 96.5 92.0 74.0

26 46 18 32 17 114 16 97 24 22 29 67 26 28 10 25 102

92.6

(g)

0.5 1.1 0.5 4.0 0.5 2.9 0.4 2.1 1.5

3.0

1.8

1.7

3.6 0.5

1.2

3.4

3.2

0.5

0.7 0.5

4.4

1.4

(g)

Moisture Protein

57 17 17

(kcal)

Energy 0.1 0.8 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.5 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.2

(g)

Fat

Mac loiuih ients

7.9 3.4 3.4 3.3 4.3 6.5 2.9 5.9 3.5 26.3 1.5 21.1 6.0 4.7 6.2 9.4 6.4 3.1 1.9 4.0 24.0

4.6

(g)

CHO

3300 40 594 900 0 15691 590 3267 0

8800

82 3173 5 54 158 8100 5862 396 2500

A (iu)

0.1

0.26 0.02 0.10 0.02 0.10 0.04 0.09 0.02 0.06 0.04 0.31 0.03 0.05 0.06

0.10

0.04

0.06

0.01

0.02 0.01 0.06 0.20 0.56 0.06 0.23 Trace 0.06 0.09 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.57 0.03 0.13 0.014

0.04

0.8

0.5 0.2 0.3 0.6 3.3 0.4 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.5 5.4 0.2 0.6 0.4

0.5

19 78 30 47 46 140 25 27 40 60 10 46 20

30 0 13 23 43 180 7 37

51 70 0 113 18 21

112 22 26

392 35 18 26 93 380 36 103 10 32 51 40 49 13 30 710 7 110

0.8

0.7 1.8 1.7 0.9 0.5 0.4 28.4 0.5 3.9 0.8

0.6

1.1 1.1

0.7 2.1 0.4 0.5 0.3 3.1 16.2

(mg)

Minerals

Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Ascorbic Ca (mg) acid (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg)

Vitamins

> CD

< m

-n

n m

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ÂŁ "D O

TEXTBOOK OF VEGETABLES, TUBERCROPS AND SPICES

cole crops is due to volatile sulphur compound dimethyl trisulphide. Similarly the pungency and flavour of onion are due to a volatile sulphur compound allyl propyl disulphide. The garlic flavour is caused by sulphur compound diallyl disulphide.

Toxic substances Some vegetables contain harmful chemical compounds such as trypsin inhibitors, phytate and oxalate, which pose serious nutritional problems. Trypsin inhibitors are found in beans, particularly raw soybeans which inhibit proteolytic enzyme activity. Thus, hydrolysis of proteins to amino acids is affected. Phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphoric acid) present in mature seeds of peas and beans, can combine with calcium and iron from other foods in the diet and render them unavailable, thereby causing deficiency of these minerals in the body. Some leafy vegetables, namely amaranth, Portulaca, Celosia and Basella and root vegetables like colocasia contain appreciable amounts of oxalic acid and oxalates. Oxalic acid converts calcium from food consumed to insoluble calcium oxalate, rendering it unavailable for absorption. Calcium oxalate present as fine crystals in colocasia and elephant foot yam can cause itching of the fingers and pricking sensation of the tongue and throat. This problem can be overcome by adding a little tamarind or citric acid to the cooking water and then discarding the water. Tapioca leaves contain some glucosides which may liberate toxic hydrocynic acid by the action of enzyme in the stomach. It is highly volatile, and therefore any preparation involving heating renders leaves harmless. Some species of yam (Dioscorea sp.) contain a toxic alkaloid, dioscorine, which can be made harmless by boiling. Potato tubers, when exposed to light become green and produce an alkaloid, solanin which is bitter in taste and is harmful when consumed in large amounts. VEGETABLES IN DISEASE PREVENTION

Apart from providing nutrition, vegetables provide protection against many diseases. They are used in traditional system of medicine in several countries including India. For example, bitter gourd is used in India for treating diabetes; the ash gourd is useful for patients with weak nervous system. The use of vegetables in traditional system of medicine has been dealt with under individual vegetables in this book. With the advancement of science, researchers have identified several chemical compounds from vegetables which have therapeutic effect against several ailments. These compounds are known as phytoceuticals. Most potent among them are antioxidants and bioflavonoids.

Antioxidants These are substances which neutralize free radicals that are formed during metabolism of foods, or by smoking, or exposure to pollutants. Until neutralised, 6

IMPORTANCE OF VEGETABLES

free radicals damage various body cells thus causing many degenerative diseases associated with ageing, such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis etc. They can attack Wood vessels causing thickening of the arteries and can damage brain cells causing loss of memory, paralysis etc. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals neutralising thus defending the body from the damage caused by them. Our body produces some antioxidant enzymes which prevent free radical damage. Free radicals are also neutralised by vitamins (A, B5( B6 niacin, C, E), minerals like selenium and amino acids, some of which are present in adequately higher amounts in some vegetables. For example, most leafy vegetables, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin and turnip green are rich in betacarotene (pro vitamin A); beans and pea are rich in essential amino acids.

Bioflavonoids Bioflavonoids which are compounds closely associated with vitamin C are found HLIB several vegetables. They increase the efficiency of vitamin C and protect the from free radicals. One such bioflavonoid identified from onion and garlic quercetin, which has been indicated to give protection against cancer and heart infects es.

Other compounds B Onion and garlic contain several sulphur compounds such as allicin, allistalin, gpicm, diallyl disulphide,diallyl trisulphide and allyl propyl disulphide which are MMStctive in reducing harmful blood cholesterol, thus preventing coronary

Hÿounbosis, heart attack and stroke. They are also effective against some bacteria. crops contain indoles and dithiolthiones which are effective in prevention of cams of the colon, rectum and breast. A hypoglycaemic ingredient, cheratin, has isolated from the fruits of bitter gourd which is effective against diabetes. |Hf>i>£nyl amine found in onion is also effective against diabetes. Leguminous 1 *B||jefctbks reduce blood cholesterol concentration thus preventing heart attack Hani stroke. Celery contains 3-n-butyl pthalide which is effective against hypertension. Hbc chemicals that help lower cholesterol from the blood have been detected hrinjal. It is also rich in bioflavonoids which can prevent stomach cancer. species of yams contain a substance called diosgenin which is used in the Huiiiifacture of cortisone and contraceptive drugs. VEGETABLES IN THE ECONOMY

the world’s second largest producer of vegetables next only to China. HÿgrtaMIe crops in India occupy only 2.8% of the total cultivated land producing imiHion tonnes of vegetables annually including potato from an area of 5.8 anflina ha. India shares 12% of world production of vegetables with a productivity aniCta its

TEXTBOOK OF VEGETABLES, TUBERCROPS AND SPICES

Table 2 Production of vegetables* in leading states of India (1997-98) States

Area (million ha)

West Bengal Uttar Pradesh Orissa

Bihar Tamil Nadu Karnataka Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh

1.1 0.6 0.9 0.6 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3

Production

Productivity

(million tonnes)

(tonnes/ha)

16.4 12.7 10.1 9.4 5.7

14.9 19.8 11.4 15.2 27.1 15.9 13.2 14.2

4.9 4.5 3.5

‘Including potato Source: Indian Horticulture Database, National Horticulture Board (2000).

per ha which is quite low as compared to many countries. The present production is not sufficient to meet the requirement of 285g of vegetables, on an average, per capita per day. At present our per capita availability is around 145g per day. By the end of 2030, according to an estimate, we will need 151-193 million tonnes of vegetables to meet our requirement. Therefore, it is necessary that production of vegetables including root and tuber crops is increased at a much faster rate. Area, production and productivity of leading vegetable producing states of India are given in Table 2. Vegetable crops give higher yield per unit area as compared to other crops. Most of the vegetables, if properly grown, can give six to ten times more yield than any cereal crop. Presendy, yield per unit area of most of the vegetables in India is very low. There exists lot of scope for increasing yield in most of the vegetables by growing high yielding varieties/hybrids and adopting improved production technologies. This will ensure a balanced diet to the common man and a higher incomeÿ to the farmers. This will also generate additional farm employment. Cultivation of vegetable crops being more labour intensive than cereal crops will be helpful for seasonally under-employed farm workers in increasing their income. Most vegetable crops are of short-duration. With proper planning, three or more crops can be grown in the same plot in one year. of about 15

tonnes

Export Another important area is export of fresh or processed vegetables. Today, horticultural crops contribute about 25% of the total agricultural exports of the country. During 1997-98, India exported fresh vegetables worth Rs 306.33 crore and processed vegetables worth Rs 108.88 crore. It also exported fruit/vegetable seeds worth Rs 56.07 crore, thus earning valuable foreign exchange for the country. Of all the fresh vegetables exported, the share of onion is around 75%. Other 8

IMPORTANCE OF VEGETABLES

traditional vegetables which are presently exported are potato, gherkin or small cucumber, okra, bitter gourd, chilli, cauliflower and some root vegetables. In addition to these traditional vegetables, non-traditional vegetables which have been identified by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to have export potential are asparagus, celery, sweet pepper, sweet corn, baby corn, green pea, french bean and cherry tomato. Among processed vegetables, major demand is for dehydrated onion and garlic and preserved gherkin or small cucumber. Canned and frozen vegetables also have good demand. Countries which import traditional vegetables like onion, potato, okra, bitter gourd and chilli are Gulf countries, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Non-traditional vegetables are exported to European â&#x20AC;˘Homes, Australia, Gulf countries and South-East Asian countries. Cole crops ! and root vegetables are much in demand in temperate countries during winter. In facia, these vegetables are grown in the open during winter and thus the cost of pnduction is less as compared to those grown under protective cover. There is lot Hf opportunity for exporting these vegetables to the European and North American from India. Presently, our share in world export market is very negligible. Iff *e are to make our presence felt in the export market, considerable development ik najuired in infrastructure and export promotional areas.

Solanaceons vegetal!es Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) G KALLOO, M K BANERJEE, R N TEWARI and D C PACHAURI Area and production Tomato is one of the most popular vegetables grown all over the world. In India, tomato has wider coverage in comparison to other vegetables. The leading tomato growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Pun¬ jab and Bihar. The area and production of tomato in our country was about 3.55 lakh, hectare and 54.41 lakh tonnes respectively in 1997-98. In the last two decades with the development of high yielding varieties /hybrids, significant progress has been made in tomato production. Economic importance and use Tomato universally treated as ‘Protective Food’ is being extensively grown as annual plant all over the world. It is a very good source of income to small and marginal farmers and contributes to the nutrition of the consumers. Tomato is a rich source of minerals, vitamins and organic acid (healthy acids). There are vari¬ ous types of flavouring compounds found in the fruits, which enrich the taste. A survey made by M.A. Stens indicated that among the main fruits and vegetables, tomato ranks 16th as a source of both these vitamins. The total sugar content is 2.5% in ripe fruit and amount of ascorbic acid varies from 16-65mg/100g of fruit weight. The total amino acid is 100-350mg/100g of fruit weight. Tomatoes are used directly as raw vegetables in sandwiches, salad etc. Several processed items like paste, puree, syrup, juice, ketchup, drinks, whole peeled tomato, etc. are pre¬ pared on a large scale. Tomato is a very good appetizer and its soup is said to be a good remedy for patients suffering from constipation.

Export potential In addition to meeting the local demand, tomato has been identified as a poten¬ tial vegetable for export by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The specific requirements of tomato for ex¬ port in Middle East are round, medium size and red colour, while cherry tomato is preferred for export in European countries. The export quality of tomato

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