Department of Vegetable Science

Genesis

v  Established as a statutory Department of Kerala Agricultural University in 1972.

v  Started M.Sc. (Hort.) programme in 1976.

v  Started Ph.D programme in 1979.

v  Shifted to an independent full-fledged building on 01.06.2000.

 

Vision/ Objective

v  To develop the technology for scientific vegetable cultivation in Kerala and to educate students, farmers and stake holders.

Mandate

v  Generation of professional human resources, skills and technology in vegetable science through higher education, research and extension.

Facilities

Physical Resources

1.      Three Research cum Seed Production Field Blocks, Having a total land area of 8.03 ha

2.      Main department building with a built-up area of 12000 sq.ft. having class rooms, UG laboratory, PG laboratory, research laboratory, seed tech laboratory, conference hall, computer room, staff rooms, office room, farm office, museum and store rooms.

3.      Roof-top Hi-tech Lab

4.      Roof-top Auditorium

5.      Hi-tech seed testing lab of 1800 sq.ft. Built-up area

6.      Field laboratory of 12000 sq.ft. Built-up area

7.      Seed processing hall of 1000 sq.ft. Built-up area

8.      Dehumidified walk-in cold room

9.      Protected cultivation structures: 16 Nos.

 

Faculty strength:

Sl.No.	Name	Designation
1	Dr. T. Pradeepkumar	Professor and Head
2	Dr. M. Sangeeta Kutty	Assistant Professor
3	Dr. Prasanth K	Assistant Professor
AICRP on Vegetable Crops
4	Dr. P Anitha	Professor, AICVIP
5	Dr. Rashmi.C.R	Assistant Professor, AICVIP
6	Dr. Flemine Xavier	Assistant Professor, AICVIP

 

 

Technical and supporting staff

Sl.No.	Name	Designation
1	Dr. Anu Kurain	Farm Manager (Grade I)
2	Mrs.Greeshma C.J	Assistant (Senior Grade)
3	Mrs.Neshida V K	Computer Assistant (Grade I)
4	Mr.Shibu T R	Office Attendant Grade I

 

Awards

Achievements / Major Accomplishments

Sl.No	Name of faculty/department	Awards / recognition- details
1	Dr. T. Pradeep Kumar Professor and Head Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara	1. Krishi Vigyan award for the best Agriculture scientist in Kerala (Govt. Of Kerala 2015) 2.Fellow of Indian Society of Vegetable Science (Indian Society of Vegetable Science, Varanasi 2016) 3. International fellow of NONI foundation 2018-19 4. Fellow of Indian Academy of Horticultural Science (2019). 5. Fellow of the Indian Society of Spices

         Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Award 1

         Dr. MH Marigowda National Award 1

         ISVS Silver Jubilee Medal 1

         NAAS Recognition Award 1

         Indo-American Hybrid Seeds Gold Medal 1

         Krishi Vigyan Award 1

         Young Scientist Award 2

         Harbhajan Singh Award 3

         Fellow Indian Society of Vegetable Science-3

         Best Paper / Poster Award 16

         Fellow of Indian Academy of Horticultural Science-1

         Fellow of International Society of Noni Science-4

         Fellow of the Indian Society of Spices-1

 

Research Achievements

 

—  Cucumber hybrid suitable for polyhouse cultivation (Parthenocarpic type) was developed and notified by Central Seed Sub committee for Horticultural Crops. First hybrid from public sector notified in India.

—  Cucumber gynoecious F1 hybrids suitable for open and rain shelter cultivation were developed and released (Heera and Shubhra)

—  Two seedless watermelon triploid hybrids were developed and released (Shonima, red flesh and Swarna, yellow flesh)

—  Ridge gourd hybrid , KRH-1 was developed exploiting CGMS type of male sterility and recommended by state variety release committee

       Bitter gourd gynoecious F1 hybrids suitable for open cultivation were developed (KBH 1 and KBH 2)

—  Five high yielding fleshy podded cowpea accessions were identified

—  36 segregates resistant to both bacterial wilt & tolerant to tomato leaf curl virus were developed.

—  Organic cultivation practices were standardized for okra, vegetable cowpea, oriental pickling melon & bitter gourd

—  Amaranthus tricolor accessions, resistant to Rhizoctonia solani was identified.

—  Photo insensitive purple winged bean lines has been selected

—  Nantes and Pusa Rudhira has been found to be most ideal carrot varieties for the plains of Kerala during Nov- Dec

—  Varieties/Hybrids have been located for rain shelter cultivation in crops like cabbage, brinjal, cherry tomato and tomato

—  Varieties were identified for the successful cultivation of cool season vegetables like beetroot, french bean, knolkhol & sprouting broccoli in the plains under Velanikkara conditions

—  Biological & chemical management measures have been developed against many pests and diseases of vegetables

—  The cow pea variety Geethika has been identified as most suitable for polyhouse cultivation

 

Teaching

—  Offers one course for B.Sc (Hons.) Agriculture, eight courses for M.Sc Horticulture /M.Sc Agriculture and six courses for Ph.D

—  M.Sc students passed out: 122

—  Ph.D students passed out: 24

—  Students who received national awards- 6

—  Students on rolls: M.Sc -8 and Ph.D -8

 

 

Seed production

—  Well organized vegetable seed and pro-tray seedling production network comprising of ICAR and State Plan schemes

       Robotic grafting facility has been installed in the department

—  Massive infrastructure development for seed production and processing under ICAR Mega Seed Project

—  Till date 32.5 tons of vegetable seeds worth Rs. 2.5 crores produced and supplied to farmers

—  Average annual revenue from the sale of breeder/foundation/truthfully labelled seeds and pro-tray seedlings of vegetables Rs. 22 lakhs

 

ACADEMICS

List of Courses offered

Under graduate level

Catalogue No.	Course title	Credit
Hort 2204	Production technology of vegetable crops	2+1
Elcp 4208	Seed and seedling production of vegetables	0+10

 

Post graduate level

Sl.No.	Catalogue No.	Course title	Credit
1	VSC 501	Production of Cool Season Vegetable Crops	2+1
2	VSC 502	Production of Warm Season Vegetable Crops	2+1
3	VSC 503	Growth and Development of Vegetable Crops	2+1
4	VSC 504	Principles of Vegetable Breeding	2+1
5	VSC 508	Seed Production of Vegetable Crops	2+1
6	VSC 509	Production of Underutilized Vegetable Crops	2+1
7	VSC 511	Organic Vegetable Production	1+1

 

Ph. D level

Sl. No.	Catalogue No.	Course title	Credit
1	VSC 601	Recent Trends in Vegetable Production	3+ 0
2	VSC 602	Advances in Breeding of Vegetable Crops	3+0
3	VSC 603	Abiotic Stress Management in Vegetable Crops	2+1
4	VSC 604	Seed Certification, Processing and Storage of Vegetable Crops	2+1

 

EXTENSION SERVICES:

—  Published 35 books/ technical bulletin, 575 research papers and around 500 popular articles

—  Conducted 10^th and 20^th workshop of All India Co-ordinated Research Project (Vegetable Crops) in 1988 and 2002

—  Conducted Summer Institute on Recent Advances in Tropical Vegetable Production 1991

—  Conducted Model National Training on Tropical Vegetable Production in 2009

       Conducted National webinar on challenges and opportunities of vegetable production in warm humid tropics in 2020

—  Regularly conducting training programs on Commercial Vegetable Production, Homestead Vegetable Production, Vegetable Seed Production, Protected Vegetable Cultivation and Precision Farming for the officers and field level workers of development department, master farmers and unemployed youth

—  Maintain Hi-tech Vegetable Production Unit, Model Nutritional Garden, Vegetable Specimen Plot and Vegetable Demonstration Plot for the benefit of visiting farmers, school/college student s scientist and general public

—  Participates in agriculture seminars, radio and TV programmes, Agroclinic and Agriculture Exhibitions

—  Technology of seedless watermelon handed over to I and B seeds Pvt. Ltd. , Bangalore.

       Technology of seedless watermelon handed over to Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam

 

RESEARCH

Projects:

Completed Projects

Sl.No	Project	Principal Investigator	Financial outlay (lakh)	Funding Agency
1	Network project on Breeding vegetable crops for yield and resistance to diseases	Dr. Pradeepkumar T	3.50	Planning Board
2	Conservation of Germplasm, Genetic Diversity Analysis and Rapid Clonal Propagation in Moringa- an Underexploited Vegetable Crop	Dr. SangeetaKutty M	1.51	Planning Board
3	Network project on development of AEU based PoP recommendation of major crops of Kerala	Dr. Pradeepkumar T	3.39	Planning Board
4	Strengthening Production of Quality Planting Materials, T.C Banana, Coconut, Vegetables and Bio inputs in KAU .	Dr. Pradeepkumar.T	4.00	State Planning Board
5	Installation of Robotic Grafting Machine for Production of Vegetable Grafts	Dr. Pradeepkumar T	4.99	SHM
6	Popularisation of seedless watermelon hybrids (Swarna & Shonima developed by KAU)	Dr. Pradeepkumar.T	8.00	SHM
7	Production of F1 Hybrid Seeds Developed by KAU	Dr. Prasanth K	8.00	SHM

 

Ongoing Projects

Sl.No	Project	Principal Investigator	Financial outlay(Lakh)	Funding Agency
1	Network project on Centre of Excellence in Vegetable crops	Dr. SangeetaKutty M	8.52	Planning Board
2	Application of High Tech Technology in Seed Sector .	Dr. Pradeepkumar.T	6.00	State Planning Board
3	Development of DNA fingerprinting profile varieties released by state variety release committee	Dr. Pradeepkumar T	3.24	Planning Board
4	Collection, Consevation, and Characterization of Underutilized Edible Vegetable Crops of Kerala	Dr. SangeetaKutty M	11.14	KSBB
5	Network project on Model hydroponic and aquaponic system	Dr. Prasanth K	5.31	Planning Board

 

Revolving Funds:

Sl. No.	Project	Principal Investigator	Annual turnover
1	ICAR Mega Project on Vegetable Seed Production	Dr.T.Pradeepkumar	Rs.10.88 lakhs