Tropical and Sub-tropical Vegetables: Plant Introduction, Achievements and Opportunities in South Asia

Tropical and sub-tropical vegetables form a major part of the diet in South Asian countries and are also important as a valued source of nutrition. Enormous variability exists in these countries for one or more groups of such crops, but collection, introduction and exchange of stress resistant and high yielding germplasm is an ever-important consideration. Exchange of elite germplasm among South Asian countries under SAVERNET Phase has shown usefulness. India is the largest source of supply of indigenous as well as introduced/imported material for improving vegetable production in these countries. Till July 2006, 34,482 accessions of tropical and subtropical vegetables were introduced and 4,871 were exported from NBPGR, New Delhi (India) while 25,406 were maintained at its regional stations. Conservation status in seed gene banks in these countries as per SANPGR Report 2002 is 5,953 in Sri Lanka, 5,162 in Bangladesh and 1,216 in Nepal and low number in Bhutan and Maldives. Introductions have been utilized for improvement breeding in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In spite of newer and stricter guidelines imposed recently for movement of germplasm, the introductions are going to give a fillip in development of high yielding and/or stress (biotic and abiotic) resistant varieties. The article deals with the present status of introduction, conservation, utilization and classification of germplasm of important vegetables in South Asia and identifies trait-specific germplasm, the specific characters and sources for their introduction, particularly with reference to tropical and sub-tropical vegetables.