Use quality planting material for more nutritious fruits

摘要

Indian horticulture has accomplished great landmarks in the last two decades, accounting for 29.5% of the country's agriculture GDP from 8.5% area and 10% of the total agriculture export earnings. The importance of this area could be appreciated fromthe fact that though quality seeds and planting material alone the availability of which, has witnessed five-fold increase during the last two decades, four-fold increase in production could be realized in the horticulture sector. The projected demand for horticultural products by 2020-21 is targeted at 360 million tonnes from the 300 million tonnes expected in 2011-12. In order to transform these projections into realities, a system of 'Health Management of Seed and Planting Material' in horticulturalcrops in the country is critical. It is all the more relevant to fruit production systems since they provide options of sustainable livelihood strategies even under resource poor situations , commit production base on long-term basis and their nursery production arrangements having the potential to spread the pests and diseases to alien areas if due care and standards are not adopted could greatly offset the potential benefits.