Production Technology of Underutilized Vegetables of Solanaceae Family

Abstract

The Solanaceae family is a tropical family having about 75 genera and 2000 species. The important genus includes Solanum and Capsicum. Potato, tomatoes, brinjal, chilli, and capsicum are some of the solanaceous vegetables well known and extensively cultivated all over the world, the reason being having a standardized production technology. There are some highly nutritious and important underutilized solanaceous vegetables, for instance, tree tomato/tamarilo, husk tomato/tomatillo, Thai brinjal, and bird’s eye chilli, which are lesser known and not cultivated on a commercial scale. In addition to their varied uses and high nutritive values, these underutilized solanaceous vegetables are hardier comparatively and can be grown even under adverse soil and climatic conditions. Therefore, there is an immense scope and need to exploit such vegetables to untapped their potentiality. The information on standardized production technology of such vegetables is still meager; however, this chapter will be useful in understanding their origin and distribution, uses and importance, cultivation practices, and plant management.