Evaluation of Vegetable Productivity under Rainfed Conditions of Tribal Habitations

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Seed Science and Technology, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, TNAU, Vriddhachalam, INDIA 2 Special Officer (Seeds), Seed Centre, TNAU, Coimbatore 641 003, INDIA __________________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: The main goal of the study is rehabilitation and improving the productivity of land owned by tribals and other forest dependents of Hosur forest division into a productive agro system by improving the economic profitability of the people. In these areas, crop production is ventured, which is subjected to high degree of uncertainty in terms of productivity. It is imperative to evolve a suitable strategy for augmenting the productivity of such soils. Vegetable crops provide an important source of income for all the small and marginal farmers of our country. Besides, these crops form an important source of minerals, vitamins and fibre in the largely vegetarian diet of our people. At present the vegetable crops occupy an area of 6.47 million hectares constituting little over 3.5 per cent of total cropped area of the country with a total production of 80 million tonnes (Anon, 2002). Although India is the second largest producer of vegetables and other crops, the productivity is very low and there is a greater need to enhance per hectare productivity gradually to boost the production. Studies were carried out at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore and Kottayam village of Denganikottai range of Hosur Forest Division, Krishnagiri to elucidate information on seed quality enhancement techniques for successful establishment and improving the productivity of bhendi cv. Arka Anamica, tomato cv. PKM 1, chilli cv. K2 and cluster bean cv. Pusa Navbhar under rainfed condition of tribal habitations. In all the vegetables studied, seeds hardened with KH2PO4 @ 0.5 % recorded positive results in respect of field emergence, plant height, early flowering, and maximum fruit weight and fruit yield under field condition. Same results were obtained from laboratory and pot culture studies.