Varanasi: A 10-day training programme on Mainstreaming Promising and Future Vegetable Crops: Production Technology, Seed Systems and Market Linkages, organised by ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) here concluded on Wednesday.The programme aimed to create awareness and strengthen participants’ understanding of the nutritional, medicinal, economic and commercial importance of promising and future vegetable crops.Participants were introduced to the nutritional and therapeutic value of these crops, their genetic diversity and agricultural potential. The training also covered their suitability for small and marginal farming systems, production technologies, and the use of biotechnology and bioinformatics tools for their systematic study, characterisation, utilisation and conservation.Faculty members, scientists, subject matter specialists and participants from across the country attended the programme. They interacted with experts and gained practical knowledge on various aspects of opportunity and future vegetable crops.Principal Scientist Rakesh Kumar Dubey said ICAR-IIVR has developed more than 15 varieties of opportunity and future vegetable crops. He added that nearly 1,000 diverse germplasm accessions of different opportunity vegetable crops are being conserved and maintained at the institute.
