Agrihortico strana 5 z 7

Asparagus is a cool-season vegetable that belongs to the family Liliaceae. Botanical name of asparagus is Asparagus officinalis. It is an herbaceous perennial plant. Tender shoots (spears) of asparagus plants are used as a leafy vegetable. Asparagus is believed to be originated in Europe, Africa and Asia. Young shoots of Asparagus are very rich in minerals like iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium, calcium, magnesium and zinc. It is also rich in vitamins and major vitamin present in asparagus are vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, and folic acid. Asparagus shoots are low in calories, low in sodium, rich in protein and a rich source of dietary fiber. Asparagus shoots are also rich in an amino acid called asparagine. Dried asparagus roots are used as a medicine because of its diuretic properties. Productive life of a well-managed commercial asparagus plantation is about 10 to 15 years.

Chicory or common chicory is a popular salad leafy vegetable. Two major types of common chicory are radicchio chicory and Belgian endive or Witloof chicory. Scientific name of common chicory is Cichorium intybus. Endive is a leafy salad vegetable belonging to the genus Cichorium. Scientific name of endive is Cichorium endivia and it belongs to the family Asteraceae, the Daisy family. There is a wild variety of endive called ‘wild endive’ which is Cichorium pumilum. Endive is mainly grown for its edible leaves which may be consumed in its raw or cooked form. Raw leaves are used in salads. It can be cooked by stir-frying, boiling, steaming and many other ways like cooking any other leafy vegetable.

Generally cultivated crops are grouped into any of the three categories based on their growing cycle. These categories are annuals, biennials and perennials. Annuals complete both their vegetative and reproductive life cycles within a season or a year. Biennials complete their vegetative growth phase during first growing season or first year and produce seeds during the second season or second year. That is, biennials complete their life cycles within two seasons or within two years. While perennials are those crops which may take one or more years to complete their vegetative phase before embarking on a continuum of reproductive cycles, yielding economically significant crop produce. That is, perennials grow for several years without compromising on their economic value. Similarly, perennial vegetables are those crops that produce edible portion that can be used as a vegetable continuously for several years.

Zucchini is a type of summer squash grown as a summer vegetable for its tender, edible spongy fruits. It is the most popular and widely grown summer squash vegetable. Scientific name of zucchini is Cucurbita pepo. It belongs to the gourd family of vegetables, i.e. Cucurbitaceae. Zucchini is also called as courgette.

Leafy vegetables or vegetable greens are considered to be richest source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Daily consumption of minimum 100 to 150 grams of leafy vegetables along with a main diet is recommended by many health experts for balanced nutrition of a human body. Apart from its health-providing properties many leafy vegetables are considered to have medicinal benefits also, especially those vegetable greens which are loaded with antioxidant vitamins and minerals. This eBook explains in detail the food significance and nutrition of about 48 leafy vegetables.

This is a small book, which mainly deals with SIX bulb vegetables namely onion, garlic, shallots, leek, chives, and scallions and spring onions. All bulb vegetables are known for their characteristic pungent flavor due to the presence of a group of sulfur compounds in them. Growing practices, food uses and nutritional information of these bulb vegetables are explained in detail in this book.

Custard apple is a tropical fruit plant. Scientific name of custard apple is Annona reticulata. It belongs to the family Annonaceae. Annona reticulata is also known as ‘the Bullock’s Heart’, bull’s heart, Jamaica apple, and netted custard apple.

Scientific name of Globe Artichoke is Cynara scolymus. It is a popular plant which is grown for its edible globular flower buds that is used as a vegetable. Globe artichokes are known by different names in different parts of the world. It is called “Sharifa” or "Shalifa" in Hindi.

Mushroom farming has become very popular worldwide owing to the fact that mushroom farming is relatively easy and requires less space and less investment. Economic returns on investment are also high in mushroom farming. Mushroom farming is an attractive low-cost entrepreneurial option because mushrooms can successfully be grown by using even primitive farming technologies. This low technology approach to mushroom farming may be one of the reasons behind its popularity as a small scale farm enterprise.

Botanical name of curry leaf plant is Murraya koenigii. It belongs to the family Rutaceace, the citrus family. Curry leaf plant is tropical to subtropical in growth habit. It is grown as a perennial plant which when grown in an open space, grows into a small tree of up to 5 meters in height; while growing in containers and greenhouses, it grows into a small bushy shrub of up to 2.5 meters in height.

Leek belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae and genus Allium. Scientific name of leek is Allium porrum. Leek is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region. Leek is a non-bulb forming member of the onion family and biennial in growth habit just like other members of onion family. The blanched stems and leaves of leek are used as a vegetable. It is used in salads, stews and soups. Two popular varieties of leek are London Flag and American Flag. Shallots are cool season, herbaceous, biennial plants grown for their tender greens and dried bulbs. Young, tender leaves of shallots are often marketed as ‘green onions’ and/or ‘scallions’. For leafy vegetable purposes, they are grown as annuals. Bulbs of shallots are also known as ‘small onions’ as their bulbs look like small-sized common onions. Scallions and Spring onions are leafy vegetables belonging to the bulb-forming, onion family (Amaryllidaceae). Prominent members of onion family include common onions, shallots, leek, and garlic. Synonyms of these leafy vegetables are salad onions, and green onions. These plants are cool season, herbaceous, biennial plants. For vegetable purposes, they are grown as annuals.

Modern advanced hydroponics grow systems combine one or more hydroponics systems into a highly efficient grow system unit to ensure higher yields and high quality of the produce. This fusion of different hydroponics technologies into a single advanced hydroponics grow system has made it possible to produce hydroponics crops on a commercial scale.

Kale leaves and Brussels sprouts are a group of nutrient-dense Cruciferous (brassica) vegetables. Some recent scientific researches conducted at the William Paterson University, New Jersey concluded that Cruciferous vegetables and dark leafy greens are the most nutrient-dense, plant-based foods available today. This small book explains in detail growing practices, health benefits, food preparations, and nutrient information of kale and brussels sprouts, along with that of celery, another nutrient-dense food.

Recent scientific studies reveal one important fact regarding our nutrition: Cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, berries, and of course, our humble sweet potatoes are the most nutritious foods on the planet Earth. Isn’t it surprising that sweet potatoes are also featured in the list as one of the nutrient-dense foods? A tuber vegetable that we all ignored so far...

A flower is the reproductive part of flowering plants. A flower is a special part of the plant. Flowers are also called the bloom or blossom of a plant. A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants. The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. This eBook includes pictures of all the important and common flowers

Jalapeno peppers are one of the most popular chile peppers in the world. They belong to the family of Solanaceae, the potato family and tropical in their growing habit. Jalapenos have their origin in Mexican regions and are mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions in the world. Fresh green jalapenos are used in a variety of continental food preparations. There is a steady demand for jalapeno green peppers in hotel and food industry. Chipotles, the smoked jalapenos have a strong demand in Mexican and Latin American food industry.