Achievements (Last 5 years)

I.                   Teaching

During last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22), the department has successfully guided 59 students to complete their Masters in Agriculture (Horticulure-Vegetable Science) and 15 students to complete their Ph.D. degrees. Out of these students, 39 have qualified ICAR NET and 7 ICAR-SRF/Ph.D entrance who are now pursuing their Ph.D in other universities including one at IARI, New Delhi.  In addition, 10 students got appointment as Assistant Professor in different SAUs/Private universities, 5 have got appointment in State Department of Agriculture/Horticulture, one in banking sector and 16 in private sectors.

II.                Research

      Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture is fully devoted to cater the needs of vegetables growers of the hilly farmers. Till date, 39 varieties of different vegetable and spice crops have been developed and released in the state for cultivation.

      Department of Vegetable Science is pioneer in the development of coloured varieties of broccoli (Palam Samridhi, Palam Vachira, Palam Kanchan and Palam Hritika), onion (Him Palam Sweta) and coloured radish (Palam Hriday and Him Palam Mooli 1).

      During the last five years, 15 varieties of different vegetable crops have been notified by CVRC, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, New Delhi i.e. Two garden pea varieties Palam Triloki and Palam Sumool in 2018, four varieties viz., Asparagus bean (Palam Long Bean), Okra (Palam Komal), Tomato (Him Palam Tomato Hybrid 1) and Elephant foot yam (Palam Zimikand 1) in 2019 and nine varieties namely, Garden pea (Him Palam Matar-1 and Him Palam Matar-2), snow pea (Him Palam Meethi Phali-2), chilli (Him Palam Mirch 1 and Him Palam Mirch 2), cucumber (Him Palam Kheera 1), cherry tomato (Him Palam Cherry Yellow), radish (Him Palam Mooli 1) and onion (Palam Shweta) during 2022.

      Garden pea variety Him Palam Matar-1 (DPP-SP-22) in 2021 and Radish variety Him Palam Mooli-1 (DPR-1) in 2022 have been identified for Zone-I of the country through AICRP (VC).

      Seven private companies signed Memorandum of Agreement for non-exclusive rights/license to produce seed of garden pea variety ‘Him Palam Matar-1’while two companies did the same for French bean variety Palam Mridula, tomato hybrid, Palam Tomato Hybrid 1 and onion variety Palam Lohit.

      Two garden pea varieties namely, Palam Triloki and Palam Sumool were registered by EVRC, PPV & FRA authority, Government of India during 2021 as extant varieties.

      Two garden pea genotypes ‘DPPMFWR-30 (INGR21059)’ and DPPMR-09-1’ (INGR21221) have been registered by Plant Germplasm Registration Committee (PGRC) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research as unique germplasm in 2021.

      Low chill requiring superior cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and Self-incompatible (SI) inbred lines have been developed in cabbage and are being exploited in commercial hybrid development.

      Genetic mechanisms viz.,  CMS lines in cauliflower and broccoli, GMS lines in chilli, Gynoecious lines in cucumber have been developed in different vegetable crops and are utilized in hybrid development programme (F₁s are at evaluation stage).

      Recognition at national level on research in protected cultivation.

·         NAHEP-CAAST project entitled Protected Agriculture and Natural Farming is sanctioned and is in operation since 2019.

·         The scientific agro-techniques for the production of potential vegetables as well as exotic vegetables have been evolved.

·         The work has been initiated in the development of varieties/hybrids suitable for cultivation under protected conditions.

·         First SAU to have Robotic grafting machine to use resistant root stocks on commercial otherwise susceptible varieties in Cucumber, Capsicum and Tomato specifically for root knot nematode and bacterial wilt under protected environment