Performance of organic leafy vegetables production under Hyderabad conditions

Abstract

Organically grown foods taste better and contain a better balance of vitamins and minerals than conventionally grown foods. Leafy vegetables place a vital role in daily diet of humans with high nutritional values. Leafy vegetables are rich source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre .They contribute 80-100 g per day per person in daily diet which is 40% of the daily total vegetable consumption per day per person. As leafy vegetables are of short duration and remunerative, farmers use huge amount of nitrogenous fertilizers for quick and luxurious growth which leads to poor quality and also ends up in ground waters contamination. If these greens are cultivated totally with high dose of chemical fertilizers, growth and yields are high but quality of the greens will be reduced drastically. Growing of leafy vegetables under organic conditions not only improves the quality but also extends the shelf life. The increased use of organic inputs in the production of agricultural and horticultural crops is - helpful not only for human health but also for plant and soil health.