Vol. 11, Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
SS Deekshith, GJ Janavi, J Rajangam and C Muthiah

Abstract:
A study was conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Periyakulam, Tamil Nadu in the year 2021-2022 to evaluate performance of leafy vegetables and fruiting vegetable brinjal in vertical farming system. The aim of the study is to produce green leafy vegetables and fruiting vegetable like brinjal in a single vertical farming structure for urban dwellers. Cultivable land is shrinking day by day in urban areas and the population in urban regions is increasing rapidly, according to United Nations estimate the total world population will be doubled by the year 2050 accounting for 80% of the total population in urban areas. With increasing population and decreasing cultivable land in urban areas, production of fresh vegetables will be a serious issue. Vertical farming is a soilless technology of growing plants that serves as an alternative for cultivating fresh vegetables in a limited land area. Green leafy vegetables like Palak, amaranthus, mint and fruiting vegetable like brinjal play important role in the Indian diet. The leafy vegetables grown in vertical structure showed superior vegetative growth in turn yielded high. Among the 3 leafy vegetables grown in vertical structure Palak shown the highest yield/pot (653.50 g/pot) followed by mint (329 g/pot) and amaranthus (269.33 g/pot) and the fruiting vegetable brinjal had an average yield of 535.10 g/plant. The results clearly showed that leafy vegetables performed better rapid regrowth of new shoots w after each harvest especially in Palak and mint, which resulted in the highest leaf biomass.