Not Available

Not AvailableThe underexploited vegetables play an important part of food and nutrition of local/ tribal population across the globe. Since time immemorial, they are traditionally been esteemed for their utilization in terms of medicinal, therapeutic and nutritional values along with providing economic stability. They are consumed either as raw or cooked and moreover, their consumption gives diversity to daily food intake, adding flavours to the diet. They are rich in various nutritive elements, which can compensate for the dietary deficiencies of vitamins and minerals necessary for human diet. Also, the neglected and under exploited crops contribute significantly to maintain diversity and hence more stable agro-ecosystems. This necessitates the importance of inclusion of under- exploited and neglected vegetables which feature promptly in the food and nutritional security, improved socio-economic conditions and health promoting benefits. The tribal communities across the globe continue to practice and maintain the cultivation of such neglected and under exploited crops. The wild, semi-cultivated or neglected vegetables and fruits are regarded worldwide as an important area of the nutritional and phytotherapic research. There are reports that indigenous vegetables (IVs) like Moringa, Sword bean, Dolichos spp., Luffa spp., Colocasia, Amorphophallus, Alocasia, Xanthosoma, Cucurbits, Yam, beans, leafy vegetables and numerous others are known to be good source of micronutrients and also high in antioxidants and anti-microbial phytochemicals. Furthermore, underexploited vegetables could prove to be source of low-cost quality nutrition for large mass of the population. Thus, these vegetables are not underutilized but undervalued due to limited information on their nutritional, anti-nutritional and nutraceuticals aspects etc. Therefore, studies providing scientific evidences would create new paradigms for their large scale preservation, collection, popularization and careful exploitation of these potential resources for mankind. In present compilation, indigenous refers to a crop species or variety genuinely native to a region, or to a crop introduced into a region where over a period of time it has evolved, although the species may not be native. Efforts on conservation, utilization of underexploited vegetables and their popularization will bring immense prosperity among the growers. Since, the under exploited vegetable crops have a long history of consumption, the local people are aware about their nutritional and medicinal properties.DARE, Indian Council of Agricultural Research Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of Indi