Opportunities and constraints for improved vegetable production technology in tropical Asia

A description of the characteristics of vegetable production in tropical Asia is presented. The description is followed by a discussion of the opportunities and constraints of improved non-seed vegetable production technologies. Sowing of seeds and seedling emergence, transplant production, irrigation, mulching, fertiliser use, crop protection and weed control methods, protected cultivation and harvest date planning are discussed in relation to their use and impact. Conditions for successful introduction of new technologies and the role of outside actors are discussed. It is argued that in order to increase the success of adoption of improved technologies, farmers and public and private institutions should work together. With increasing prosperity, the demand for vegetables, especially in the expanding urban areas, will increase, leading to the intensification of production and higher profitability. With better profitability, the application of mulch, drip irrigation, fertigation and protected cultivation will become more common. With increasing production, harvest date planning as related to year-round city market demand, will become essential to improve profitability. It is recommended that, next to the development and introduction of improved production technologies, research and extension on vegetables in tropical Asia, should also focus on methods to improve harvest date planning and year-round suppl