VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGIES
Course code: HOR 311
Rowland Kamanga, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Horticulture
LUANAR, Bunda Campus
TOPIC ONE 1
VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGIES: AN INTRODUCTION
Familiarization with terms in Horticulture
• Agriculture: The art and science of producing crops and livestock
and management of land and soil
• Agronomy: Application of science and technology from fields of
biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, soil science, water
science, pest management and genetics to improvement of field
crops.
• Horticulture: Art and science of cultivating garden crops to
produce food and medicinal ingredients, or for cash, comfort,
environmental improvement and ornamental purposes.
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Familiarization with terms cont.
• Garden: Intensively cultivated small piece of land
• Orchard: Large fruit garden
• Farm: Large garden
• Grove: a large farm of citrus
• Vineyard: A large farm of grapes
• Plantation: A farm engaged in growing perennial crops in a mono-
cropping system at a large scale.
• Estate: Property comprised of large piece of land utilized for large
scale production of annual or perennial crops and has several large
buildings
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Branches of horticulture
Pomology : The art and science of producing and using fruits
Olericulture: The art and science of producing and using vegetables
Floriculture: The art and science of producing and using foliage or flowering
ornamental plants
Virticulture; The art and science of growing grapes
Landscaping: The design and alteration of a portion of land by use of plant
material and land reconstruction.
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Branches of horticulture cont…
Aboriculture: The study of the culture of trees used for shade and
ornamental purposes.
Industrial crop production: annual or perennial crops which are
intensively cultivated and their products commonly require initial
processing and have an export market potential e.g. Tea, sugarcane,
coffee
Tuberous crops production: production of crop plants with a swollen
underground stem or root due to storage of food materials
Spice crop production: production of vegetable substances added in
small quantities to food in order to modify or enhance the flavor of
the food (Chillies, paprika, ginger, garlic) 6
Definition of vegetable
• Vegetables are herbaceous annual plants grown for fresh
consumption and are mostly used as supplements to starchy foods
or meats
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Characteristics of Vegetable Crops
• The crops are intensively cultivated
• The crops demand large input of capital labour and technology per
unit area of land
• The produce has high water content at harvest
• The produce is highly perishable
• The produce is usually utilized fresh
• The produce has high cash value
• The produce has high food value
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COMMONLY GROWN VEGETABLES IN MALAWI
Tomato Sweet Corn
Cabbage Green Maize
Onion Snap Beans
Potato Peas
Sweet Potato Sweet Pepper
Cassava Asparagus
Carrot Pumpkins
Lettuce Cucumber
Okra Mushroom
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COMMONLY GROWN VEGETABLES IN MALAWI
Egg Plant Amaranthus Garlic
Cauliflower Chidede Shallot
Broccoli Leaf Okra Chillies
BRUSSELS Mustard Ginger
Sprouts
Rape Chisoso Turmeric
Kanganje Celery Coriander
Water Melons Kale
Spinach Leeks
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Importance of vegetable crops
• Good for food security (Cassava, Potato, Sweet potato,)
• Good for nutrition security (vitamins and minerals)Sweetpotato, Potato,
Carrot, lettuce,
• Good source of income (Potato, Cassava, Carrot)
• Source of foreign exchange earnings: ( Exports of Potato crisps, Cassava
flower or starch, tomato, Carrot, snap beans)
• Supply of raw materials for the agro-processing industries for processing
into various products (Potato, Sweet potato, tomato)
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Importance of vegetable crops cont…
• Create employment opportunities: (Producers, transporters, processors,
retailers, wholesalers, input suppliers, extension and research workers.)
• Protect the environment (Sweet potato, water melons)
• Have high aesthetic value: Beautify the environment with leaves, fruit,
and flowers; Give pleasant smell from flowers and leaves
• Habitat for animals (mice, grasshoppers)
• Reduce environmental pollution by utilizing CO2 and releasing O2
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Vegetable production is
labor intensive…
Discussion point…
• Why do you think vegetable production
is labor intensive?
?
• What’s is the economic implication of
labor intensiveness?
• How would you reduce labor
intensiveness on your farm?
Scientific names
•Scientific names of commonly grown
vegetables in Malawi
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CRUCIFERAE (Mustard family)
Cabbage Brassica oleracea var capitata (leaf)
Cauliflower Brassica oleracea var botrytis (flower)
Broccoli Brassica oleracea var italica
Kale Brassica oleracea var virdis (leaf)
Mustard Leaf Brassica juncea (leaf)
Raddish Raphanus sativus (root)
Turnip Brassica rapa (root)
SOLANACEAE (nightshade family)
Tomatoes Lycopesicon esculentum (fruit)
Sweet pepper Caspicum frutescens (fruit)
Eggplant Solanum melongena(fruit)
Potato Solanum tuberosum (tuber) 18
LILIACEAE (Lily family)
Onion Allium cepa (bulb)
Leek Allium Porrum (bulb)
Garlic Allium sativum (bulb)
Shallot Allium ascolonicum (bulb)
Asparagus Asparagus officianalis (stem)
UMBELLIFERAE (parsley family)
Celery Apium graveolens (leaf)
Carrot Darcus carrota va salira (root)
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COMPOSITAE (Sun flower family)
Lettuce Lactuca sativa (leaf)
CHENOPODIACEAE (goose foot family)
Beet Beta vulgaris (root)
Spinach Spinacia oleracea (leaf)
MALVACEAE (mallow family)
Okra Hibiscus esculentus (fruit)
CUCURBITACEAE (mallow family)
Cucumber Cucumis sativus (fruit)
Pumpkin Cucurbita pepo (fruit)
Water melon Citrullus Lunatus (fruit)
Squash Cucurbita maxima (fruit)
Muskmelon Cucumis melo (fruit)
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LEGUMINOSAE (pulse family)
Bean Phaseolus vulgaris (seed)
Garden peas Pisum sativum (seed)
DIOSCOREALEAE (yam family)
Yams Dioscorea spp (tuber)
CONVOLVULACEAE (morning glory family)
Sweet potatoes Ipomoea batatas (root/tuber)
GRAMINEAE (grass family)
Sweet corn Zea mays (fruit)
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VEGETABLE CULTIVARS
•The following section provides a list of
recommended vegetable varieties in Malawi.
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CROP VARIETIES
Cabbage Sugar, Loaf, Drumhead, Hercules, Maracanta, Glory of
Enchuzen, Golden acre, Stonehead, Copenhagen,
market, Glory osena, Ventura.
Chinese Cabbage Wong bok, Pse-tsai, Chichili
Kale Collard, Marrow-stem, One thousand headed
Mustard (Mpiru) Local cultivars
Lettuce London white, Butter Crunch, New York, Grate lakes.
Cauliflower Early giant, Snow giant, Patna early, Italian giant.
Brussel Sprouts Covent Garden, Jade Cross
Tomato Money maker, Rodade, Homestead, Marglobe Roma VF
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Onion Red Creole, Texas early Grano, De wildt
Garlic Mexican and Italian varieties
Leeks Broad flat, Italian giant, Bulgarian giant,
Carrots Nantes, Early cape market, Chantenay
Potatoes Violet; Rosita; cardinal; pimpernel; vitorrin Roslin eburu,
Desiree
Sweet potatoes Kenya, Mugamba, Semusa, Babache, Kakoma. Zondeni;
kanchiputu;
Cassava Chitembwere, manyokola, Gomani, Maunjili, Nkondezi.
Mbundumali
Okra Emerald green, Crimson spineless, White velvet.
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Egg plant Black beauty, Florida high bush, pompanal pride
Sweet pepper Emerald giant, California wonder, Yolo wonder
French beans Contender, Harvester, tengergreen, Provider.
Peas Earlicrop, onward, Green feast caronby, Black eyed
susan.
Cucumber Stono, genuin, Improved telegraph, Burpee hybrid.
Pumpkin Large flat, Conecticut, Local.
Watermelon Crimson sweet, Sugar baby Charleston gray, Local.
Sweet corn Sprite, Sundance, Spring gold, Jubilee.
Muskmelon Hales best, Honey dew.
Asparagus Mary Washington, California 500, uc66.
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