Introduction to Crops of India, 2nd Ed.

Book excerpt: The book INTRODUCTION TO CROPS OF INDIA has been written with (Part-I) Field crops, (Part-II) Plantation crops and (Part-III) Water-crops, for the students of all agricultural universities of India. The post-graduate students of Botany subject of general universities of the country, will also be benefited with this new type of book. Even the post-graduate students of Indo-subcontinent (i.e. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) will also be benefited with this book. The book covers nearly 600 crops, in 13 chapters where 4 chapters with field crops under (i) cereals, (ii) pulses, (iii) oil-seeds, (iv) fibres, (v) tubers, (vi) sugars, (vii) vegetables, (viii) fodders, (ix) green manuring crops, (x) medicinal plants, (xi) spices, (xii) fruits, (xiii) flowers (including succulents and ornamentals), (xiv) beverage, (xv) narcotics and (xvi) weeds, in different seasons, were dealt with, along with plantation crops, having 8 chapters with (1) fruits, (2) medicinal plants, (3) tree-fodders, (4) beverages and narcotics (5) timbers and other furniture plants, (5) spices, (7) industrial crops and (8) plants for fuel and Water-crops with one chapter. The book has been written in a short format on the items like (i) Climatic requirements, (ii) Soil requirements, (iii) Required land situation, (iv) Importance of crops, (v) Fertilizer management (vi) Water management, (vii) Duration of the crop/plant, (viii) Parts used, (ix) Habitat, (x) Export possibility, (xi) Economic yields, (xii) Economic values, (xiii) By-products and (xiv) Use of by-products, along with scientific names, family, types of plants and parts used, of all the crop mentioned. Of course, Chapter 13 has been written with the earlier format, but, omitting, ‘water management’ and adding ‘peoples’ response for use.