The Vegetable Research Project of Department of Botany, Punjab University is in progress for the cultivation of conventional and non-conventional crops. Research is being carried on the cultivation of various vegetables including tomato, cucumber, radish, onion, pepper, cabbage, cauliflower, gourd, lady finger, turnip peas at experimental and commercial level.
According to the research, sufficient quality of conventional and non-conventional vegetable crop is possible from one field during the year. Botany Department Chairman Dr Khan Rass Masood has said that PU research projects were helpful for students training, research and better employment opportunities. He said that the farmers and other people associated with agriculture could get maximum growth and income by adapting latest agriculture techniques.
He also said that vegetables being cultivated at PU farms are tasteful, healthy, disease free and available to PU colony and public at cheaper rates. He said that according to an estimate by the nutritionists, a human body needs 300-350 gms vegetables daily whereas in Pakistan in average a man uses even less then 120 gms of vegetables daily. This difference in consumption is because of low productivity and high cost of vegetables.
He said that only vegetables can contain maximum carbohydrates, proteins and minerals as compared to other edible items and this is the reason that they are known as protective food. Death rate in European and some Asian countries including China and Japan is very low as compared to Pakistan because of maximum use of vegetable.