Classification of vegetable crops

 Vegetable crops consists of 1200 species from which 78 are

familiar.
 More than 860 species belong to 59 families of dicotyledoneae and
801 to the monocotyledoneae.
 90 species of vegetables are cultivated in the tropical and sub-
tropical parts of the world but hardly 15 species are of commercial
importance.
Different methods of classification of vegetables:
o Botanical classification.
o Classification based on hardiness.
o Classification based on parts used
o Classification based on essential methods of culture.
o Classification based on tolerance to soil reaction.
o Classification based on salt tolerance.
o Classification based on photo-period requirement.
o Classification based on rooting depth.
Why do we need to classify vegetable crops?
- To show the relationship between the individual
vegetable crop
- To avoid repetition while describing their cultural
operation.
 Botanical Classification:
Plants are divided into four sub-communities enlisted as under-
 Thallophyta: Thallophytes
 Bryophyta: mosses
 Pteridophyta: ferns
 Spermatophyta: seed plants
Spermatophyta

Gymnospermae Angiospermae

Monocotyledonae Dicotyledonae

 No vegetable belongs to the division Gymnospermae

 Most of the vegetables belong to class, Dicotyledonae

 The classes, Monocotyledoneae and Dicotyledoneae are further divided into

families, genus, species, sub-species and botanical varieties.
 Classification based on hardiness
• Also known as ‘Thermo classification’
• Vegetables are grouped according to their ability to withstand frost.
• This classification helps us to know the season of cultivation of a particular
vegetable crop i.e. the right time of sowing & their temperature requirement but
the cultural requirement of vegetables grouped as winter season vegetables are
not the same, so is the case with the summer season crops.
Vegetables are classified into three groups:
Hardy vegetables Broccoli, cabbage, pea, Brussel’s sprout,
(can withstand frost garlic, onion, leek, radish, spinach,
without any injury ) turnip, parsley etc.

Semi-hardy vegetables Carrot, cauliflower, potato, celery,

(Generally they are not lettuce, beet, palak etc.
injured by light frost )
Tender vegetables Tomato, chilli, brinjal, cucumber, okra
(can not withstand frost and all cucurbits, french bean, sweet
and are even killed by light potato, cassava, yam drumstick, elephant
foot yam etc.
 Classification based on growing season
Summer or spring summer vegetables Tomato, brinjal, cucumber,
 Opt. monthly Avg. temp =20-27°C okra, french bean, cowpea,
 Tolerate min. temp. =15°C most of the cucurbits,
amaranthus, cluster bean etc.
Rainy/kharif season vegetables Okra, cucumber, brinjal, chilli,
tomato, gourds , ginger,
turmeric, cowpea, hyacinth
bean, amaranthus and cluster.
bean etc
Winter or autumn winter season vegetables Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli,
 Opt. monthly Avg. Temp. =12- 17°C radish, carrot, turnip, spinach,
 Tolerate min. temp. of 5°C. onion, garlic, pea, fenugreek,
potato etc.
 Tolerate temp 1°C- Asparagus and Rhubarb
Cool season vegetables are those vegetables of which the vegetative parts- roots, stems,
leaves and buds or immature flowers are eaten; exceptions are sweet potato & New
Zealand spinach. The vegetables of which the immature fruits are eaten are warm season
crops, pea and broad bean are exceptions, being cool season crops
 Classification based on tolerance to soil reaction
Vegetables are classified in 3 groups according to their tolerance to soil acidity

Slightly tolerant Moderately tolerant Very/ highly tolerant

(pH 6.8-6.0) (pH 6.8-5.5) (pH 6.8-5.0)

Broccoli, cabbage, Beans, carrot, Potato,

cauliflower, okra, cucumber, brinjal, sweet potato,
spinach, leek, garlic, garden pea, watermelon, chicory,
chinese cabbage, tomato, radish, turnip, rhubarb etc.
lettuce, beet, Brussels’s sprouts,
asparagus, knolkhol, parsley,
muskmelon, onion pumpkin etc.
etc.
 Classification based on salt tolerance

Sensitive Moderately resistant Resistant/ tolerant

Pea, beans, potato, Onion, carrot, cabbage, Asparagus, beet,

radish cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce,
brinjal, sweet potato tomato, melons, chilli bitter gourd
etc. etc. ash gourd etc.
 Classification based on photo period requirement

Vegetables are grouped according to the period for which the light is available
The response of plants to light for induction of flowering is called
photo periodism.

Long day vegetables Short day vegetables Day neutral vegetables

(8 -10 hours of dark) (10-14 hours dark) (Photo insensitive )

Onion, cabbage Sweet potato, lablab bean, Tomato, brinjal, chilli,

cauliflower, potato winged bean, okra, french bean,
radish, lettuce cluster bean etc. cucumber,
knolkhol, turnip, cowpea etc.
carrot etc.
 Classification based on rooting depth
There are five groups of vegetables in this classification

Very Shallow rooted Moderately Deep rooted Very deep

shallow (30-60 cm) deep rooted (90-120 cm) rooted
rooted (60-90 cm) (120-180 cm)
(15-30 cm)
Onion, Cabbage, Brinjal, Chilli, Asparagus,
lettuce cauliflower, cucumber, turnip, artichoke,
garlic, celery muskmelon, summer lima bean,
palak, potato, frenchbean, squash, pumpkin,
spinach, cowpea, carrot, garden pea, sweet potato,
radish, broccoli, beet rutabaga tomato,
Brussels’s sprout watermelon

The knowledge of rooting depth is essential for scheduling the time and quantity of
irrigation water.
 Shallow rooted crops require frequent and light irrigation.
 Deep rooted crops require less but heavy irrigation.
 Classification based on parts used as food

Leaves/ stems Flower Fruits Modified Under ground

stem
Cabbage, palak, Broccoli, Tomato Knolkhol Carrot
fenugreek, globe brinjal cauliflower turnip
amaranthus, artichoke chilli asparagus beet
salad crops, beans radish
lettuce, celery, okra, potato
parsley all the cucurbits sweet potato, taro
pot herbs & ginger
greens garlic
onion
elephant foot yam
cassava
Part consumed
 Most convenient method.based on methods of culture
Classification

 Vegetables crops having same cultural requirements are placed

together i.e. under one/same group.

 This makes it possible to give the general cultural practices for the
group without the necessity of repetition while describing the
individual crop.

 Some groups like cucurbits, cole crops, solanaceous and bulb

crops not only have similar cultural requirements for the group but
the crops in each group also belong to the same family.

 Most of the crops belonging to the bulb or salad group, also have
similar temperature requirements.

 This method of classification even though not in all but in the

majority of cases fulfill the basic requirements of classification of
Group 1: Potato
Group 2: Solanaceous fruits e.g. tomato, brinjal, capsicum, chilli
Group 3: Cole crops e.g. cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, knolkhol, kale.
Group 4: Cucurbits e.g. cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, snake
gourd, water melon, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash etc.
Group 5: Root crops e.g. radish, carrot, turnip, beet.
Group 6: Bulb crops e.g. onion, garlic, leek.
Group 7: Salad crops e.g. lettuce, celery, parsley.
Group 8: Greens and pot herbs e.g. spinach, coriander, fenugreek, palak, beet
leaf, amaranthus.
Group 9: Peas and beans e.g. garden pea, french bean, asparagus bean, lima
beans, cluster bean, cowpea etc.
Group 10: Tuber crops other than potato e.g. taro, yam, elephant foot yam.
Group 11: Sweet potato.
Group 12: Okra.
Group 13: Pointed gourd.
Group 14: Temperate perennials e.g. globe artichoke, rhubarb.
Group 15: Tropical perennials vegetables e.g. Curry leaves, drum stick.
Group 16: Chow-chow (Chayote).