Spices and Aromatic Plants: Status and Improvement

India is the home to a vast variety of spices- some indigenous and others introduced. It is also home to important aromatic plants. India grows, consumes and export a vast variety of spices, while it also imports sizeable quantity of spices. Similarly, a number of essential oils extracted from different aromatic plants are used in domestic industry. Essentially, the extraction of essential oils was a cottage industry which has now grown in size enormously. Menthol production was unknown to India before 1960, but now India is a world leader in the production and export of natural menthol. Spices and aromatic plants together form an important part of our export earnings. This position is challenged now by new entrants in the international trade. It is therefore right time we take the stock of the situation. In an effort to know the status of spices and aromatic plant research and development, eminent researchers from across the country have been invited to contribute their findings and views which led to the present compilation. The present book contains chapters that are written by who’s who in spices research in India. Status on spices is discussed in three chapters- one of the chapters “status of spices in India” takes stock of the situation from the production and export point of view, the second one “status of Indian spices and scope in 21st century” gives a holistic picture about spices- cultivation, problems and future outlook in terms of research needs, the third chapter is devoted to understand seed spices research in particular. Situation of spices germplasm in India is presented in holistic manner in chapter “spices germplasm management and their exploitation in crop improvement”. The status of Onion and Garlic is presented in a chapter “Onion and Garlic: An Indian Perspective with special reference to Rajasthan” similarly the status of aromatic plants’ improvement in India is presented in 3 chapters. Besides these focal chapters the book also contains chapters which present recent advances in spices research. While the chapters will help understand the status of spices including onion, garlic and chilli, recent advances made in the crop improvement, production and protection of these important crops are also included. The book is expected to be much help to all those connected with spices including onion, garlic and chillies including aromatic plants. It is hoped that this book will find acceptance with scientists, industrialists, planners as well as students connected or interested in spices and aromatic plants.