Activities of Vegetable Sector of BRAC Agricultural Research & Development Centre, Bangladesh have been described. #suggested link of my you tube video on red spinach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijF78rwhaY&t=52s another link of yellow seeded mung bean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iEszjkUab4&t=8s

1. Vegetable Research, Seed Production & Marketing
Activities in BRAC
-PresentedBy
Dr. Sitesh Chandra Biswas

2. Introduction
• BRAC started agriculture activities
during the year 1972 through homestead
vegetable gardening.
• Initially vegetable seeds were distributed
to ‘group members’ collecting from
BADC and open market sources.
• Poor availability of quality seeds was
limiting factor for vegetable cultivation.
• Organized seed production started in
1996 with marketing facilities.

3. Objectives
 To provide food security and adequate
nutrition to the small and low income groups.
 Generating income opportunities to increase
the purchasing power of the poor peoples.
 Eradication of poverty and ensuring nutritional
security.
 Reducing dependency for quality seeds on
foreign companies and saving foreign money.
 Ensuring the supply of quality seeds to the
farmers in proper time and facilitating
commercial agriculture.

4. Vegetable Production & Consumption in Bangladesh
Vegetable Cultivated Area 0.278 million ha
Vegetable Production 2.50 million tons
Present Consumption 80 g/day/person
Recommendation 220 g/day/person
Requirement (as per 11.24 million ton
recommendation)
Production has to be increased (as 5 times more than the Present
per recommendation) production
(Source: BBS, 04)
Vegetable Seed Status in Bangladesh
Seed requirement 2652 MT
Quality seed production 791.4 MT (29.84%)
Imported 410 MT (15.46%)
Farmers retained seed 1450.6 MT (54.70%)
(Poor quality)

5. Target crops
• We are dealing with 30 different types of
vegetable crops including fruiting vegetables,
leafy & salad vegetables, podded vegetables,
stem & bulb vegetables, root & tuber
vegetables etc.
Fruiting Leafy & Podded Stem & Western Root &
vegetables salad vegetables bulb brassicas tuber
vegetables vegetables vegetables
Okra, Spinach, Yard long Stem Cauliflower Radish,
pumpkin, pechay, red bean, amaranth, & cabbage carrots
cucumber, amaranth, country onion etc. etc. etc.
bitter gourd,
bottle gourd,
leaf bean,
ridged mustard, mung bean
gourd, ash kang kong, etc.
gourd, snake prince shak
gourd etc. etc.

6. Major Activities
• Variety Development
• Variety Screening
• Generation of New Technologies
• Maintenance of Parents &
• Grow out Trial

7. Released Hybrid and OP Varieties
Hybrid varieties:
Sl. No. Crop No. of Varieties
01 Tomato 3
02 Brinjal 3
03 Bitter gourd 1
04 Ridge gourd 1
05 Bottle gourd 1
06 Pumpkin 1
07 Okra 1
Total 11

8. OP varieties:
Sl. No. Crop No. of Varieties
01 Radish 1
02 Cucumber 1
03 Spinach 1
Total 3
Promising Hybrid and OP Varieties:
Sl. No. Crop No. of Varieties
01 Tomato (Hybrid) 1
02 Brinjal (Hybrid) 1
03 Bottle gourd (Hybrid) 1
04 Ridge gourd (Hybrid) 1
05 Spinach (OP) 1
Total 5

9. Hybrid Varieties
Tomato - Tripti-02
Characteristics:
 It is a determinate, heat tolerant and
early type hybrid.
Fruits are high round and have shining
red color.
 Average fruit weight 70-80g .
Yield per acre 20 - 22 tons (50 - 55
tons/ha).
 Fruit harvest starts from 60-65 days after
transplanting.
Fruits are firm, fleshy, tasty and suitable
for distant transportation.
 Tolerant to leaf curl virus and bacterial
wilt.
It can also be cultivated in the summer
season as summer tomato as well.

10. Bitter Gourd – Bulbuli
Characteristics:
This hybrid variety is a prolific
bearer.
 Fruits are very fleshy, solid & have
moderate bitterness taste .
Fruit protuberances are slightly
blunt, hence fruits usually do not suffer
from injury during transportation.
Glossy green coloured fruit and
average fruit weight is 225-250g.
Fruit harvest starts from 50-55 days
after transplanting.
Yield per acre is 10-12 tons.

11. Bottle Gourd – Green Super
Characteristics:
It is also a high yielding variety.
Fruits are attractive deep green coloured
with white spots and very tasty.
Average fruit weight is 2.5-3.0 kg.
Fruit harvest starts from 60-65 days after
seed sowing.
Fruit length is around 45-50 cm.
It is a profuse bearer and yield per acre is
20- 25 tons.

12. Pumpkin – Beauty
Characteristics:
It is a high yielding F1 hybrid variety.
Fruit color is blackish green at young
stage and brown at the ripening stage.
Fruits are solid and the flesh is yellow
coloured.
 Very tasty at both green and ripening
stage.
 Average fruit weight is 4.0 - 5.0 kg at
maturity.
Yield per acre is 20 - 25 tons.

13. Hybrid Okra – Evergreen
Characteristics:
Evergreen is an early and
high yielding F1 hybrid.
Fruit angular type and deep
green colored.
The flesh is soft and very
tasty.
No. of fruits per plant is
around 40-45.
Fruit harvest starts from 45-
50 days after sowing.
Yield per acre 9- 10 tons.
This hybrid is tolerant to
yellow vain mosaic virus
disease.

14. Hybrid Brinjal - Surobhi
• Characteristics:
• Medium size and robust type
plants.
• Fruits are medium long (20-
22 cm), and blackish purple
in color.
• Fruit harvest starts from 65-
70 days after transplanting.
• Average fruit weight is 140 –
150g.
• Yield per acre 30- 35 tons.
• This hybrid is tolerant to
bacterial wilt and brinjal
shoot and fruit borer.

15. Hybrid Brinjal – Giant Green
• Characteristics:
• Bushy type robust plant.
• Oval shaped fruits are green
coloured with white tints.
• The flesh is soft and very
tasty.
• Fruits harvest starts from 65-
70 days after transplanting.
• Average fruit weight is 175 –
200g.
• Yield per acre 22- 25 tons.
• This hybrid is tolerant to
bacterial wilt and brinjal
shoot and fruit borer.

16. Hybrid Cucumber – Bijoy
Characteristics:
• It is an extra early type
hybrid.
• Attractive green colored
fruit.
• Fruits are uniform, fleshy and
tasty.
• Average fruit weight is 200-
250 g.
• Harvest starts from 40-45
days after sowing.
• Fruit length 18-20 cm .
• Prolific bearer and yield per
acre is 20-25 tons.

17. Hybrid Cabbage KE-739
Characteristics:
• It is a high yielding and mid
season variety.
• Heads are uniform, very
compact, flattened round
shaped and very tasty.
• Average head weight is 2.00-
2.50 kg.
• Harvest starts from 70-75
days after transplanting.
• Yield per acre is 20-25 tons.

18. Cucumber –Sufala-01
Characteristics:
 It is an early type & high
yielding variety.
 Average fruit weight is
200-250 g.
 Harvest starts from 45-
50 days after sowing.
 Average fruit length is
20-25cm.
 Profuse bearing and
yield per acre is 8-10
tons.

19. OP Varieties
Spinach –Sufala-01
Characteristics:
It is a quick growing and
improved spinach variety.
Green colored, thicker, larger,
soft and fleshy leaf.
 Harvest starts from 30-35 days
after sowing.
 It is a late bolting and year
round variety.
 Yield per acre is 5-6 tons.

20. Radish –Sufala-40
Characteristics:
•Sufala-40 is a high yielding, year
round and heat tolerant variety.
• Roots are attractive white
colored (20-25 cm. long) and have
no mishappen roots.
•Roots are straight & very much
uniform in size; harvest starts
from 40-45 days after seed
sowing.
•Roots are tasty and have mild
pungency; leaves can also be used
as vegetable.
•Yield per acre is 20-24 tons.

21. Development of Uncommon Varieties
1. Development of ornamental type okra
or red okra.
2. Development of red spinach.
3. Development of yellow seeded mung
bean.
4. Development of summer country
bean.
5. Development of red yard long bean.

22. Hybrid Red Okra
Characteristics:
1. It is a dual purpose vegetable
crop, since it has decorative
value.
2. Robust type plant and has
attractive red colored fruit, stem,
petioles & leaf veins.
3. The flesh is soft, very tasty and
has nutritive value (carotene &
anthocyanin) as well.
4. No. of fruits per plant is 25-
30.
5. Fruit harvest starts from 50-
52 days after seed sowing.
6. Yield per acre 7- 8 tons.
7. This hybrid is relatively
tolerant to yellow vein mosaic
virus disease.

23. Red Spinach
Characteristics:
1.This is a quick growing and
high yielding advance line.
2. Leaf, stem, roots, petioles as
well as veins are red colored.
3. Leaves are thick, larger, soft
and fleshy.
4. Harvest starts from 30-35
days after sowing.
5. It is a late bolting line and
yield per acre around 5-6 tons.
6. Anthocyanin, carotene & iron
reach advance line.

24. Nutrient analysis in okra & spinach
Table.1. Analysis of micronutrients in green & red okra.
Ca Mg K P S B Fe Zn ß-caro- Brix Total
Sample (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (µg/ (µg/ (µg/ tene value N
Name gm) gm) gm) (mg/ (%)
100gm)
Green 0.21 0.10 0.19 0.66 0.17 79.00 144.50 46.00 *0.17 4.00 3.33
okra
Red 0.21 0.11 0.19 0.65 0.21 74.50 129.50 28.50 1.48 6.00 3.15
okra
Table. 2. Analysis of micronutrients in green & red
spinach.
Ca Mg K Fe Zn ß-caro-
Sample (%) (%) (%) (ppm) (ppm) tene
Name (mg/100gm)
Green 2.74 0.96 2.72 251.00 64.20 15.69
spinach
Red 2.29 1.05 3.26 372.00 60.00 19.67
spinach

25. Yellow Seeded Mungbean
1. Uncommon, golden yellow coloured
short duration improved line (crop
duration 57- 58 days).
2. Almost synchronized fruit ripening
and fruits can be harvested through 2
pickings.
3. Uncommon attractive golden yellow
coloured seed.
4. Tolerant to major diseases (MMV
& CLS).
5. Insensitive to seasonal influence and
can be grown throughout the year.
6. Good cooking quality and less
turmeric is required for making
cooked products ( Dal, Khichuri etc.)
and its preparations are very tasteful.

26. Table 2. Studies on yield related characters of 3 different varieties of
mungbean (Kh-2’2011).
Days Plant No. No. of No. Total Pod Yield/ Seed Virus
Variety taken hei- of pod of no. length/ ha reco- inci-
to ght/ bran clus- pod/ of pod (tons) very dence
crop plant - ters/ clus- pods/ (cm) (%) (%)
matu- (cm) ches/ plant ter plant
rity plant
YS-1 62.00 41.18 1.5 4.4 5.4 21.90 7.60 1045.00 65.22 5.43
BARI-5 70.00 47.91 1.10 5.0 5.20 21.0 8.50 691.00 38.42 6.06
BINA-7 74.00 50.25 3.60 7.7 7.10 28.90 6.30 544.00 52.31 17.70
Note. Yield of YS-1 was found to be 51.23% greater than BARI-5 & 92.09% than BINA-7.

27. Table. Determination of Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sulphur,
Boron, Zinc & Iron content in the 3 mungbean varieties.
Ca Mg K S B Zn Fe
Sample
ID
% ppm
YS-1 0.895 0.415 1.345 0.330 23.700 32.940 154.590
BARI-5 0.940 0.405 1.130 0.380 23.100 30.000 148.140
BINA-7 0.670 0.320 1.015 0.300 24.300 28.050 161.100
Remarks - than + than + than -than + than + than + than
BARI-5 both both BARI-5 BARI-5 both BARI-5
&+ BARI-5 BARI-5 but + - than BARI-5 but –
than & & than BINA-7 & than
BINA-7 BINA-7 BINA-7 BINA-7 BINA-7 BINA-7

28. Yard Long Bean (Red)
Characteristics
•High yielding improved type variety.
•Prolific bearer, red coloured fruits.
•High seedling vigour and stronger
vines with broad deep green leaves.
•Profuse fruiting and good uniformity
in fruit size and shape.
•Thicker fruit pulp and solid fruits;
hence the fruits are fleshy.
•Virus tolerant variety and can be
grown throughout the year.
•Tolerant to major diseases.
•Wet tolerant variety and relatively
tolerant to leaf miner attack.
• Fruits have increased shelf life.

29. Summer Country Bean
Characteristics
•These are year round and
heat tolerant lines.
•Green & greenish purple
fruit color and fruit length is
8-10 cm.
•Harvest starts from 60-65
days after sowing and fruit
can be harvested for a longer
period (6 months).
•Tolerant to major diseases
and pests.
•Yield per acre 5-6 tons.

30. Coloured Vegetables (sources of different phytonutrients & their health benefits)
Colour Nutrients Sources Health Benifits
Red Lycopene, ellagic acid & Beets, onions (red), Maintain heart
anthocyanins. potatoes (red), health, memory
peppers (red), function, urinary
radishes, tomatoes. tract health, lower the
risk of some types of
cancer.
Blue & Health promoting Asparagus (purple), Gives extra
Purple phytonutrients such as cabbage (purple), protection against
polyphenols & anthocyanins carrots (purple), egg some types of cancer
& powerful anti oxidants. plant (purple), & urinary tract
peppers (purple), infections, help boost
potatoes (purple- brain health &
fleshed). vision.
Yellow & Varying amount of Beets (yellow), May help promote
Orange antioxidants such as Vit. C carrot, sweet corn, heart & vision health
as well as other phyto- peppers (yellow), and a healthy
nutrients, including potatoes (yellow), immune system, they
carotenoids and pumpkin, squash, may also help to
bioflavonoids. sweet potato, ward off cancer.
tomatoes (yellow).

31. Contd.
Green Varying amount of potent Beans (green), Lower the risk of
phytochemicals such as broccoli, cancer, improve eye
lutein & Indoles as well as cabbage(Chinese), health, keep the
other nutrients. cabbage(green), bones and teeth
celery, cucumber, strong.
Chayote squash,
greens (leafy),
leeks, lettuce, okra,
onions (green), peas
(green), peppers
(green), spinach.
White/ Allicins Cauliflower, corn Play a role in heart
Tan/ Brown (white), garlic, health by helping
ginger, kohlrabi, you maintain
mushrooms, onions, healthy cholesterol
potatoes(white- levels and may
fleshed), turnips. lower the risk of
some type of
cancer.

32. Generation of New Technologies
• Cut -and- come-again practice
• Cloning technique
• Growing vegetables in the off-
season under polythene
tunnel.

33. Cut –and- come- again Practice in
Spinach

34. Contd.

35. Contd.

36. Contd.

37. Cloning in F1 hybrid Kang kong

38. Contd.

39. Contd.

40. Contd.

41. Pot Cultivation of Kang kong.

42. Jute mallow (Prince shak)
Characteristics:
It is a hardy type leafy
vegetable and can be easily
cultivated during the rainy
season.
Very much similar to jute
plants and can be used as an
alternative to jute leaves.
Its leaves are tasty and can be
harvested from 25-30 days after
seed sowing.
Prince shak can be cultivated
almost throughout the year.
Very easy to grow and can
also be propagated through
stem cutting.

43. Off –Season Vegetable
Cultivation

44. Contd.

45. Off –Season Vegetable Cultivation

46. Maintenance of Parents & Grow
out trial
• Parents of the hybrid varieties are being
maintained for ensuring the supply of
good quality vegetable seeds.
• After the production of hybrid seeds each
samples are critically examined through
grow out trial.

47. Research Strategy
 Short Term Strategies.
 Long Term Strategies.

48. Short Term Strategy
 Variety Screening.
 Improvement of Local Varieties.
 Generation of New Technologies.

49. Long Term Strategies
 Development of New Good Quality Improved
Varieties (both F1 Hybrid & OP Varieties).
 Development of off-season varieties (Summer
tomato & C. Bean).
 Development of Nutrient Rich Varieties.
 Development of Short Duration Varieties.
 Generation of New Techniques of Vegetable
Cultivation.

50. Research Constraints
 Poor availability of innovative germplasm.
 Limited land area for conducting research in
the rainy season.
 No permanent shade house for conducting
research in the monsoon season.
 Absence of laboratory facilities for nutrient
analysis.

51. Variety Screening
• Imported seeds of Cole crops & Hybrid
varieties of other crops are identified &
recommended for marketing.
• Best varieties of reputed companies are
collected & adaptive trial experiments are
conducted.
• Trial experiments are also conducted in other
farms as well.
• Suitable varieties are chosen for marketing.

52. Trial experiments of some vegetable crops
(2011-2012)
• Variety screening trial of cabbage.
• Variety screening trial of cauliflower.
• Performance trial experiment of cucumber.
• Performance trial of coriander varieties.

53. Variety Screening of Cabbage
Sl. Variety 1st Final Crop Yield/ Remarks
no. harves- harves- Dura- acre
ting ting tion (MT)
(days) (days) (days)
1 Rare Ball 64 78 107 18.20 Early season type
variety
2 Green 76 94 123 23.13 Mid season type
Coronet variety
3 Advanta- 62 79 108 21.22 Early season type
1303 variety
4 KE-739 75 93 122 29.69 Mid season type
variety
5 Tropic Sun 71 82 111 26.26 Mid season type
Plus variety
6 KA-780 59 72 101 20.54 Early season type
variety

54. Variety Screening of Cauliflower
Sl. Variety 1st Final Crop Yield/ Remarks
no. harves- harves- dura- acre
ting ting tion (MT)
(days) (days) (days)
1 Advanta- 47 57 87 15.20 Mid season type
413 variety
2 White 47 58 88 15.02 Early season type
marble variety
3 White 54 63 93 19.78 Late season type
snow variety
4 Tropical 51 61 91 19.15 Mid season type
Eleven variety
5 Advanta- 43 56 86 13.08 Extra early
403 season type
variety
6 Advanta- 48 59 89 15.76 Early season type
410 variety

55. Variety Screening of Cucumber
Vari- Main No. of Total Fr. wt./ 1st Yield/ Remarks
ety vine br./ fr/ fruit picking acre
length plant plant (days) (Kg)
CV18 193.30 5.33 5.00 167.00 34.00 2338.00 Bitter taste
CV21 148.00 6.00 7.00 97.00 34.00 1086.40 Small size
fruits
CV31 165.00 5.50 4.00 115.00 36.00 1833.00 Virus
susceptible
CV80 180.00 6.00 4.00 168.00 36.00 1881.00 Good variety
CV88 185.00 5.67 5.67 180.00 37.00 2852.00 Good variety
CV93 200.00 7.00 6.50 228.67 34.00 2850.00 Best variety
Alavy 180.00 6.00 4.00 178.00 37.00 1993.00 Lal Teer
(Check) Seed

56. Performance Trial of 3 Coriander
Varieties
Variety Days Plant Plant Length Width Plant Yield/ Remarks
taken to height spread- of of wt./ acre
1st harv- (cm) ing leaves leaves plant (tons)
esting (cm) (cm) (cm) (g)
Ramses 32.00 24.80 22.30 20.20 6.30 18.50 2.20 Lal Teer
(Check ) Variety
Sungro 32.00 24.40 22.60 24.80 11.80 19.60 2.35 Good
Seeds variety
(Check )
Green 30.00 24.30 25.70 26.80 12.00 20.20 2.54 Best
Aroma variety

57. Vegetable Seed production (MT)
Crop 07 08 09 10 11
Vegetable
35 41 53 85 19.00
Seeds (OP)
Vegetable
Seeds 2.36 5.25 3.27 3.60 2.00
(Hybrid )
Vegetable Seed Production Contract Growing Areas
Sl. Location No. of Farmers Area ( Acres)
No.
01 Meherpur Sador 142 102.24
03 Chuadanda Sador 57 31.35
05 Birgong Sador 35 28.18
06 Birol Sador 30 17.18
07 Thakurgaon Sador 86 49.02
Total 350 227.97

58. Seed Production Target for the
Year
2011-2012.
Hybrid OP Total No. of Land
(MT) (MT) (MT) farmers (acres)
2.85 54.60 57.45 360.00 290.00

59. Problems Usually Faced During
Seed Production
 Unusual weather conditions.
 Farmers do not allow grading process.
 Farmers are shifting to other high value crops.
 Sometimes seed purchasing rate is lower
compared to other companies.

60. Varieties marketed by BRAC:
Sl. No. Sources of No. of Varieties
origin
01 Own variety 14
02 BARI 4
03 BADC 6
04 Exotic 8
Imported Vegetable Seed
Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrot,
Imported Seed Turnip, Watermelon and
Cucumber

61. Marketing Issues
 Seed market is now very competitive.
 Higher production cost.
 Lack of adequate no. of suitable
varieties.