Human resource development and management in Agriculture and Horticulture as a whole has become the focus of planning. Comprehensive education in Horticultural science needs to be based on teaching, research and extension interfaces. The book series Handbook of Vegetables Vol. I, II and III edited by two eminent vegetable scientists in India (Prof. K. V. Peter and Prof. P. Hazra) is a comprehensive addition to the upcoming literatures on almost all aspects of Vegetable Science. The authors of different chapters in the book series are eminent teachers, scientist and crop specialists of the country and abroad. This book series will substantiate all technology support not only to maximize productivity of vegetables against unfortunate diminishing soil fertility, natural resources particularly land and water, biotic and abiotic stresses and rising cost of vegetable production but also to improve the vegetable crops through conventional breeding and biotechnological approaches. The first volume of this book series mainly dealt with comprehensive information on basic biology, taxonomy, genetics, breeding and agronomy for 14 important vegetable crops viz., potato tomato, eggplant, chilli and capsicum, cauliflower, onion, carrot, pea, okra, cowpea, pointed gourd, pumpkin and squash, drumstick, and tropical leafy vegetables along with four important general aspects and The second volume dealt with 14 important general aspects of Vegetable science including nutrient and phyto-chemical potential of vegetables, quality production of seedlings and grafts, in vitro propagation and conservation, biotechnological approaches in vegetable breeding, crop modelling, organic production and breeding for resistance to high temperature stress. The present volume of this book series (Volume III) adorned by 30 highly reputed contributors of India and abroad dealt with comprehensive information in the array of origin, distribution and variation, cytology and botany, floral biology, genetics, breeding methods, biotechnological innovation, agronomy of the crop, disease and pest management, value addition and seed production for 16 important vegetable crops viz., muskmelon, watermelon, cucumber, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ridge and smooth gourd, ash gourd, cabbage, French bean, drumstick, radish, tropical tuber crops, vegetable amaranth, different leafy vegetables, vegetable soybean and mushrooms. Unique feature of this book series lay on more than 100 coloured photographs in each volume on seedling and graft production, in vitro culture, wild relatives of different crops, species variability, cultivar variability, pest, disease, physiological disorders, etc. Such photographic documentation on different aspects and features of Vegetable Science has not so far been made in any book. This text cum reference book has basically been prepared for the graduate and post graduate level students of Agricultural Universities of India and abroad. Teachers, researchers, professionals, vegetable growers and even nutritionists and dieticians will also get benefit from this book.