Nutritious Green Leafy Vegetables for All

Dark green leafy vegetables are perhaps the most potent super food on the
planet. They are also the most ignored and avoided foods as well. If you
consider the powerful dose of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and
phytonutrients that we get from spinach, kale, chard, collards, dandelion
and other greens, its a wonder we can live without them.
Leafy Green Nutrition
Leafy green vegetables have more nutrition per calorie than any other food.
Greens make up a significant source vitamins A, C, E and K as well as
several B vitamins. They are rich sources of minerals such as calcium,
magnesium, iron and potassium. They are rich in fiber, extremely low in fat
and carbohydrates and provide an excellent source of protein.
As a general rule, you should aim to eat at least five servings of vegetables
daily (thats about 2 1/2 cups of cooked vegetables), and that includes leafy
greens. As long as they're prepared in a healthy way, leafy greens, like
other nonstarchy vegetables, are a great addition to your diet and offer
countless health benefits.
Leafy greens are full of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting
phytochemicals. They are rich in fiber, an important nutrient for weight loss
and maintenance because it keeps you feeling full and helps control your
hunger.
Fiber can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and help to temper
blood-sugar swings by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your
bloodstream after meals. This lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease
and type 2 diabetes. Leafy greens also contain a lot of water, which helps
keep you hydrated and contributes to beautiful skin and hair.
Some leafy greens, like collards and kale, are particularly rich in calcium,
which helps keep your teeth and bones strong and reduces your overall
risk for osteoporosis. Calcium also contributes to muscle function and
blood-pressure management. Leafy greens contain potassium as well,
which further protects against osteoporosis and helps manage bloodpressure levels.
The antioxidants like vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin that are contained in
leafy greens may help reduce your risk of cataracts and macular
degeneration. Vitamin C helps the body make collagen too; collagen is a
major component of cartilage that aids in joint flexibility, may reduce your
risk of arthritis, and keeps your skin and hair healthy and beautiful.
Research shows vitamin C may also slow bone loss and decrease the risk
of fractures. Leafy greens that contain beta-carotene, such as collard

greens, spinach, and Swiss chard, contribute to the growth and repair of
the body's tissues. Beta-carotene may also protect your skin against sun
damage. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body, and food
sources of beta-carotene are the best way to get your vitamin A fix, since
extremely high doses of vitamin A in supplements can be toxic and lead to
bone, liver, and neural disorders as well as birth defects. Food sources of
beta-carotene are entirely safe, though, since the body regulates how much
beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A. Leafy greens are an excellent
source of folate, which can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and
memory loss. And since folate contributes to the production of serotonin, it
may help ward off depression and improve mood.
The vitamin E found in green leafy vegetables works with vitamin C to keep
skin healthy as you age. This vitamin also helps protect your skin from the
suns damaging rays and may help reduce your risk of cataracts and
macular degeneration.
When the Green leafy vegetables have such nutritional value,how is it not
many people use it? The reasons are: lack of availability,cost etc. In a bid
to provide leafy vegetables for all at an affordable price and using least
space a simple,multi rack,easy to make vegetable farming system has
been designed and developed by Dr.A.Jagadeesh,Director,Nayudamma
Centre for Development Alternatives,Nellore,Andhra Pradesh,India.
System Details:
Open Book racks are available commercially in towns and villages. These
can be assembled and dismantled easily. The height beween the gap of
rack can be varied. A 5 level rack has been assembled reversing the
plates(so that they actlike a vessel) fixing extra plates on each side of rack
level to give more depth( about 5 to 6 cm) The Plates are a bit inclined and
have small holes at
the end to drain extra water. Used Fertiliser bags(which are available) are
cut and spread in the space of the plates and filled with soil. Natural
manure is
mixed with sooil. The setup is faced sun facing (East to west in South
India).The leafy vegetrable seeds are sprayed in each of the tray which is
divided into half. Thus in 5 plate vessels 10 varieitis of leafy vegetables can
be grown. One can choose which green leafy vegetables to grow. This way
within 20 days one can get sizeable plants. By having two racks one can
get round the week vegetables. For commercial purposes one can go for
modular system. This can be placed on the roof top or in the backyard and
occupies little space(vertical). Since natural fertilizer is provided at the
roots,the roots wont go deep.

Advantages:
The whole unit is afforbable and can be easily assemblesd with a spanner.
It is mobile.
The height can be varied between plates to the size of the plants to be
grown.
One can get natural organically grown leafy vegetables.
The system costs in Andhra Pradesh(South India) rs 2000(About 33 US$).
Mass production can reduce the cost of the system.
The Government can promote this system for livelihood among weaker
sections of society.
The unit lasts atleast Two years and with proper painting and maintenance
4 years.
The investment on the system can be recovered in 6 months.
Nutritios green leafy vegetables are available to all.
Using this set up with controlled conditions like shade,Broccoli sprouts can
be raised: Broccoli sprouts are three- to four-day-old broccoli plants that
look like alfalfa sprouts, but taste like radishes. The radish flavor comes
from a phytochemical that may act as protection against vectors (see also
radical or free-radical theory) while the broccoli plant is still young. This
phytochemical not only benefits the young plant, but also when eaten by
humans, may act as an antioxidant to stimulate the ability of cells to protect
against disease.
Broccoli sprouts actually have lower nutritional values than full sized
broccoli according to the USDA.Many studies compare the nutritional value
of dry, dormant seeds to sprouts to obtain an exaggerated positive result
for sprouts. However, the sprouts are not typically consumed for their
nutrient content; they are consumed for their content of bioactive molecules
with potent nutrigenomic potential. Broccoli sprouts contain a particular
glucosinolate compound, glucoraphanin, which is found in vacuoles within
the cytoplasm of the plant cell. The membrane of the plant cells also
contain an enzyme, myrosinase, which is walled off from the vacuoles of
glucoraphanin. Only when the plant cell is ruptured by cutting, chewing, etc.
do the two substances come into contact with each other. In the moist
environment of the cell, this leads to a chemical reaction wherein the
myrosinase converts the glucoraphanin to an isothiocyanate, sulforaphane.
It is predominantly the sulforaphane for which broccoli sprouts have been
so widely researched. The glucoraphanin of itself is inert.
Hundreds of research studies occur every year on the cancer preventive
potential of plant nutrients. The cancer preventive property of cruciferous
vegetables and sulforaphane is the subject of over 700 research studies to

date. The following table is a representation of the epidemiological

evidence of cancer prevention by cruciferous vegetables.
Broccoli sprouts can be grown pretty much anywhere and require very little
space or equipment. High in vitamins and antioxidants, broccoli sprouts
have been found to contain higher concentrations of cancer-fighting
compounds than broccoli grown to full size.
They have very high levels of nutrients and enzymes, which provide the
body valuable energy to detox and strengthen the immune system.
According to the Hippocrates Health Institute, the other key benefits of
sprouts include:
- Increased vitality, energy and vigor from the large amount of enzymes.
- 10 to 100 times more enzymes than fruits and vegetables when eaten
within the first seven days of being sprouted.
- Powerful antioxidants which help fight free radicals and aging.
- The minerals and nutrients are easily absorbed into the body.
While there are many excellent sprouts, there is a specific reason why I buy
organic broccoli sprouts.
What broccoli sprouts offer is sulforaphane, a powerful anti-cancer
compound that helps fight and reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Dr. Paul Talalay, Professor of Pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University,
found that 3-day old broccoli sprouts consistently contained 20 to 50 times
the amount of chemoprotective compounds than those found in mature
broccoli heads. And sulforaphane is the reason why.
The second one is simple soil solarisation:
The advantages are:
It will help plants to: Good light insulation, sunlight warming the ground
fast;Block the sunlight and weed control; Restrain the moisture in the soil;
Protect plants from water, dust and frost; Promote crop precocious, yield
and quality.
My aim is To take it up with Local,National and International
organisations,NGOs, Media both Print and Electronic to Promote it on a
world wide level.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
Director
Nayudamma Centre for Development Alternatives
2/210 First Floor
Nawabpet
NELLORE- 524 002

Andhra Pradesh
INDIA
E-mail:anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/anumakonda.jagadeesh
Blog: http://www.drjagadeeshncda.blogspot.com
Twitter: @anumakondaj
Phone: ++ 91 861 2317776
Mobile: +91 9490125950

Soil Solarisation

Dr.A.Jagadeesh

GROW VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS ON A STAND

The biggest mistake gardeners make each season is starting out
too big and then quickly realizing their large plot requires too
much weeding, watering, and backbreaking labor. Vertical
gardening guarantees a better outcome from the day the trowel
hits the soil-by shrinking the amount of "floor" space needed and
focusing on climbing plants that are less prone to insects,
diseases, and animal pests.
Notable author and gardener Derek Fell has tried and tested
thousands of varieties of vegetables, flowers, and fruits and
recommends the best plants for space-saving vertical gardening.
His grow-up, grow-down system also shows which ground-level
plants make good companions underneath and alongside climbing
plants. Best of all, many of Fell's greatest climbers and mutually
beneficial plants are available in seed packets in every local
garden center.
Growing vegetables in containers can be just as easy as growing
vegetables in soil,if you know how to work around the limitations
of container gardening.
A container vegetable garden has many advantages:
Convenience Container vegetable gardens are right outside
your door, footsteps away from your kitchen.
Freshness You cant get any fresher than right off the plant.
When growing vegetables in pots or window boxes, you can
harvest leafy vegetables as needed.
A potted vegetable garden can be boosted up on plant stands or
benches to make the pots more accessibleand add vertical flair
to your balcony farm. - See more at:

Beauty Container vegetable gardens are beautiful, not just

bountiful. Green, leafy lettuces, red tomatoes, and deep purple
eggplants delight the eye and add interest to any apartment
balcony or deck. Growing vegetables in pots or window boxes
expands the range of color and form available to container
gardeners.
Watering is by far the biggest concern when growing vegetables
in containers. Container vegetable gardens have limited root
zones, so they need frequent wateringsometimes twice a day in
hot weather, or on balconies exposed to lots of sun or drying
winds.
In a bid to have vertical stand vegetable growing,I have designed
a simple,innovative,novel cost effective system utilising local
resources and resourcefulness.
When you supply plant nutrients at the roots they wont go deep.
I have designed a stand(sturdy,iron) and fitted rings of about 1
foot diameter (3) in 3 layers. There is enough space between the
rings horizontally and spece to grow plants vertically. The base
has a strong round stand for stability(Iron). Pots(Conical) are
filled with soil and animal dung and natural fertilizer. Vegetables
seed lings or seeds like tomato,Bhendi and others are raised in
the pots. There is a small hole at the bottom of the pots to drain
away excess water. The pots chosen are of tough plastic for light
weight,durability and elegance. The plastic pots are covered with
thin black canvas so that due to sunlight absorption weeds wont
grow and evaporation water supplied is reduced. Moreover all the
nutrients in the container are taken by the plant.The stand is
painted with Redoxide to free it from rusting. Since the stand is
with in reach,watering is not a problem.
One can use this system to grow vegetables on the roof or in the
backyard. Rural women can grow vegetables in this way for
markeing on a small scale locally. The units are modular
depending on the requirement of vegetables.

The whole unit costs about Rs 2500(about US$ 40) including pots
and the cost can be recovered in less than a year.