India, is the home of the world's most useful fruit plants thriving in diverse agro- ecological zones from the monsoon tropics of the south to temperate and alpine north- western Himalayas, from the extremely arid and semi-arid north-western plains to the humid tropics of the east. Over 300 species of fruits, including temperate, subtropical and tropical, are growing in the country. Apart from major fruits, a wide variety of underutilized crops, which are neither commercially cultivated nor traded on a large scale, are mainly grown, commercialized and consumed locally. These underutilized fruits have many advantages in terms of ease to grow, hardiness and resilience to climate changes compared to the major commercially grown crops. However, despite of being nutrient-dense and possessing the unique potential to survive under uncongenial conditions, underutilized fruits have not yet received the adequate attention of researchers for their genetic improvement, advancement of production and protection protocols and recent advances of post harvest management and value addition, and most of our efforts are restricted to only major commercial fruit crops. The possible reasons for the low utilization of minor fruits, in spite of their immense nutritional and medicinal importance are insufficient availability of planting material, lack of awareness and dearth of scientific information. Hence, there is an urgent need to tap the potential of underutilized fruits to address the nutritional security, economic prosperity and overall the impact of changing climatic conditions.

The book entitled "Climate Smart & Nutridense Underutilized Fruit Crops" has been compiled which includes a total of 38 minor fruits grown in the country in varied climatic conditions ranging from tropical- subtropical to arid regions. Further, under the text, some minor fruit crops of Himalayan region like Japanese persimmon, sea buckthorn, Himalayan raspberry, Indian butter tree (Diploknema butyracea (Roxb.) H.J. Lam) has also been included. Each underutilized fruit crop has been described under the important heads viz. Introduction, Nutritional, medicinal importance, Botanical description, improved varieties/ cultivars, agro-techniques, plant protection measures, post harvest and value addition protocols followed by Genetic Resources and Improvement and Micro-propagation techniques. The Authors are well confident that the information given in the book will be of immense use to students, researchers, nutrition experts who are prioritizing their research to tap the potential natures unique wealth of underutilized fruits and their wild taxa along with planners and policy makers who engaged in rendering the services in strengthening biodiversity of underutilized fruit argos in changing climatic conditions

Prof. A.K. Pandey is currently Dean, College of Horticulture, Central Agricultural University (I), Bermiok,
South Sikkim. Prior to join, COH, CAU, Bermiok, Sikkim, He served as founder Dean, College of
Horticulture and and Forestry, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, UP. Prof.
Pandey also served as Dean, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh under
Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur. Before entering Central University service, Prof.
Pandey worked as Principal Scientist at Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi. He is ARS
Scientist of 1985 batch. Prof. Pandey obtained his M.Sc. (Ag.) and Ph.D. degree in Horticulture from
C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur. Dr. Pandey participated in the Ist
International Post Graduate Course on Protected Agriculture in Arid and Semi-arid Region at Hebrew
University, Jerusalem, Israel. He has published more than 90 research papers, 177 popular articles
and review articles in journals of national and international repute. Prof. Pandey till date has
authored 19 books, and out of his many books, Underutilized Vegetable Crops, Aquatic Vegetables,
Velvet bean (Mucuna prureins L. DC.), Exotic Vegetables, Curry leaf, The Wealth of Perennial
Vegetables, Nutriend Dense Underutilized Plants, Text Book of Underutilized Vegetable Crops (as per
Report of BSMA- Horticultural Sciences) are most referred text. Prof. Pandey’s contribution towards
utilizing the underutilized vegetable crops in addressing the nutritional security is considered one of
the most notable achievements in enriching the food diversity and inviting the attention of
researchers to lesser known vegetables of the country.
Prof. Pandey has been conferred several awards and honours for his distinguished academic
contributions. Hon’ble President of India has conferred on him the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Gyan-
Vigyan Purskar. Apart from these, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO),
Ministry of Defence, Government of India honoured him thrice for his significant contribution. Prof.
Pandey is a prolific writer and for his significant contribution, Scientific and Applied Research Centre,
Meerut. UP has conferred on him the Outstanding Authorship in Science and Technology Award,
2010 and Life Time Achievement Award, 2016 by BSRD, Allahabad. Prof. Pandey is a Member on
Board of a number of Scientific Societies and Academic panels. He is a fellow of Indian Society of
Vegetable Science (ISVS), Varanasi and Society of Biological Sciences and Rural Development,
Allahabad.
Dr Yamuna Pandey is working as Assistant professor (Fruit Science) at College of Horticulture,
Bermiok, Central Agricultural University, Imphal since December, 2019. Dr Yamuna born and brought
up in Bermiok Tokal, South Sikkim and completed her Intermediate from Bermiok Tokal Govt. Sr.

Sec. School in 2007. She completed her B.Sc. Agriculture from HNB Garhwal University in 2011 and
completed her PG in Fruit Science from Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and
Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Dr. Yamuna completed her Ph.D. degree in Horticulture (Fruit
Science) from Sikkim University in 2019. She cleared ARS NET (Fruit Science) in 2014. She also
cleared All India Entrance Examination ICAR-JRF 2011 and All India Entrance Examination ICAR- SRF
2015. Prior to join COH CAU, Bermiok, she served as Assistant Professor (Fruit Science) on contract
for 2 &1/2 years at College of Horticulture, CAU, Thenzawl, Mizoram. Dr. Yamuna also has an
experience of working as Research Associate at ICAR- NEH, Sikkim Center under NHM project for 1
year. She also worked as JRF under the BARC Project at Sikkim University. Her area of specialization
is in fruit science related to nutrient analysis, crop production and improvement. She has published
20 research papers, 3 book chapters, 12 abstracts, 2 extension folders and 2 popular articles. She has
attended a number of National and International conferences/ seminars/ symposia. She is handling
one DBT funded project entitled “Collection, Conservation and Morpho-Phenological
Characterization of Citrus Germplasms of North East India”