HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

State Government has established research unit for the improvement of vegetable crops at Alambagh, Lucknow during 1951. During 1954, this unit had shifted from Lucknow to Kalyanpur, Kanpur under the supervision and administrative control of Late Dr. Y. R. Mehta, Horticulturist. Subsequently in the year 1962, the vegetable research scheme has been strengthened with the creation of a post of Economic Botanist (Vegetables). Kalyanpur was established as a sub centre under AICRP Vegetables w.e.f. 1971-72. In the beginning the vegetable crops under this programme were Brinjal, Pea, Tomato, Chilli, Okra, Cauliflower, French bean, Radish, Cucurbits, Onion and Garlic were added to the programme. Along with the research programme with major emphasis on varietal improvement, due emphasis has always been accorded to standardized the production technologies and vegetable seed production programme. Government of India has also sanctioned a project on “Breeder Seed Production of Vegetable crops” Recognizing the importance role of this centre in vegetable seed production programme, ICAR sanctioned a project on vegetable breeder seed production to this university as a new centre during 2010-11under AICRP- NSP which has now been merged with main project i.e. AICRP (V.C.). In the year 2008-09 ICAR also granted main centre of All India Network Research Project on Onion & Garlic sponsored by Directorate of Onion & Garlic Research, Rajgurunagar, Pune, (MS). During last fifty years more than 55 varieties of different vegetable crops were released by State/Central Variety Release Committee and more than seventy two  different recommendations on vegetable production, plant protection aspect for the benefit of farmers’ of the State. All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato have been sanctioned by the ICAR in year 2008-09. Presently, Three All India Coordinated/network project and two mega adhoc project are running in this department to facilitate the research work. The Vegetable Research Station at Kalyanpur was upgraded as Department of Vegetable Science under College of Horticulture . The students are being admitted in M.Sc.(Horticulture) & Ph.D.(Horticulture) major in Vegetable Science since  July 2016.