Minor and underutilized fruit crops constitute a vital yet underexploited component of India’s horticultural biodiversity, particularly in rainfed, tribal, arid, and semi-arid agro-ecosystems where conventional fruit crops often fail to perform optimally. These crops possess inherent resilience to abiotic stresses, high nutraceutical value, and adaptability to marginal lands, thereby aligning directly with national priorities on nutritional security, climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, and diversification of farming systems as envisioned under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, National Horticulture Mission (NHM), National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), and ICAR-led crop diversification frameworks.

The edited volume par have been developed to consolidate contemporary research outputs, standardized production technologies, and precision-based management strategies for these neglected fruit species. The book comprehensively addresses advanced propagation methods, vari et al., improvement through conventional and molecular approaches, orchard system design, canopy and crop load management, nutrient and water-use efficiency interventions, integrated pest and disease management, stress physiology, and climate-smart production models. Emphasis has been placed on region-specific recommendations for diverse agro-climatic zones of India, with due consideration to smallholder farming systems, resource-use efficiency, and sustainability metrics. This volume further integrates postharvest physiology, value addition, functional food development, and market-led production systems to strengthen farm-to-consumer linkages and enhance economic viability. The convergence of indigenous technical knowledge with modern scientific innovations has been critically examined to promote location-specific, scalable, and farmer-adoptable technologies. The content is structured to support outcome-based education, skill development, and research translation in alignment with national mandates for capacity building in horticultural sciences.

Contributions from eminent scientists, academicians, and field practitioners across ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, and allied research organizations ensure scientific rigor, policy relevance, and operational applicability. This book is intended to serve postgraduate and doctoral students, researchers, extension professionals, planners, policymakers, and entrepreneurs engaged in horticulture development, climate adaptation strategies, and agri-enterprise promotion. The editors sincerely acknowledge the valuable contributions of all authors and reviewers whose scholarly commitment has strengthened this volume. We also express our gratitude to the publisher and editorial team for their support in bringing this work to fruition. It is hoped that this book will facilitate technology dissemination, accelerate mainstreaming of minor fruit crops, and contribute meaningfully to national goals of nutritional security, climate resilience, income enhancement, and sustainable horticultural development.