Book excerpt: This book examines the development of innovative modern methodologies towards augmenting conventional plant breeding, in individual crops, for the production of new crop varieties under the increasingly limiting environmental and cultivation factors to achieve sustainable agricultural production, enhanced food security, in addition to providing raw materials for innovative industrial products and pharmaceuticals. This Volume 9, subtitled Vegetable Crops: Fruits and Young Shoots, consists of 12 chapters focusing on advances in breeding strategies using both traditional and modern approaches for the improvement of individual vegetable crops. Chapters are arranged in 2 parts according to the edible vegetable parts. Part I: Fruits - Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum Sendt.), Chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.), Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.), Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.), Eggplant (Solanum spp.), Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.), Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.), Sweet gourd (Cucurbita moschata Duch. ex Poir.), Melon (Cucumis melo L. Groups Dudaim and Flexuosus), Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) and Part II: Young shoots - Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.). The chapters were contributed by 43 internationally reputable scientists from 11 countries. Each chapter comprehensively reviews the modern literature on the subject and reflects the authors own experience.