Tree nursery is grown in Dasilnaickanoor watershed promoted by SG/OFI/SEVAI Project.

Tree nursery raising techniques imparted to a farmer of Dasilnaickanoor

Nursery is a place where plants are grown, nurtured and sold out. The importance of the best quality planting material as an initial investment is a well realized factor for persons engaged in tree plantation field. But in general good quality and assured planting material at reasonable price is not available. The demand for quality planting tree nursery is steadily increasing due to interest in fruit tree cultivation, social forestry, aggro-forestry and plantation crops. SG/OFI/SEVAI Project in Dasilnaickanoor is setting up plant nurseries to meet the demands of the people has been felt by small and marginal farmers. Thus SG/OFI/SEVAI introduced small nurseries which will serve to augment the incomes of needy sections of rural society especially dry land area of Dasilnaickanoor. Nursery plants require due care and attention after having either emerged from the seeds or have been raised from other sources like rootstock. Generally they are grown in the open field under the protection of Mother Nature where, they should be able to face the local environment. It is the duty and main objective of a nursery grower to supply the nursery plants with suitable conditions necessary for their development and growth. This is the major work of management in the nursery which includes all such operations right from the emergence of young plantlet till they are fully grown-up or are ready for uprooting and transplanting in the main fields. Nursery Techniques involve raising seedlings, saplings economically useful through scientific methods with new techniques available, which are cost effective. These new techniques are useful in increasing the success increasing seedling vigor; reducing transplanting shock and generally reducing the quantum of manual work. Cost effective nursery techniques introduced under this project of SG/OFI/SEVAI has advantages of reducing Manual labour and drudgery, increased  Vigour of seedlings, Reduces transplanting shocks, Success rate survival of the plantation is high, Overall operating costs are less, Inputs like water, manure etc. are low and the Growth rates are enhanced. Raising seedlings with potting medium technique ensures that a large number of seedlings can be raised in minimum space under optimized and controlled conditions. The seeds, saplings are planted in plastic bags filled with a specially prepared potting medium. The bags have holes in the bottom. They are kept in shallow pits lined with a plastic film to prevent roots penetrating the soil below. They are watered by letting water into the pit from where it enters the bags through the holes. The potting medium has to be porous to avoid water logging and should also have all the plant nutrients. The process of composting involves soaking the agro-waste in water containing cattle dung. The agro-waste is spread on the ground in a layer about 20 cm thick. The microbial culture is spread on the layer and the next layer is laid on top of it. The heap can reach a height of one meter. It is then covered by a piece of plastic film. Once every month, the heap is stirred and covered again. Depending upon the nature of the agro-waste, the process takes anywhere from 2 to 4 months.-Govin