N URSERY

Praveen Kumar Singh

W HAT IS FOREST NURSERY ?

Forest nursery is an area where plants are raised for eventual planting out, has ordinarily both seedlings and transplants. (Anon, 1966) Seedlings are young plants obtained from seed sowing. Transplants are seedlings which have transferred from one bed to another to make seedlings suitable for planting.

T YPES OF F OREST N URSERY

Permanent

Temporary

I MPORTANCE

OF FOREST NURSERY

Several species are initially slow grown. Thus there are chances of being swamped by weeds and killed by intense competition.
Several species do not seed every year. Several species when grown by direct sowing are not successful. Introduction of exotics. Casualty replacements. Planting of wastelands/biotic pressure.

C RITERIA

FOR THE SELECTION OF

FOREST NURSERY SITE

Centrally located Area easily accessible for supervision Topography Soil condition: well drained Water availability

Labour management
Vegetation

L AYOUT OF N URSERY

The main features are

External fencing Road/Inspection path Store Labour shed Seedling growing area Irrigation channel Drainage system.

N URSERY SIZE :

The area of nursery depends upon

Species

Age of seedling required at time of planting

Number of seedling/ area of plantation/spacing Inspection path

Labour shed

The size of nursery varies from 0.5 to 2.5 percent of the total area of the plantation depending on above factor

N URSERY

SIZE :

The requirement of land for bed, road, irrigation channel works to about 18sqm. Generally the beds are of size10m x 1m (1unit). 18 x 1.2 x x x y A=---------------------------------------z

x = area of the plantation in ha.

y = number of plants required for one ha of plantation. z = number of plants in a bed. (depends on size of polythene bag)

P REPARATION

OF

N URSERY S ITE

Nursery bed:

Raised bed

Sunken bed
Level bed

S OIL W ORKING

The soil in bed is dug to depth of 40-50cm , taken out for 15-45 days for weathering. Surface dressing and maintaining slope for drainage.

Pebbles, stones, grass etc to be removed

Sand to be added to increase the porosity. Sterilization of soil. Use of cloropyrophos to control termites. Addition of Farm yard Manure (1-2 quintal in each bed).

P OLYTHENE BAG FILLING :

The polythene bag with both side open should be used. The soil for filling should be good and fertile.

Its better to pass the soil thorough sieve.

Pebbles, grass etc. should be removed. The ratio of clay, sand and FYM for filling poly bag should be 4:2:1.

C OLLECTION

OF SEEDS AND PRE -

SOWING TREATMENT:
The seed of various species are collected, stored, graded passed though pre-

sowing treatment before sowing.

The pre-sowing treatments are:
Weathering Water treatment: Soaking in cold water for 24-48 Soaking in boiling hot water Alternate wetting and drying. Passing through animal body. Mechanical treatment. Chemical treatment. Scorching or fire treatment. Fermentation.

hours

M ETHOD OF S OWING

Broad cast sowing Dibbling Precautions to be taken during sowing Spacing 15cm x 10cm or 10cm x 10cm Depth of sowing (2.5 to 5mm in minute seeds but in case of bigger seeds soil thickness equal to diameter of the seed))

T IME OF SOWING :

Time of sowing depends of several factors Availability of seed from collection or purchase

Viability of seed Size of planting stock required Rate of growth of species Locality and site factor etc.

M ETHOD OF RAISING NURSERY

STOCK

Sowing the seed in the nursery bed and growing the seedling for planting out either with the ball of earth or naked root planting.

Sowing the seed in the bed and transplanting in the polythene bag.
Sowing the seed directly in the polythene bag.

Sowing the seed in the bed, growing the seedling for preparation of stump.

T HE

OTHER FACTORS TO BE TAKEN CARE FOR NURSERY MANAGEMENT ARE :

Irrigation: Normally two irrigations per month during winter and 3-5 irrigations per month during summer may be considered good form most of the species. Shading: The cheapest mode is thatching over the bed 1m above the ground. Shading is to provide protection to the plant from the sun, frost, rain hail etc. Generally during summer months during April to June shade is required. This helps the tender seedlings from intense solar radiation. It also reduces evaporation and transpiration loss. It also helps from mechanical injury from hail, rain etc. Weeding: Precautions required are

The labour should be able to recognize the young tiny seedlings of desired species. That the roots of the seedlings of the desired species are not disturbed. That the weeding is not done when the soil is wet to avoid removal of soil with the roots of weed and consequent exposure or the roots of the desired species.

Transplanting: Moving of the plants from one nursery bed to another for better root and shoot growth. Grading of seedlings and transplants The seedling ready to be planted