CORE COMPETENCY - 1

PERFORM NURSERY
OPERATION
TYPES OF NURSERY
INTRODUCTION

Nurseries are places where seedlings are raised for planting

purposes . In the nursery the young seedlings are tended from
sowing to develop in such a way to be able to endure the hard field
conditions. Whether local or introduced species, nursery seedlings
are found to have better survival than seed sown directly in the
field or through natural regeneration.
 Two types of Nurseries:

1.Temporary nurseries - These are

established in or near the planting site.
Once the seedlings for planting are
raised, the nursery becomes part of the
planted site. There are sometimes called
“flying nurseries”.
2.Permanent nurseries - These can be
large or small depending on the objective
and the number of seedling raised annually.
Small nurseries contain less than 100,000
seedlings at a time while large nurseries
contain more than this number. In all cases
permanent nurseries must be well-
designed, properly sited and with adequate
water supply.
Types of Nurseries According to Type of
Plants Grown
 1. Fruit Plant Nurseries
Fruit crops are mainly propagated
vegetatively and need special techniques for
propagations as well as maintenance. Mango,
Guava, Pomegranate, Citrus, Lanzones, durian etc.
are propagated with vegetative means. Fruit
nurseries are essential for production of grafts as
well as the mother plants of scions and rootstocks.
2. Vegetable Nurseries
All vegetables except few like
potatoes, sweet potato, bulbous vegetables
and some other are raised by seedlings.
Very few vegetables are perennials like,
little gourd, drumsticks, Alocasia etc.
Seedlings are to be produced on a large
scale in short period.
3. Ornamental Plant Nurseries
Ornamental and floricultural crops
are numerous and are propagated
vegetatively, like gladiolus, carnation, roses,
lilies etc. There is a large group of
ornamental plants, which is propagated by
seeds and seedling; Asters, Marigolds, Salvias,
etc. are some of them.
4. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Nurseries

With the increasing awareness of

the use of ancient practices, it has
increased the scope of this kind of nursery
as a business. People have started to adopt
rearing these plants and use them daily in
one way or another instead of depending
upon allopathic medicines only. The
essential oils present in these plants and
their aroma due to this provides health
value and aesthetic sense.
 5. Forest Plant Nursery
Forest plants are essential for
synthesis of gums, honey, timber and fuel.
There is lack of forest plant nurseries. To
save and multiply the entire lot of valuable
forest plants it is very essential to
preserve and multiply those plants for
which special type of nurseries are to be
established. This is also needed for
medicinal purposes.
6. Hi-Tech Nurseries

There is sudden increase in the demand for certain commercial plants. For example
Tissue cultured banana, gerbera and carnation etc. It is not possible to fulfill this requirement by
ordinary or common nursery practices. There is necessity to have special techniques and
methods to meet the demand and only Hi-tech nurseries can satisfy this type of demand. These
nurseries grow plants in greenhouse, building of glass or a plastic tunnel, designed to protect
young plants from harsh weather, while allowing access to light and ventilation. Modern
greenhouses allow automated control of temperature, ventilation, light, watering and feeding.
Some also have fold-back roofs to allow "hardening-off" of plants without the need for manual
transfer of plants to the outdoor beds.
 7. Agricultural crop nursery
These nursery are temporary in nature,
and the land area are used for these is later added
to the land for cultivation. These is done to reduce
the workload and time required to handle large
areas under cultivation and to make fertilizers
available in a better manner. It's not for business
purposes but solely for the seasonal crop.
Ex. Rice
 According to the structure of nursery

1. Open nursery 2. Closed nursery

This type of nursery is low This type of nursery has special overhead
cost and low maintenance nursery. structures to provide a definite amount of sunlight
No special overhead structure like a for plants like greenhouse, glasshouse, and shade-
greenhouse, glasshouse, etc. is there nets. These structures, in some cases, are
except some shade nets or normal scientifically facilitated with room temperature and
room/ office present. humidity control.
 According to the landscape

1. Horizontal nursery
Almost all the nurseries are horizontal in
nature, i.e., they spread through the land
area covering it as a whole. The people
owning optimum or large land area and
the people requiring small nursery as a
part-time hobby or for Kitchen Garden
find it best.
2. Vertical nursery

With the increasingly urban and multi-

story building culture, space has reduced too many
folds for people staying in cities. The people who
still want to stay near nature and wish to develop
a nursery, which is space-effective, can go for
Vertical Nursery. It holds a bright scope in the
future.
 According to the Type of Sale
1. Retail Nursery 2. Wholesale nursery
These nurseries do sell directly to These nurseries grow their plants in
the people, to grow them at home or
bulk to cater to the needs of big clients like
home gardens. These are run locally to
florists, companies, commercial farmers,
sell seasonal and ornamental plants
other small nurseries, for environment
mostly and plant for decoration purposes
landscaping purposes, etc.
and for humidity maintenance. These may
also sell their plants to clients who
require a specific type of plant.
3. Private nursery 4. Mail Order
These nurseries generally are All the nurseries mentioned above
one customer nurseries and provide the can be a part of this type of nursery. These
batches for a single customer or the days online shopping has become a natural
owner itself. These clients could have trend and is an ever-rising business. One can
large estates or someone who has a make an online portal like other goods and
requirement to document historical services to sell; just the additional
tree preservation. requirement is of shipping facility, i.e., by
courier or delivery man.
Prepare nursery tools, farm implements and
simple equipment
TOOLS, FARM IMPLEMENTS AND SIMPLE
EQUIPMENT
INTRODUCTION
Agricultural tools and equipment’s are instrument we use in
farm to aid us in farm work, thereby making it easy.
 Farm tools and equipment and their uses

A Bolo is a knife-like instrument mainly

used as a cutting tool. It is usually used
for clearing vegetation, cutting tall weeds
and grasses, and for chopping branches of
trees.
Digging tools
Digging is the combination of two processes, the first being the
breaking or cutting of the surface, and the second being the removal and
relocation of the material found there.
Crowbar
Crowbar also called a wrecking
bar, it is a handy tool for digging
holes and break stones.
Pick-mattock
 It is a handy tool that is used
for digging and breaking
stones.
Grab (Garden) hoe
A grab-hoe helps to brake
hard topsoil. It is also used
to crush hard soil smoothly.
Spade
 A spade is used for removing
soil or trash. It can also be
used for digging
Shovel
 Used for removing of any
trash, dig, move, and mix
the soil.
Rake
 A rake is like a broom but made
with metal. It is a farming tool
used for clearing fields and
gathering weeds, hay, etc.
Light hoe
 Light-hoe is used for levelling
and loosening soil. It is also
used for digging furrows for
planting.
 Harvesting tools

Scythe - In agriculture, the scythe is

a versatile hand-held implement for
mowing cereals (including wheat) and
other herbaceous plants. It has a
curved and sharp blade
Sickle
It is a well known and ancient hand-
held agricultural instrument. It has a
curved blade that is used for cutting
weeds.
Propagation tool

Grafting and budding knife – several types

and qualities are available. The knives should
have an edge of hard steel that will keep sharp
for a long time. The grafting knife has a edge.
The budding knife has a curved edged and a
blunt end for opening the bark and inserting the
bud.
 Cutting tools

 Pruning saw - A pruning saw is a tool

with the same sharp teeth as saws used
for cutting lumber. But pruning saws are
intended for trimming live shrubs and
trees. There are many types of pruning
saws, each intended for a particular
type of branch or stem.
Pruning Shear
Knife
Hedge shear
Cutter
 Seedling tray
A seed starting tray is a gardening
tool specifically designed to hold multiple
seeds, starting from the germination stage,
until the seedlings are ready for
transplantation. Using such a tray ensures
better nutrient availability for each seed,
and eliminates the need for multiple
plantings.
 pH meter
 The pH meter will measure acidic or
alkaline soil conditions with its pH level meter.
To ensure you have the
correct moisture content to avoid over or
under watering, utilize
the Moisture Content Meter. Plants and flowers
need the correct amount of light. This meter as
the ability to measure light amount
Soil auger
 Soil Augers are commonly used for
obtaining disturbed soil samples at or near
the surface in most soil conditions, and for
boring to depths where soil samples may
be obtained with a separate soil
sampler or soil core sampler.
 Petri dish

A Petri dish (alternatively known as

a Petri plate or cell-culture dish) is a
shallow transparent lidded dish that
biologists use to culture cells, such
as bacteria, fungi or small mosses. It is the
most common type of culture plate.
 Tractor

 Tractor - A tractor is one of the most

popular and most essential farming
equipment. It is a vehicle that is specially
designed for hauling different types of
agricultural machinery. Modern tractors
can be used for planting, tilling, spreading
fertilizer, and more
Cultivator
This is can be used to carry
out secondary tillage on a field. In
most cases, this machine is equipped
with rotary motion. It is used for
removing weeds and for pulverizing
and stirring the soil before planting.
Seed drill
 This is the machine that is
used for sowing seeds. It is used
for planting seeds at equal
distance and at the proper depth
 Classification of farm equipment

1.Irrigation machinery: These types of equipment are used for watering crops on
large farms.They usually include central pivot irrigation systems and pump units.
2.Soil cultivation implements: These are used for ploughing the soil and preparing
it for cultivation. Some examples of soil cultivation equipment include tilers, disk
harrows, and moldboard ploughs.
3. Planting machines: These are used for planting saplings and seeds after the soil
has been cultivated.
4.Harvesting equipment: These are used to gather crops once they have reached
full maturity. Examples of harvesting equipment are diggers, trailers, and pickers,
etc
Site selection for nursery shed
SITE SELECTION
The selection of the area for a nursery is critical and it should be
sited as centrally as possible to the field(s) to be planted. In addition, the
following should also be considered:
Topography (Terrain)

The selected area should be flat to gently undulating with

slopes between 0 and 30 and preferably, with a
reliable/permanent source of water supply for irrigation purpose.
Area

To achieve good growing conditions with minimal risk of etiolation, a

main nursery planting density of 13,800 polybags per ha with 0.91m(3ft) x
0.91m(3ft) D planting is recommended excluding allowance for accessibility. The
spacing should be increased by another 0.15m (0.5ft) if the seedlings are
anticipated to be kept in the nursery for longer than 12 months.
Water Supply

Water requirements (quality and quantity) must be determined prior to starting

site preparation. The easiest source of water is where there is a large natural pond or
lake whereby all that is required is to place an intake pipe to connect with a pump unit.
A back-up system should be considered, particularly in isolated areas or areas of lower
or unreliable rainfall.
Drainage

The site chosen should not be prone to flooding,

which will damage seedlings and buildings (stores).
SITE PREPARATION

The preparation of the area for a nursery is important to allow optimum

seedling growth, maintenance of nursery site, unimpeded access and to provide
hygienic conditions for plant growth. Four main activities are involved in
preparing a site for nursery, namely nursery design, clearing, fencing and lining.
Nursery Design

A well-designed nursery allows for access of many vehicles during

evacuation of seedlings for field planting especially for large-scale plantings. This
objective can be achieved through the drawing up of a plan to show all paths,
roads and irrigation points.
Clearing

With the boundaries determined, felling and clearing should be carried

out at least 2 months before the arrival of the seeds. Once clearing is
completed, proceed to fence the area, fill the polybags and install the irrigation
system.
Fencing

The major types of fences utilised for nurseries are the

conventional barbed wire fence and the electric fence.
The Conventional Fence

The specifications for the conventional fence depend on the species of

animals that it is required to keep out. For example, a four-strand barbed wire
fence, with wires spaced at 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 m from ground should be
adequate to control cattle and goats.
Electric Fencing

 Where there is threat of wild mammalian pests, an electrical fence is possibly

the best form of defence. Wires of 250-300 kg breaking strain have been found
to be the most suitable. The heights at which the electrified wires are placed
above ground level are critical, being dependent on the mammalian pests to be
kept out, e.g. 10 cm to repel porcupines.
Lining

Lining is carried out to space the polybags evenly in the nursery, so that
seedlings have good and uniform access to sunlight and to achieve the most cost
effective irrigation system
Maintain nursery facilities
Benefits: Cleaning and maintaining nursery property, buildings
and equipment limits the opportunity for pest introduction and
spread. Knowledge of pests and pathways of pest transmission
can be used to determine the frequency of cleaning and
maintenance activities. Depending on the pest, equipment may
need to be cleaned between uses on individual trees or between
production areas. This knowledge should be used to implement a
sanitation program and a maintenance program.
Identifying Nursery Tasks

Only a few required tasks must happen each day; these tasks are the
essential activities that keep the crops alive and healthy and the nursery functioning
on a daily basis. These tasks include watering, keeping daily records, and monitoring
crops as they go through the establishment, rapid growth, and hardening phases.
Other tasks need to be done less frequently but are as important. Good planning
and oversight will ensure that all nursery tasks are prioritized and scheduled
accordingly.
Planning and Scheduling
 Schedule an overview and planning session on a weekly basis to assess
immediate needs, periodic tasks, and long-term goals. This assessment
provides an opportunity to prioritize tasks for the coming week and
month .
 Nursey Management Checklist
Planning and Scheduling (weekly, monthly, yearly)

• Make a list of what needs to be done based on daily observations, daily logs,
and crop development records.
• Establish propagation protocols.
• Create and update crop-growing schedules and facilities schedules.
• Prioritize and delegate tasks.
• Follow up to ensure tasks were done.
• Refine nursery vision and objectives annually; anticipate new crops to grow,
changes in production, infrastructure improvements or expansion, and other
planning for the future.
Routine Tasks (daily)
• Irrigate
• Crop culturing (for example, weed or pest control, fertilizing).
• Monitor and observe the crops.
Recordkeeping

• Record observations and actions in daily journal or log (daily).

• Make notes in the plant development records for each crop (daily or
weekly).
• Update and revise plant protocols (at end of each crop).
• Conduct crop inventory assessment (ongoing).
 Crop-Phase Production Tasks

• Establishment tasks (for example, making growing media, sowing seeds,

inoculating with microsymbionts).
• Rapid growth phase tasks (for example, fertilizing, monitoring).
• Hardening phase tasks (for example, changing fertilization and light regimes).
• Update clients about crop development.
• Harvesting, packing and shipping tasks.
Watering
 The most important factor in achieving good success in the nursery is
the availability of sufficient water to ensure optimum growth of the
seedlings. More often than not inadequate watering is the root of pest
and disease problems in the nursery as the seedlings would be at a
weaken stage and therefore more prone to pests and diseases.
 Poor or uneven coverage of the irrigation system may also lead to
seedlings of poor uniformity. This is a very common fault in nurseries.
Watering must be done daily including holidays.
Manuring
 It is well established that the fertiliser rates for nurseries require adjustment
to varying management practices and according to different soil types
 Fertilizer application
 For foliar application, the drenching of the seedlings with foliar fertilizer solution should
be carried out early in the morning or late afternoon. As far as possible, the whole
seedlings should be wetted and no watering of the seedling should be carried out for the
day of application.
 For solid application, the compound fertilizer should be weighed to obtain the correct
rates, and calibrated applicators (e.g. scoop, spoon, etc.) given to the workers to ensure
that the correct rates are applied. The fertiliser should be evenly distributed on the
surface of the polybag soil at least 2-4 cm away from the base of the seedlings. The
application of solid fertilizer should be carried out when the seedlings are dry, i.e. in the
morning before watering, or in the afternoon after the morning watering.
 Good supervision of all fertilizer applications is necessary to obtain full benefits from the
inputs.
Pests and Disease Control

 This is another important aspect in nursery management. Pest

infestations and disease infections can cause alarming damage and losses
if not recognized at an early stage and brought under control quickly.
Most pest and disease problems can be avoided by correct agronomic
and management practices, but where they are unavoidable, early
detection and prompt control measures are crucial.
 Recordkeeping
• Propagation Protocols—show how to
Nursery recordkeeping includes the produce each kind of crop successfully in
following— your nursery. The protocols provide
• A Daily Log—can be as simple as guidance for each new crop in developing
writing the day’s date and jotting down the production plan and listing needed
some notes in a notebook about facilities and supplies and should be
observations and activities at the end of regularly updated and revised.
each day. Make a habit of entering • Inventory Assessment—should
something in the log each day, even if the include all plants in the nursery by bench or
observations seem unimportant at the structure number, current developmental
time. stage of each crop, and details of delivery
• Plant Development Records—for (target requirements, outplanting site, name
each crop should be kept in an easily of client, seed source, and anticipated
accessible place and a few notes should be delivery date).
jotted down as changes occur with the
crop.
WORKPLACE HAZARDS
Workplace health and safety affects every farm worker and agriculte
business. Rural work often involvea a variety of tasks, in extremely busy periods
and often in physical isolation from other workers. In addition, varrying climatic
conditions, the exposure of family memebers and visitors to risk (as the family
home is on the farm), the use seasonal labor forces and other factors expose
people to potentially dangerous situations.
How can workplace hazards be minimized?
 The first step in minimizing workplace hazards is to perform a thorough
hazard assessment.
 Employers can rely on the evaluations performed by the manufacturers or
importers to establish the hazards at the chemical they use.
 The chance that these hazards will result in an injury for young
workers is higher when combined with risk factors such as:
1. Lack of supervision
2. Lack of training
3. Working alone
4. Working long days
5. Temporary employment
6. Trying to impress the boss, supervisor or co-workers.
HANDLE SEEDS/PLANTING
MATERIAL
 All seeds require a few basic things to grow: sunlight, a growing
medium, and water. The key to making sure a seed germinates
and grows into a healthy plant is to provide these elements
according to the particular needs of the plant species. Read on
to learn how to plant a seed so that it has the best chance of
sprouting
 Select a type of plant that thrives in your growing
region. Not all plants can grow in every region. An area’s
temperature and climate factor greatly in the plant’s chances
of success. When you pick out seeds to plant, do a little
research to make sure the plant species does well in your
area.
 a. If you have a greenhouse or plan to grow your plant indoors, you may
be able to plant a seed even if the species is not native to your growing
region.
b. A good way to figure out what plants grow well in your area is to visit
a local nursery or Department of Agriculture and talk with an employee
there. He or she will be able to help you pick out hardy seeds that have a
great chance of germinating and growing into healthy plants.
c. Some seeds are easy to plant in many growing regions and under a lot
of different conditions. Look for “easy seeds,” which are hardy and simple to
grow for the beginning gardener.
Know what time of year to plant the seed. The time of year you
plant seeds is determined by both the plant’s needs and your
growing region.
 Check your seed packet for information on how early to start
your seeds.
 Starting seeds too early or late can prevent germination from
occurring, so it’s important to figure out the right time to plant
to ensure success.

Different types of planting materials

 Planting material refers to the type of material used to establish a field.

1. Seed - the fertilized and natural ovule of a plant.

2. Sucker - Suckers are vigorous vertical growth coming from the
roots or lower main stem of a plant. Suckers are usually considered
undesirable—you want the plant, but you don’t want its
suckers because they sap the plant’s energy.
Tissue Culture
 Tissue culture involves the use of small pieces of plant tissue (explants) which are
cultured in a nutrient medium under sterile conditions. Using the appropriate
growing conditions for each explant type, plants can be induced to rapidly
produce new shoots, and, with the addition of suitable hormones new roots.
These plantlets can also be divided, usually at the shoot stage, to produce large
numbers of new plantlets. The new plants can then be placed in soil and grown in
the normal manner.
 4. Cutting - A piece of the stem or root of the source plant is placed in a suitable
medium such as moist soil. If the conditions are suitable, the plant piece will begin to
grow as a new plant independent of the parent, a process known as striking. A stem
cutting produces new roots, and a root cutting produces new stems. Some plants can
be grown from leaf pieces, called leaf cuttings, which produce both stems and roots.
The scions used in grafting are also called cuttings.
5. Rhizome - A rhizome (also known as rootstocks) is a type of plant stem situated either
at the soil surface or underground that contains nodes from which roots and shoots
originate (shown below). Rhizomes are unique in that they grow perpendicular, permitting
new shoots to grow up out of the ground. When separated, each piece of a rhizome is
capable of producing a new plant. Common examples of rhizomes include canna lilies,
bearded Iris, ginger and bamboo.
6. Corms look like true bulbs but they are solid, so they do not have layers of
modified leaves. As the leaves and flowers grow, they absorb the nutrients and
the corm shrivels up and disappears. One or more additional corms are
produced through the growing season and that’s how the plant regenerates
itself. Examples of corms include crocus, Gladiolas and tuberous begonias.
7. Grafted Material - Grafting and budding are horticultural techniques used to join parts
from two or more plants so that they appear to grow as a single plant. In grafting, the upper
part (scion) of one plant grows on the root system (rootstock) of another plant. In the
budding process, a bud is taken from one plant and grown on another.
8. TUBER -The most well-known tuber is the potato. Tubers can be easily recognized by
the eyes from which the stems grow. These types of plants can be cut into pieces and re-
grown as long as each piece contains an eye. Other examples of tubers include dahlias and
caladiums.
9. Runner/Stolon -are horizontally oriented stems that grow along the soil
surface. Their function is vegetative production. Example: number of grasses
have stolons. Spider also plant has many stolons, each with a plantlet forming at
the end of the stolon. Strawberries are normally propagated asexually by two
different methods: runners (stolons) and crown division.
10. BULB - Horticulturalists call these true bulbs to differentiate them from the all the
other types. True bulbs consist of layers of modified leaves and contain a miniature flower or
sprout in the center. If you cut an onion in half from top to bottom you can see that the
roots at the bottom of the bulb anchor the plant to the ground and absorb water and
nutrients. Other examples of true bulbs include garlic, amaryllis, tulips, daffodils and lilies.
Treatments to Overcome Seed Dormancy
Seed Scarification:

Nicking, breaking, softening, or otherwise weakening of the seed

coating meant to speed up germination
How To Scarify Seeds: Get Your Ingredients Together

 We scarified and soaked five different seed varieties in less than one hour.
 A simple look around your kitchen and workshed should suffice for gathering
all the tools needed for this process.You have several options for tools to nick
the seed coats. We used sandpaper, a file, and a nail, in our experiment. The file
works best on bigger seeds, while the sandpaper is a great choice for smaller
seeds.
 Scarification Tools: file/rasp, sandpaper, nail, several bowls, room
temperature water, and peat moss/plastic baggies if you’d like to store the
seeds overnight.
How To Scarify Seeds: An Easy Step-By-Step Process

 1. Using the tool of your choice, nick the seed coat so that the inside
(which is usually lighter in color) shows through. You want to be careful
to do as little harm as possible, so as not to damage the seed. Repeat this
process for all of your seeds.
Hot Water Scarification

 Drop into hot water (77 to 100oC), remove from heat, allow to cool and
soak for 24 hours.
Warm Moist Scarification

 Keep plants in warm moist soil or unsterilized sand for several months to
soften seed coats through microbial activity. Seeds may also be planted
directly in the summer or fall while soil temperatures are warm.
Stratification

Seed Stratification: a process of mimicking a cool, moist winter to break

dormancy and encourage sprouting that involves layering seeds among
moistened growing media such as sand, peat and soil and subjecting to cold
temperatures.
 To stratify seeds, place them in a bag with coarse sand (or a 50/50 mix of sand
and peat moss) and shake for 60 seconds. Add enough water to make damp
and let soak overnight.
 After nicking seeds, place them in between soaked paper towels in a plastic
baggie and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
 In fall, layer seeds in a pot with growing medium and plant the pot in the
garden.
QUALITY SEEDS
 Quality seeds is define as varietally pure with a high
germination percentage, free from disease and disease organisms,
and with a proper moisture content and weight. Quality seed
insures good germination, rapid emergence, vigorous growth. These
aspects translate to a good stand (whether greenhouse or field).
Poor quality seeds results in “skips” excessive thinning, or yield
reductions due to overcrowding, all of which diminish profitability.
Importance of Quality Seed
1. Seed is vital input in crop production
• It is the cheapest input in crop production and key to agriculture progress.
• Response of other input in crop depends on seed material used.
2. The seed required for raising crop is quite small and its cost is so less compared to
other inputs.
3. It is estimated that good quality seeds to improve varieties can contribute about 20-
25% increase in yield.

The advent of modern plant breeding methods and biotechnological advances in seed
industry plays a significant role in developing of high yielding varieties and hybrids.
Benefits of using quality seeds
1.They are genetically pure (true type)
2. Less infestation of land weed seed/other crop seeds.
3. Less disease and insect problem.
4. Minimization of seed/seedling rate i.e., fast and uniform emergence of
seedling.
5. They can be adopted themselves for extreme climatic condition and
cropping system of the location. Uniform in plant population and
maturity.
6. High produce value and their marketability.
 Starting Seeds Indoors

Prepare the growing containers. Start by moistening the

seed-starting medium thoroughly, so that it provides a good
growing environment for the seeds. Fill the containers with the
medium, leaving about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of space between the
top of the growing medium and the rim of the containers. Place
the containers in a sunny, well-ventilated area with a steady,
warm temperature.
Sow the seeds. The way you sow your seeds is depending on what type of plant you’re
growing, so it’s necessary to read the seed packet carefully first. Many seeds can be
scattered evenly across the surface of the growing medium. Be sure not to place too
many seeds in the same growing container, since you don’t want them to crowd each
other too much.
A. Some seeds should be planted about 1⁄2 to 1⁄4 inch (1.3 to 0.6 cm) below the
surface of the growing medium. Check your seed pack to make sure you sow the
seeds correctly.
b. Some seeds do best when they are chilled or soaked before sowing.
c. Be sure you’re providing the right sunlight conditions for your specific seed
species. Most seeds can germinate without light, but they’ll need sun as soon as they
sprout.
Keep the seeds moist. Seed growing medium tends to dry out quickly, since there’s no soil to
hold the water. Be sure to water the seeds consistently, never allowing them to dry out too
much.
a. You can lightly drape a piece of plastic wrap over the seed trays to help trap in
moisture.
b. Don’t overwater the containers, or the seeds could become waterlogged. They should
be moist, but not dripping wet.
 Keep the seedlings healthy. As the seeds sprout into seedlings, you’ll
see thin green stems emerge from the growing medium. If the containers
aren’t already placed in a sunny area, be sure to move them to a place
with direct sunlight. Keep them moist at all times and make sure the
temperature never drops below the recommended level.
 Weed out the weaker seedlings. After a week or two, weed
out the weaker-looking seedlings so that the stronger ones have
more room to grow. Leave about 2 - 3 seedlings per container.
QUALITY SEEDS
Quality seeds is define as varietally pure with a high germination
percentage, free from disease and disease organisms, and with a proper
moisture content and weight. Quality seed insures good germination, rapid
emergence, vigorous growth. These aspects translate to a good stand
(whether greenhouse or field). Poor quality seeds results in “skips”
excessive thinning, or yield reductions due to overcrowding, all of which
diminish profitability.
Importance of Quality Seed
1. Seed is vital input in crop production
a. It is the cheapest input in crop production and key to agriculture
progress.
b.Response of other input in crop depends on seed material used.
2.The seed required for raising crop is quite small and its cost is so less
compared to other inputs.
3. It is estimated that good quality seeds to improve varieties can contribute
about 20-25% increase in yield.
The advent of modern plant breeding methods and biotechnological
advances in seed industry plays a significant role in developing of high
yielding varieties and hybrids.
Benefits of using quality seeds
1. They are genetically pure (true type)
2. Less infestation of of land weed seed/other crop seeds.
3. Less disease and insect problem.
4. Minimization of seed/seedling rate i.e., fast and uniform
emergence of seedling.
5. They can be adopted themselves for extreme climatic condition
and cropping system of the location. Uniform in plant population
and maturity.
5. High produce value and and their marketability.
Germination is the process by which plants, fungi and
bacteria emerge from seeds and spores, and begin growth.
Germination is the growth of an embryonic plant contained
within a seed; it results in the formation of the seedling. The
seed of a vascular plant is a small package produced in
a fruit or cone after the union of male and female sex cells
 SEED TESTING

Seed testing is the art and science of evaluating seed quality for
agricultural purposes. Although initially developed for evaluating the
planting quality of field and vegetable seeds, it is also valuable for
determining the quality of lawn, flower, and tree seeds.
1. Rag doll method is a method of testing seeds
using a towel.The towel is soaked and drain in
water.
 2. Plate or Dish Method
Plate or Dish method is a method of germinating seeds with the used of
a plate and tissue . It's sometimes mistaken as paper-towel method
because of it's steps and procedures. The difference is that this method
used tissue while the latter used paper towel.
3. Seed boxes, also called trays or flats, offer gardeners the
opportunity to start a large number of seeds in one
container. This option saves space and allows the grower to
easily move the seedlings from one place to another. Once
the young plants outgrow the seed box, they can be
transplanted either to the garden or into larger individual
containers. Planting is generally done in spring, and
preparation is essential to get seed boxes ready.
PREPARE GROWING MEDIA
 The material that your plants grow in is called the “growing medium”.
Dozens of different ingredients are used in varying combinations to create
homemade or commercial growing media. By understanding the functions of
growing media, you can evaluate the qualities of individual types and select
which ones might work best for your container vegetable garden. The choice
is very important because your plants are dependent on a relatively small
volume of growing medium. Unlike their cousins growing in garden soil,
containerized plant roots cannot grow around obstacles or mine the soil far
and wide for nutrients and water.
Growing medium has three main functions-
 1) supply roots with nutrients, air, and water,
 2) allow for maximum root growth, and
 3) physically support the plant.
Qualities of Different Types of Growing Media
Garden Soil: never use this by itself for container gardens. Soils hold water
and nutrients very well and can drown roots growing in a container.
Diseases and weed seeds can also be a problem. And soil is heavy which an
advantage is if you are trying to anchor top-heavy plants and pots, but a
disadvantage if you want to move pots.
2. Peat moss is dead fibrous material that forms when mosses and other living
material decompose in peat bogs. The difference between peat moss and the
compost gardeners make in their backyard is that peat moss is composed
mostly of moss, and the decomposition happens without the presence of air,
slowing the rate of decomposition. It takes several millennia for peat moss to
form, and peat bogs gain less than a millimeter in depth every year. Since the
process is so slow, peat moss isn’t considered a renewable resource.
3. Sawdust or wood dust: It is a by-product of cutting, grinding, drilling, sanding,
or otherwise pulverizing wood with a saw or other tool; it is composed of fine
particles of wood.
4. Coco coir: Fiber Coir is a natural fiber extracted from
the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor
mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses, etc. Technically
coir is the fibrous material found between the hard,
internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Other uses
of brown coir (made from ripe coconut) are in upholstery
padding, sacking and horticulture. White coir, harvested
from unripe coconuts, is used for making finer brushes,
string, rope and fishing nets.
5. Compost: Composting speeds the natural process whereby
microorganisms break down complex organic matter into simple,
nutritious topsoil. When this occurs on the forest floor, it’s
called mulching, but when people have a hand in the procedure, we
call it composting.
 Composting requires water, air, and rotting material with a good
nitrogen to carbon ratio.
 The resultant soil material from composting is called humus.
6. Animal Manure: Manure is organic matter, mostly derived from animal feces
except in the case of green manure, which can be used as organic fertilizer in
agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic
matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil.
Higher organisms then feed on the fungi and bacteria in a chain of life that
comprises the soil food web. It is also a product obtained after decomposition
of organic matter like cow dung which replenishes the soil with essential
elements and add humus to the soil.
A.CATTLE MANURE
Cattle manure is basically made up of digested grass and grain. Cow dung is
high in organic materials and rich in nutrients. It contains about 3 percent nitrogen, 2
percent phosphorus, and 1 percent potassium (3-2-1 NPK). In addition, cow manure
contains high levels of ammonia and potentially dangerous pathogens. For this
reason, it’s usually recommended that it be aged or composted prior to its use as cow
manure fertilizer.
B. CHICKEN MANURE
Using Chicken Manure for Vegetable Garden Fertilizer Chicken manure fertilizer is
very high in nitrogen and also contains a good amount of potassium and phosphorus.
The high nitrogen and balanced nutrients is the reason that chicken manure compost
is the best kind of manure to use. But the high nitrogen in the chicken manure is
dangerous to plants if the manure has not been properly composted. Raw chicken
manure fertilizer can burn, and even kill plants. Composting chicken manure mellows
the nitrogen and makes the manure suitable for the garden.
7. Rice hulls (or rice husks) are the hard protecting coverings of grains of rice. In
addition to protecting rice during the growing season, rice hulls can be put to
use as building material.
 Carbonized rice hull (CRH) is made from incomplete or partial burning of rice
hull. It is porous and bulky with uniform INTACT black particles. It contains
phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and
micronutrients vital to growing crops. Because it is also sterilized, it is free
from disease organisms...
 As soil conditioner / ameliorant
• CRH helps replenish the nutrients and other microelements in the soil that
were lost due to continuous cropping.
• It also improves soil structure by increasing bulk density, water holding
capacity, and AERATION.
8.. Sand
Sand, a basic component of soil, ranges in particle size from
0.05mm to 2.0mm in diameter. Fine sands (0.05mm – 0.25mm)
do little to improve the physical properties of a growing media and
may result in reduced drainage and aeration. Medium and coarse
sand particles are those which provide optimum adjustments in
media texture. Although sand is generally the least expensive of all
inorganic amendments it is also the heaviest. This may result in
prohibitive transportation costs. Sand is a valuable amendment
for both potting and propagation media.
STERILIZATION OF MEDIA
To be sure that the soil and other media to be use is free from pathogens, the following
methods are recommended:

 1. Boiling treatment - often used to treat soil in pots and small

seedbeds. Pouring sufficient boiling water directly into the soil.
 2. Use of heat - pulverized soil is placed in an open pan or
galvanized iron and heated underneath.
 Soil in the pan is turned over occasionally with a shovel while temperature is
rising, reaching up to 80 degrees Celsius.
 Maintain this temperature for 30 minutes.
 Sprinkle the loosened soil with water to keep it moist.
 After 30 minutes remove the fire underneath and allow to cool.
3. Burning straws - most practical common method used by
farmers.
 Dried rice straws are piled up on tops of the seedbed and burned.
 Burn up all the straws and wait until the soil cools off.
 4. Soil drenching - with the use of pesticides. Soil drenching is
the process of adding diluted chemicals directly to the base of
the plants to provide targeted, deep penetration. Most often used
with insecticides, soil drenching is also possible with herbicides,
if you have a hard-to-kill plant, and fertilizers, when you have
one plant with special nutrient needs.
CONDUCT PROPAGATION ACTIVITY
Man has propagated plant material almost as long as he has cultivated
the land to produce food. For a long time, plant material was propagated mainly
by using the seeds of existing plants. Better methods were discovered over time,
methods that allowed the farmer to retain the desirable qualities of the plant
material, while eliminating some of the less desirable qualities. Through these
methods, the farmer was also able to eliminate the variations between plants
of the same cultivar and produce more consistently. Today, farmers buy their
plant material consisting of seed and seedlings from commercial seed companies
or nurseries. The farmer is able to obtain plant material of a wide variety of
cultivars, and that has qualities most suited to his specific environment.
Environmental Requirements for Propagation

Newly propagated plants or seedlings must be healthy and adhere

to specified standards. To achieve this, the following factors are
monitored closely:
 Humidity
 Aeration
 Light quality and quantity
 Temperature
 Moisture
Humidity
 Humidity levels are especially important in allowing the plant to
carry on with its metabolic processes at desired rates.
 The ideal relative humidity for propagation ranges between 80%
and 95% for seeds and cuttings, and in the region of 60%
outdoors for budding, grafting and seedbed methods. Seed
germination is faster at higher humidity levels, as is the case in
cuttings. In warm and dry areas, the level of humidity often
falls below 55% on hot summer days, making budding and
grafting more delicate and requiring close monitoring.
Light
 All green plants require light for growth to take place. Some plants
(most species) prefer growing in direct sunlight, while others prefer
growing in the shade where they are subjected to indirect sunlight.
Light is essential for photosynthesis, while light quality, which is
determined by the wavelength of the light, also influences germination
and flowering.
 Plants in grown under protection such as greenhouses and shade-
houses, require adequate light for the process of photosynthesis. If
the plant does not receive enough light, which may be due to
shading or over-crowding, it displays symptoms of retarded growth.
Temperature
 If heat and light, which cause an increase in temperature, is
not controlled properly, plants may suffer from heat injury.
The ideal temperature for propagation is 29°C, and it must be
monitored closely.
 In propagation chambers the temperature can often be
maintained at this ideal level by heating and cooling systems.
The heat is also used for increasing the humidity in the
chambers, by drenching the trays and dampening the floor.
Moisture
Moisture is essential for germination and healthy plant
growth. Too much water suffocates the plant roots, and can
cause diseases such as root rot, damping off, and collar rot.
The other extreme is insufficient water supply, or drought,
and is detrimental to all plants, but even more so to cuttings
and young seedlings. A uniform and constant water supply is
required for seed germination to produce healthy and
vigorous seedlings, and for seedlings to grow into healthy
plants. In all propagation methods, the properties of the
growth-medium determine the quality and quantity of water
that will be available for uptake by the plant.
Seedling Quality

Good plant quality is the basis for tree planting success. It is

not worth a farmer’s effort to transport plants to the field, prepare an
area, plant and maintain trees unless they are of good quality. A poor
quality tree will always be a poor quality tree even if planted on a well-
prepared, good site. In the field, each poor quality tree wastes space and
resources leading to low site productivity. High quality trees have a
higher survival rate and faster growth in the field than poor quality
trees. Fast growth allows a tree to outcompete weeds and reduces the
initial labor costs of establishment. Fast growth also enables a farmer to
harvest wood or tree products sooner, increasing the return on the
farmer’s investment. We are producing trees for people’s livelihood; they
depend on having high quality trees.
Seed Source Quality

Farmers select only the best animals for breeding: animals that are small and
sickly do not produce good offspring. Similarly, farmers use only the superior crops
that have high yields and are resistant to disease for the next year’s seed. These
same principles should apply to trees. The characteristics of the parent trees can
greatly influence the characteristics of the seedlings. The seed can determine whether
the tree will grow well or poorly. Studies from around the world have shown that good
seed improves survival, timber and fruit quality, and shortens rotation or harvest
times. Because trees take longer to mature than crops or animals, thus making tree
planting a long-term investment of labor and land, it is even more important to
select only high quality seed.
 The desired characteristics of the parent trees will vary
depending on whether the trees are for wood, fodder, fruit, or
medicine. A good nursery is to consult farmers as well as forestry
technicians when selecting the seed sources. Farmers often know
additional traits which make their trees more valuable. It may be
difficult to find some of the trees with the best traits because
these are often the first to be cut down. Conserving some of
the best trees within the community will ensure a future supply
of seed.
Some desirable parent tree characteristics are:
 Healthy trees with a large, well developed crown
 For timber trees, a long, straight trunk with few branches
 For fruit trees, low branching may be desired for easier fruit
harvest
 Fruit quality, such as sweetness or ability to be transported with
minimum damage
 Fast growth rate
 Low susceptibility to (or ability to quickly recover from) disease
or insect attack.
 Use seed from an area as similar as possible to the area where you
are planting. For example, seed from a mountainous region should only
be planted in a mountainous region and seed originating from the
lowlands will grow best in lowland conditions. If you purchase the seed,
ask for its origin.
The principles of tree domestication are similar to those used in
agriculture: maximize the quality of tree products, maximize tree growth
rates, ensure the adaptability of species to the planting site, and maximize
resistance to diseases and pests. This is achieved by selecting the best
seed sources and managing the trees under optimal conditions.
Seedling Physical Quality

No single characteristic determines seedling quality. Seedling

quality is a combination of height, diameter, plant nutrition,
health, root size and shape. Together, these characteristics
determine how well the plant will establish itself in the field, and
they affect the rate of survival. Height alone is often not a good
predictor of how a plant will grow in the field. A good nursery
is to judge seedling quality by several traits.
Quality tree seedlings have the following characteristics:
 They are healthy, vigorously growing and free of diseases.
 Their stem is sturdy and has a large root collar diameter.
 Their crown is symmetrical and dense.
 They have a root system that is free of deformities.
 They have a dense root system with many fine, fibrous hairs with white root
tips.
 They have a ‘balance’ between shoot and root mass.
 Their leaves have a healthy, dark green colour.
 They are accustomed to short periods without water.
 They are accustomed to full sunlight.
Assessing Seedling Quality

You do not need special equipment and it does not take long to
survey seedling quality. When the seedlings are about 15 cm tall,
choose at least 20 plants from each species for inspection. It is
important to sample randomly, that is, not to pick only the biggest
plants or only plants from one bed. Try to sample plants from all parts
of the nursery and from each bed in the nursery. Choose one or two
plants from each end and from the middle of each bed. Examine the
plants thoroughly. Sixteen out of 20 plants (80%) should have the
quality characteristics listed above. If fewer than 16 trees are of good
quality, try the techniques suggested in this manual. Repeat this
quality assessment at least once more about 1 month before the
plants are taken to the planting site so that improvements can be
made if necessary.
 A good nursery is to sacrifice a few plants to improve the
quality of the total nursery production. One of the best ways of
examining quality is to cut open the container and observe the
root system of several plants. Of course, these plants must then
be thrown away. Do not plant these seedlings afterwards,
because when inspecting the root system, the fine root hairs will
get damaged, and the plants will either die or become badly
stunted.
Keep the Best, Ditch the Rest

In every population of trees, there will always be some plants

of good quality and some of bad quality. On average, 20–30% (and
often even 50%) of the trees will be of poor quality. Thus, the
nursery should always produce 20–30% more plants than needed
to meet a given target. Nursery managers must accept that it is
quite normal to throw away plants. Unfortunately, many do not.
Many people do not want to see their hard work thrown away,
or they believe that the plants still might have a chance. These
ideas are false.
 A good nursery is to discard poor quality trees as soon as you
detect them. They waste space and resources in the nursery, and can be a
source of infection. The process of removing poor quality seedlings is
known as ‘culling’. It is a greater waste of hard work and money to
maintain trees of poor quality in the nursery and in the field, than to
throw away poor quality trees in the nursery. Variable plant growth in
the nursery is carried over to the field. A weak plant will never catch
up with others that were strong when planted out. A poor, but
unfortunately common, nursery is to select the best trees for planting,
but then leave the bad ones in the nursery. These are then given to the
next unsuspecting customer. This is very unfair to your customers. Only
the best quality trees should leave the nursery, the others should be
thrown away at that very moment.