commmunitiy nursery practices

8/10/2019 Commmunitiy Nursery Practices

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A LECTURE ON

NURSERY

ESTABLISHMENT,

OPERATION AND

MAINTENANCE

Butuan City, Dec 16-17, 2013


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Community nurseries ofMilalittra Tribal Association

in Basac and Miarayon,

Talakag, Bukidnon

Basac, Talakag, BukidnonMiarayon, Talakag


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A community basednursery for upland

brgys.


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Contents

1.0 Establishing a tree nursery2.0 Nursery Site preparation3.0 Nursery operations

4.0 Seedling protection5.0 Principles of plant propagation6.0 Field planting-planting out


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1.0 Establishing a treenursery

1.1. Factors thatinfluence location

1. a reliable supply of water2. The site should be accessible3. Good soils and other planting materials

such as sand should beavailable easily4. Exposure. The site should be protected

from strong winds and fromlivestock,should receive sun, and should beon a gentle slope to allow drainage


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1.2. Factors that influence size

1. Location. more space may be available inpublic land like school yards or churchgrounds

2. What to produce. Whether you will growthe seedlings in pots or in beds, andwhether

3. they will be raised from seed or fromgrafts, or from bare rootedcuttings, etc

4. additional space is required for keepingcollected soil, sand and manure, and for

mixing these materials5. The numbers of seedlings to be raised6. The amount of water that is available to

maintain seedlings


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1.3. Facilities and resources

When establishing a nursery, it isimportant to have somewhere to keepnursery tools safely and in goodconditions.

The basic tools needed for a nurseryinclude jembes, pangas, shovels,empty tins with small holes in thebottom (to substitute for a wateringcan), and kitchen knives for rootpruning. If resources allow, then

proper watering cans, wheelbarrows,pruning knives, knife sharpeners, soilsieves and shovels are also all useful


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2.0 Nursery Site preparation

2.1. When to start raising seedlings: The time tostart work in the nursery depends on when field plantingis planned.2.2. Soil collection: The soil used to raise seedlingsshould be fertile andshould drain well.. Then mix 2 partsof soil with 1 part of manure or compost and 1 part of

sand


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3.0 Nursery operations

Tree nursery operations involvesvarious activities such as, seedsourcing, Seed bed preparation,Sowing seeds, Potting, PrickingOut, Shading, Watering, Weeding,

root pruning, application ofadditional fertilizers or manure

3.1. Sourcing seed and pre-treatmentsSourcing tree seed:Pre-treating seed


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Essenital oil distillation


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3.2. Seed bed preparation: nursery beds can be arranged indifferent ways.


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3.3. Potting: Potting mixture (soil, sand andcompost/manure) should be

moistened and then pressed into containers to a depth ofabout three-quarters of the height of pots. Pots shouldthen be topped up more loosely with mixture and presseddown lightly to about 2 cm below the top. Heavycompaction should be avoided at the top of pots because itwill inhibit root penetration.


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3.4. Sowing seed: When raising seedlings in pots it is normalto use polythene tubes that are around 10 cm in diameter and20 cm deep, though the size of pots will depend on the speciesin question and the time that seedlings will be in the nursery.Instead of using plastic tubes, other locally available materialsthat can be used include small tins, milk packets, cardboardboxes, banana fibre containers, calabashes and clay pots.

When planting seed in nursery beds, use the procedure outlinedin thedrawings below Sowing seeds in a seedbed: Draw lines 10cm. apart or the width of your palm


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Sow at the spacing of 10 cm. between seeds

Cover the nursery with dry grass or maize stalkthen water


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3.5. Pricking Out: This is the process of transferring youngand tenderseedlings from seedbeds into containers (pots). Pricking outshould be carried out when the seedlings reach a height of2 cm. This is usually about two weeks after sowing butdepends on the species.


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3.6. Shading: Construct a shade to protect the seedlings from directsunlight for two to three weeks after pricking out.Use locally available materials such as grass, mats, or banana fibersfor shade construction.

3.7. Watering: The regular supply of clean water is essential to plantgrowth. Plants are made out of more than 90% water. When grown incontainers, nursery plants have only a limited volume of substrate anddo not have the ability of mature trees to search for water from belowthe soil surface. The amount of water seedlings require depends onupon:-

Seedling age. More water is required after germination when the seedlingis young and at pricking out but this requirement reduces as the seedlinggrows in age. The amount of water should be reduced four weeks beforethe seedlings are planted out. At that stage, the soil can be left to dry outcompletely and the plants to wilt for a day. The process should berepeated several times.

Amount of sunlight. If the area is sunny, more water is needed andviceversa.However, do not keep the area shady for too long to reduce wateruse. Soil type. A sandy soil loses water faster than a soil with high claycontent hence need more frequent watering. However a clayish soilbecomes hard and cracks if it dries out.


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Watering the nursery seedlings


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3.8. Weeding: Weeds are a threatto healthy seedlings development.They compete with seedlings fornutrients, water and light hence theymust be controlled.

3.9. Application of additionalfertilizers (Nutrition): Fertilizersor manure is applied when theseedlings show sign of weakness.The most common fertilizers are NPK

and DAP.Its important to note that manurefrom livestock can also be used.


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3.10. Root pruning: Root pruning isthe cutting of roots to control rootsystem development beyond the

container.Why root prune? When seedlings havereached to a certain size and theirroots become longer than the depth ofthe pots. If the roots are left withoutpruning, they penetrate into theground and develop the root systemsthere

Water the seedlings properly beforeroot pruning. Using a sharp knife or wire orscissors to cut the long rootsunderneaththe container. You can also uplift thecontainers (wrenching) to cutovergrown roots.


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Note that to reduce root pruning, you can Place the seedlingson a bed of stones or on polythene sheet and this reduces rootdevelopment. If the seedlings are in a raised bed, prune the roots by usinga knife or wire underneath the bed, soon after watering seebelow


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3.11. Hardening off: Hardening up isto expose the seedlings to harshconditions to make them strong so thatthey will be able to survive under harshclimate in the field after planting out. Itis also a gradual preparation ofseedlings for field conditions.Hardening up process: When the seedlings grow and reachthe planting size, the shadeshould be removed to exposure to moresunshine Reduction in watering intensity(quantity) and frequency-watertwice a week and later once a week

Before planting out, root pruningshould be carried out frequently or re-arrangement of pots to allow moreadoption to stress.


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3.12. Postponing planting: If its not possible toplant when the seedlings are ready for planting out

(reached right size for planting-1.5 ft) or theseedling are not bought; cut the tips of the plant tosuppress further growth so that they will not beovergrown during next season planting.4.0 Seedling protectionDamage and disasters in the nursery may becategorized as below.

4.1. Weather conditions: This is damagecaused by the adverse weatherconditions. We can either regulate watering orshading to comply withprevailing weather conditions.4.2. Human: This is the stealing and/or

intentional damaging of seedlings byhuman beings. Fencing and security are suchoptions to overcome this.

Protecting seedlings


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4.3. Livestock and wild animals: Livestockand wild animals Rodents: Field mice/ratesfrequently cause serous damage to seedlingsin thenursery as well as in the field by eating

them..4.4. Insects: Termites are the most commonrecorded insects in the nursery.

Termite may be controlled by several methods; Putting a thin layer of ash (2-3 cm thickness)

on the bed, where the pots or tubes ofseedlings will be placed. However periodicapplication is required since ash cannot beeffective for long Digging out the queen from nearby colonies(termite hills), use of plant extracts andchemicals in severe cases. Using chemicals such as Dieldrin and Aldrin If milk packs are used as pots wash thepacks with soap water orsolution of insecticide before use, otherwisetermites may beattracted.


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4.5. Fungal DiseaseAlthough there are various diseases, whichattack seedlings in the nursery, dumping offand wilt are described here since they arethe most common fungal diseases in thecountry.4.6. Damping Off: This is a fungal diseasecaused by pythium spp., Rhizoctonia salaniand other various fungus. The severity ofthe attack usually increases with increase in

soil moisture. Dumping off can occur beforegermination, after germination and atpricking out.Susceptible species includeEucalyptus, Casuarina, Kei apples etc.Conditions favorable to spreading of the

disease are; High sowing intensity Over watering Using soil with under-composed material Damaging the bark of tender seedlings


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5.0 Principles of plant propagationAlthough trees are normally propagated from seed,for certain species it is

better to propagate them vegetatively. This isespecially important, whentrees are of high value and/or do not propagate trueto type. Vegetativepropagation is often used for fruit trees


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5.1. Methods of Vegetative PropagationPlants can reproduce one of two ways, sexually or asexually. Sexualreproduction is the natural combination of pollen and stamen to produceseeds. On the other hand asexual propagation, also known as vegetativepropagation, is a human-assisted cloning of a plant. one of the mostused method in propagation is grafting, other methods are, buddingcuttings (depending on the species, cuttings can be taken from differentparts of stock

plant such as stem, leaves, roots or buds),air-layering (In this method, rootsare induced on the stem of a plant using soil media or saw dust),Division (In this method the shoots are separated from one other andplanted as different establishment e.g. pyrethrum),runners (This is a method used in strawberry),

suckers (Used in propagation of bananas and sugar cane),Corms (a method of propagation used in flowers such as gladiolus), andcrown (a method of propagation used in pineapples).The method used depends on the type of plant being multiplied.


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5.2. GraftingGrafting is a method of plant propagation widely used in horticulture, where thetissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another. It is mostlyused in propagation of trees and shrubs grown commercially. In most cases, oneplant is selected for its roots, while the other plant is selected for its stem or

leaves or flowers or fruits and is called the scion


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(b) Bark Graft-Bark grafting is usedprimarily to top work flowering andfruiting trees.


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(c) Side-wedge Graft- This is done by; making a 5 cm slopingcut on one side of the scion ( see the fig below), then making a 5cm cut into the rootstock exposing the cambium(see the middlefig below) and then inserting the scion in to the rootstock (like

shown below). One then ties the union tightly with a graftingtape


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(d) Splice Graft-This is a graftingmethod used to join a scion ontothe stem of a rootstock or onto anintact root piece. This simple

method is usually applied toherbaceous materials that callus or

knit easily or it is used on plantswith a stem diameter of 0.5 inch orless. In splice grafting, both thestock and scion must be of the

same diameter.

(e) Whip and Tongue Graft- Inthis graft both rootstock and scionshould be of equal size andpreferably not more than 0.5 inch in

diameter. Make 1 to 2 inch slantingcut into the rootstock and a

tongue cut 1 inch from centre ofslant.


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(j) Budding-Budding is not a common practice in grafting manyfruits but is mainly used for propagation of citrus. Most of buddingshould be done when the bark slips off easily from both scion androotstock which is a time of high metabolic activity.


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6.0 Field planting-planting out5.1 IntroductionA lot of trees have been planted allover the years e.g. in farms or

public areas however, only a fewsurvive; this is due to poorknowledge on- proper timing,technical aspects on proper treeplanting and tending techniques. Itsimportant to note that healthy

seedlings cannot grow well orsurvive if notplanted properly.

Note: It is better to plant your seedling when it has rained for atleast two weeks or when the soil is really soaked with water (if

water penetration has reached a certain depth-30 cm from the

surface


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5.2 Spacing:Plants may be spaced at 3m by 3m or 5mby 5m or 6m by 6m or 8m by 8m or 10mby 10m (larger spacing is used for

indigenous species or fruit tree specieslike Mangoes since these trees requireslarge spacing).For hedges, the spacing can be 15cmbetween the plants or 30 cm betweenplants in a line to allow the fence grow

faster.5.3 Digging holes:Planting holes should be dug before rainyseason commences if possible since watercollects in it and makes the survival easyeven when rain is not much.

Dig a hole 30 cm x 30 cm (the distancefrom your wrist to your elbow) or 45cm x 45 cm or 60 cm x 60 cm (especially indry areas). However the size ofthe hole will also depend on the size of theseedling.


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5.4 Planting process: Water the seedling before transporting themfrom the nursery to the planting site. This water

is to protect the seedlings from drying up duringthe transportation.

Transportation of seedlings-dont pile them up

each other when transporting. Using boxes or

bags are recommended if the planting site is far

but always carry the seedlings upright.

Transferring seedlingsfrom the nursery to the field needs great care to

avoid damaging them. If the seedlings were

raised in polythene tubes or tins;

(a) Prepare a box or sack

(b) Chose strong seedlings

(c) Pack the seedlings by arranging them neatly,ready to transfer them to the field

If ready to plant, re-fill 0f the holes with wet

top soil around the

holes or with the soil removed when preparing

the holes


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Put the seedling in the hole and coverit with the top soil and then thesub soil

Place the seedlings in the holewithout removing the pot soil orbending roots Press down the soil nicely Fill the hole with top soil from theforest or the best soil you have

nearby (from trees in the farm orcollected around the banana base).This soil can be mixed with manure ifpossible to provide the plantwith more nutrition. Use your hands to firm the soilcarefully around the roots. Make sure the seedlings sits in theground at the same level it sat inthe container or nursery


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When the hole is filled, tread gently with your feet to

firm the soil. Firm it into the shape of a well or basin

so that it catches rain water and holds water

you put on it. Water the seedlings immediately afterplanting.

Water the seedling if the rain is not enough. If you

plant in dry season, water two times a week-early

morning and later in the evenings or at least once

but in the evenings If the plant is not safe, build a fence of sticks or

thorns around the seedling to protect the plant from

goats and children

Note: Some tree species will need support. If a tree

seems too weak or not very straight, place a strong

stick in the ground close to the seedling and tie a

piece of old plastic wrapper (sisal string can damage

the seedling) between the stick and the seedling.


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5.5. MulchingAfter planting the soil surface of theplanting holes is covered with somematerials (dry grass/leaves/twigs) toavoid evaporation or to help the plantretain water. This technique is calledmulching. Note that small stones canalso be used as covering Materials.5.6. Water harvesting

To utilize rain water effectively,several types of micro-catchment areused toharvest the water effectively andconduct it to the seedlings.(a) Shallow trenches: V shaped

trenches are dug to conduct the rainwaterto the planting holies(b) Divisions of the ground: Thismethod is used where the rainfall isvery

scarce. Ground is divided by ridgesand all the rain water is conducted


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6. Direct sowing and planting cuttings in the fieldDirect sowing or planting can be done for tree species likeSesbania, Albizia, Gliricidia and others used for livefencing, fodder and improving soil fertility.

Direct sowing is carried out as follows: Prepare the field by tilling the land and make lines Treat seeds as recommended. Plant the seeds in linesand at recommended spacing

Seed sowing at different stages


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Planting stem/cuttings: Cut a stem from the mature braches of a tree like Gliricidia,Mulberry, Cassava, etc Put a mark to show the upper side

Store the cuttings in the shade and water a little to quickensproutingPlant the cuttings with the upper mark showing without delay.Place


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Cuttings can also be temporarilyplanted in polythene tubes forthem to sprout before actualplanting in the field Direct sowing of seeds orcutting planting should be doneonly when the rainy season has

fully set in. Cuttings are well-suited whenmaking a dense living hedgearoundthe homestead, fodder bank orvegetable garden


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