ESTABLISHING A HOTICULTURAL NURSERY IS EASY

S.ESWARA REDDY
Setting up of a fruit nursery is a long term venture and needs lot of planning and expertise. Mistakes committed initially on any aspect like selection of soil, raising of right kind of cultivars/varieties, plant protection measure, etc., reduce the financial returns greatly form the investment, besides wastage of time and energy. So, careful planning is needed before setting up a nursery. The plan should show allocation of plots/area to different components of the nursery such as mother plants of different fruits/cultivars, rootstocks, roads/paths, water channels, drainage system, buildings/other structures, etc. Provision of certain basic pre-requisites is a must

for raising a fruit nursery on modern lines. The vegetative propagation of fruit crops makes them vulnerable to transmission of several diseases and pests through the plant material. Thus, importance of testing of material in the process of its preparation at various stages needs due attentions. The large quantity of planting material required to meet the demands of farmers/orchardists in the coming years needs coordinated approach from different ICAR Institutes, State Agricultural Universities and State Horticulture Departments. The targets of the enhancing fruit production in the coming years will be achieved only through production and distribution of healthy, genuine and high quality planting material of commercial/improved varieties of fruit crops in sufficient quantities. The maintenance of purity is easy in vegetatively propagated crops

PROGENY TREES/MOTHER PLANTS The bud sticks/graft wood should always be taken from healthy and true to type progeny trees of commercial/new varieties, which are free from viruses, disease and pest occurrence. A nurseryman should have progeny trees of all the promising cultivars of fruits that can be grown in that particular area. Criteria for selection of mother plants Mother plants of the variety should be genetically true to type.

The plants should be healthy and free from any diseases, pest infestations and physiological disorders.

The plants should have known pedigree records regarding bearing potential, fruit quality ..
The plants should be precocious and prolific bearers.

Criteria for selection of rootstocks i) Dwarfing /semi-dwarfing ii) Compatibility with the known commercial variety

iii) Resistance/tolerance to biotic and a biotic stresses.Let us know about mango nursery.

MANGO VARITIES OF COMMERCE

North India : Dashehari, Langra, S.B. Chausa, Lucknow Safeda, Ratol, Gaurjeet, Bombay Green, Khasul Khas South India : Neelum, Banglora, Mulgoa, Suvaranarekha, Banganpalli, Rumani, Raspuri, Badami East India: Malda, Fazli, Himsagar, Kishenbhog, Gulabkhas, Jardalu West India: Alphonso, Pairi, Malkurad, Kesar, Rajapuri, Jamadar Improved varieties

Amrapali, Mallika, Ambika, Arka Anmol, Arka Aruna, Arka Neelkiran, Arka Puneet, Alfazli, AU Rumani, Ratna, Sindhu, Pusa Arunima

Raising of rootstocks Mango seedlings grown from stones of seedling trees are used as rootstocks. Stones should be collected from vigorous, disease free and high yielding trees of seedling mangoes during July-August. Mango seeds are recalcitrant and lose viability very soon on desiccation. If the mango stones are not sown within a few days of their removal from the fruit, they can be stored under moist

condition in shade, covering with moist soil, sand or sawdust, etc. Before sowing stones should be immersed in water and floating stones should be discarded as they are not considered viable.

Stones are sown during June to August, depending upon the ripening season of the mango, in beds mixed with well decomposed farm yard manure at the rate of 8tonnes per hectare. When the seedlings attain the age of 2-3 months, they should be transplanted in well prepared beds or poly bags. After transplanting, proper care should be exercised in irrigating the young transplanted seedlings. Attack of leaf cutting insects is common during rainy season, which may affect the growth of the seedlings adversely. Care should be taken well in advance for their control before damage. In frost prone areas, the rootstocks should also be protected from frost by thatching. Plant is allowed to grow as a single stem for six to eight months. When the plant attains pencil thickness or a little more, it is ready for grafting.choose appropriate method of grafting for higher success rate.
can reach the author at dr_esreddy@yahoo.co.in 20th june 2011