Nursery Techniques - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 25

larger than what can make it comfortable for a worker to reach all the polypots for
sowing, weeding, and cleaning. The depth of the bed will depend upon the height
of the polypots to be contained, and can be kept either 0.30 or 0.40 m. Sides of the
beds should be lined with stone slabs or some other material if the soil is so light that
the beds will not retain shape. In heavier soils, the beds can be dressed every season
before stocking these with polypots. Costs involved in lining of beds and in regular
maintenance of unlined beds constitute a trade-off that can be a basis for deciding
between the two options.
Sunken beds, however, should be avoided in low-lying areas that are prone to
flooding during rains. In such a case, raised beds on mounds of earth should be
built by laying stone slabs on edge jointed with cement-sand mortar. Raised beds
should be high enough to prevent entry of puddle water into the beds and should be
of sufficient depth to provide adequate support for standing out containers.
Relative layout of the different elements of a nursery is an important factor affect-
ing its operational efficiency. Storage of materials nearer to the place where required,
location of beds relative to each other and to the GLR (to minimise length of pipes
and number of hydrants), locating mother beds suitably to reduce labour spent in pot-
ting operation, and similar other considerations should be taken into account while
planning the layout of a nursery.
Working tools in the nursery are also important for efficient operation. Improper
or inadequate tools will mean poor workmanship or faulty techniques and also result
in lower productivity of the workers. A list of tools required for normal nursery
operations can be seen in Table 2.2 . Tools must be maintained periodically and
stored properly so as to ensure long service.
Nursery shade is required in areas where extreme heat and cold is commonly
experienced. Species vary in tolerance to heat and frost, but in general, some sort
of shelter or shade will be required under the tropical sun. Sowing of castor or
other fast growing shrubs can be a solution for short-term management. However,
other suitable woody plants should also be planted between castor plants, so that
a permanent shade is made in future. Artificial shade with brushwood thatches or
commercial shading nets can also be considered in case of a temporary nursery. In
large central nurseries, sheds are erected for providing shade to workers engaged
in filling polypots or transplanting seedlings, both for creating a better working
environment and for preventing casualties of plants due to sun burns.

2.2 Plant Production Plan

Production of plants in a nursery is a cyclic (seasonal) activity. Every planting season,
the nursery must be able to produce good quality plants of desired species and desired
size. At the beginning of every year (e.g. on the first of April), a plan of plant
production (Fig. 2.8 , Table 2.4 ) should be drawn, specifying number, species, and
size of plants to be raised; the plant propagation and plant production methods to be
employed; and the resources required in the production process.