Central horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar, has developed four commercial nurseries in participatory mode, including one hi-tech nursery, in Nabarangpur district of Odisha under RKVY S&T project “Farm Based Science & Technology Interventions for Socio-economic development of Aspirational District of Nabarangpur, Odisha” for production of high yielding quality planting material of horticultural crops developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (ICAR-IIHR) and other improved varieties as per local demand, to support new horticulture based avenues for scoio-economic development of tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district. Earlier on-farm trainings have been imparted to the members of the farmer’s groups managing these nurseries. Under this intervention an advanced on-campus ‘five days on-campus training on commercial nursery techniques’ was organized during 4th to 8th Oct 2021, for the representatives of all these nurseries (Maa Mahima SHG, Uma Sankar Farmers Producer Group, Maa Mata Mauli SHG, Govindalaya, Harsha trust and Agragamee ) to expose them to the advanced nursery techniques. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. P. C. Lenka, Ex-Head, Department of Fruit Science, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, in presence of Dr. G. C. Acharya, Head (I/C) and other scientists of the Station. Dr. M.R. Sahoo, Principal Scientist & Nodal Officer, ToT, proposed vote of thanks.
During the training period subject matter specialists imparted the trainees with the critical knowledge on propagation and nursery management for fruit, vegetable, tuber crops, flowering and ornamental crops. The trainees were also enlightened on functioning of model nursery, plant protection formulations and methods, livelihood models and business strategies to profitably run the commercial nurseries. Dr. G. C. Acharya, Head (I/C) and other scientists Dr. P. Srinivas, Dr. Kundan Kishor, Dr. Manas Ranjan Sahoo, Dr. Deepa Samant, Dr. Satya Priya Singh from the Station, and outside experts Dr. P. C. Lenka, Ex-Head, Department of Fruit Science, Dr. Arun Kumar Das, Ex-Head, Department of Vegetable Department, OUAT, and Dr. S.K. Palei, Associate professor, Floriculture, Dr. K. Lakshminarayana, Principal Scientist, RC-CTCRI, delivered relevant lectures during the training programme. Technical Staff Sri Singray Majhi, Sri Manoj Patnaik, Sri P.C. Majhi, Sri A. Das, and Sri B.C. Patra and Skilled supporting Staff Sri. B. Paikray, Sri H. Bindhani and Sri A. Bulughayan, imparted the practical training to the participants. It was stressed upon to acquire the necessary skills for propagation of planting material of Mango, guava, pine apple, jackfruit, ivy gourd, teasel gourd, marigold, tuberose, etc. Rigorous hands-on practical sessions were organized to train the trainees on the activities like grafting of fruit and vegetable crops, air layering in fruit crops, budding, filling of poly bags and portrays, root and stem cuttings of cucurbitaceous crops, seeding in portrays, preparation of soil media, etc. Field visits to Center of Excellence for protected cultivation, Deras, Bhubaneswar and other private nurseries were also organized to expose the trainees with commercial nursery activities.
Dr. S.K. Mishra, Advisor, RKVY S&T project, CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar presided over the valedictory programme as Chief Guest. He advised the trainees to work hard to practice all the techniques learnt the training programme and to create curiosity to learn new techniques to be successful in their endeavor to develop commercial nursery. Dr. G. C. Acharya, Head (I/C) and all the Scientists of the station also gave their critical inputs to the trainees. Chief Guest presented the participation certificates and a set of books to the trainees. The programme ended with the vote of thanks by Principal Scientist Dr. P. Srinivas.
The training programme was coordinated by Principal Investigator Dr. P. Srinivas, and Dr. G. C. Acharya, Head(I/C), Co-Principal investigator of the RKVY S&T project.
