UPMSP Vocational Plant Nursery cheat sheet

A nursery site is judged on five criteria: level to gently sloping land (0.5-2% slope for drainage), reliable water within reach, all-weather road access, freedom from flooding, and loam or sandy-loam soil with pH suited to the crop.

Standard nursery block sequence: mother-stock block, seedbed/nursery bed area, potting and media-mixing yard, shade-net and polyhouse structures, hardening area, packing shed, store, and compost pit - arranged so planting material moves one way without backtracking.

Nursery bed dimensions in common use: 1 m wide, 10-15 m long, 15-20 cm raised, with 30-45 cm paths; bed width is set so a worker can reach the centre from either side.

A windbreak/shelterbelt on the windward side reduces desiccation of seedlings; recommended spacing is roughly half the tree height between rows and one-quarter to one-third of tree height within the row.

Net nursery area is often estimated as 1.5-2 times the productive bed area once paths, structures, store and yard are added; plan for expansion of at least 25%.

Shade levels: 50-75% shade net for tender seedlings and tissue-culture plants, 25-50% for acclimatised stock, and full sun for hardening before dispatch.

Mother-stock plants must be true-to-type, disease-indexed and rejuvenated periodically; a mother block is not a production block and its output is cuttings, scions or seed, not saleable plants.

Records required from day one: block map, crop-wise bed register, input purchase register, propagation batch records with dates, and dispatch register.

Seed viability test by flotation is indicative only; a tetrazolium test or a germination test on counted seed lots gives a real viability percentage, and sowing rate is adjusted by germination % and purity %.

Seed dormancy is broken by scarification (mechanical or acid), stratification (moist chilling, typically 4-7 °C for 4-12 weeks), or gibberellic acid treatment, depending on whether the coat, embryo or inhibitor is the barrier.

Cuttings: softwood strikes under mist with high humidity; semi-hardwood with 500-2000 ppm IBA in talc or quick-dip; hardwood in open beds in the dormant season. Nodes must be buried, not internodes, and leaves reduced to limit transpiration.

Grafting terms: scion supplies the shoot, rootstock the roots; cambium layers must be in contact. Success depends on affinity, scion/rootstock maturity, tight tying, and rapid healing at 25-30 °C with high humidity.

Whip-and-tongue and cleft grafting suit dormant, similar-diameter material; veneer and side grafting suit thick or mismatched stock; approach grafting is used where unions are difficult.

Budding: T-budding (shield budding) is done when the bark slips, i.e. active sap flow; patch budding suits thick-barked species; chip budding works when the bark does not slip.

A successful bud union is judged by callus bridging, plump green buds, and failure of the rootstock shoot below the union; shoots arising below the union are rootstock suckers and must be removed.

Layering (air layering/marcottage) and division are used for species that root poorly from cuttings; air layers are severed only after a visible root mass forms, usually 6-12 weeks.

Soil texture triangle classification uses % sand, % silt and % clay; loam is roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay and is the reference for nursery soil.

Potting media components: soil, sand, FYM/compost, cocopeat, perlite, vermiculite and leaf mould. A common nursery mix is 1 part soil : 1 part sand : 1 part FYM, adjusted by species; a soil-less mix is 50% cocopeat : 30% perlite : 20% vermiculite.

Cocopeat holds water at 8-9 times its weight and has near-neutral pH (5.5-6.8) but is low in nutrients and high in potassium and sodium; it must be buffered and fertilised before use.

Compost maturity indicators: dark colour, earthy smell, ambient temperature, C:N ratio near 15-20:1, and a germination test showing no phytotoxicity. Compost is turned when core temperature falls or odour turns sour.

Vermicompost is typically 1.5-2.5% N, 1.5-2% P and 1-1.5% K; FYM is roughly 0.5% N, 0.2% P and 0.5% K; the exact figures depend on feedstock and must be confirmed by analysis.

C:N ratio rule: materials below 25:1 (green matter, manure) supply nitrogen; above 30:1 (straw, sawdust, dry leaves) tie up nitrogen during decomposition.

Soil pH governs nutrient availability: most nutrients are most available at pH 6.0-7.0; iron and manganese lock up above pH 7.5 and phosphorus locks up below pH 5.5.

EC and pH of the medium should be checked before filling pots; a saturated-paste EC above about 2 dS/m indicates salt load that can burn young roots.

Water quality thresholds for nursery irrigation: EC below about 1 dS/m is safe, 1-2 dS/m needs leaching, above 2-3 dS/m is risky for seedlings; chloride and sodium above roughly 3-4 meq/L cause leaf burn.

Irrigation method by crop stage: fine rose-can or fogging for germinating seed and newly struck cuttings, overhead micro-sprinklers for beds, drip with fertigation for potted stock, and hand watering for isolated plants.

Scheduling rule: irrigate when the medium at 5 cm depth feels dry or when tensiometer readings reach the crop's set point; avoid fixed daily schedules that ignore evapotranspiration.

Drainage: raised beds, 0.5-2% slope, and drainage channels around blocks prevent waterlogging; a pot medium needs 20-30% air-filled porosity at container capacity or roots suffocate.

Water harvesting: a nursery roof area of 100 m² yields roughly 80 litres per mm of rainfall; store in lined tanks or farm ponds and cover to limit evaporation and algae.

Drip design: emitter spacing and flow matched to container size; a 2 L/h emitter per pot is common for 5-10 L containers; flush lines periodically to prevent emitter clogging.

Waterlogging symptoms: yellowing from the base, wilting despite wet medium, root browning, and algae/moss on the surface - treat by improving drainage and reducing irrigation, not by adding more water.

Irrigation water for cuttings under mist: intermittent mist with a few seconds every 5-15 minutes by weather, keeping leaf surfaces wet without saturating the medium.

Polyhouse types: naturally ventilated (fan-pad not required), fan-and-pad cooled, and low tunnels. Naturally ventilated polyhouses rely on roof vents and side roll-up curtains for temperature control.

Shade net houses are rated by shade percentage (35%, 50%, 75%, 90%); the higher the shade, the lower the light and the slower the growth, so use the lowest shade that prevents scorch.

Mist chambers and propagation frames maintain 80-95% relative humidity; intermittent mist nozzles and bottom heating improve rooting of difficult cuttings.

Tool list for a nursery: secateurs, pruning saw, grafting and budding knives, budding tape, polythene strips, dibber, khurpi, spade, wheelbarrow, rose can, sprayer, sieve, pot filler, and soil-test kit.

Sanitation rule: sterilise knives and secateurs with 70% alcohol or sodium hypochlorite between plants; grafting knives must be sharp enough to make a single flat cut, because ragged cuts fail to unite.

Greenhouse ventilation: target 25-30 °C by day; above 35 °C with high humidity, pollination and growth decline; cooling is by ventilation, shading, fogging or fan-pad.

Polyhouse glazing is UV-stabilised polyethylene film, commonly 200 micron; it is replaced every 2-4 years as UV degrades light transmission.

Irrigation and spray equipment must be calibrated: measure output per nozzle per minute and walking speed so that the label dose of pesticide is actually applied.

Nursery hygiene is the first control: weed-free surroundings, clean pots, sterilised media, removal and burning of diseased plants, and footbaths or restricted entry to propagation areas.

Damping-off of seedlings is caused by Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora; control by sterilised media, avoiding overwatering and overcrowding, good air movement, and a labelled fungicide drench.

Common nursery pests: aphids, whiteflies, thrips, mealybugs, mites, caterpillars and root-knot nematodes; scout undersides of leaves and roots, and use yellow sticky traps for whitefly and blue traps for thrips.

Integrated pest management order: cultural and physical methods first, then biologicals (Trichoderma, Bacillus, neem, predators), then labelled chemicals with rotation of mode-of-action groups to avoid resistance.

Weed management in beds: hand weeding, mulching, stale seedbed technique, and pre-emergence herbicides only where the label permits; weeds compete for water and nutrients and harbour pests.

Nematode control: soil solarisation, neem cake, crop rotation, resistant rootstocks, and clean planting material; root-knot shows as galls on roots and stunted growth.

Pesticide safety: read the label, observe pre-harvest interval, wear PPE, never spray in wind or heat of the day, and keep a spray register with date, product, dose and area.

Quarantine and certification: planting material moved between states may need a phytosanitary certificate; nursery stock for export must meet the importing country's pest-free requirements.

Ornamentals are grouped by use: bedding plants, pot plants, cut flowers, foliage plants, lawn and landscape trees; each has its own container size, spacing and saleable grade.

Fruit plant production uses clonal rootstocks for uniformity, vigour control and disease resistance; grafted fruit plants are graded by rootstock, scion cultivar, union quality and age.

Forest nursery stock: bare-root seedlings are lifted in dormancy and kept in cold store; container seedlings (root trainers) are lifted with the root plug intact and have higher survival on difficult sites.

Root trainer systems use cavities of 150-300 mL with vertical ribs to air-prune roots, producing a fibrous root system and reducing transplant shock.

Seed pre-treatment for forest species: hot-water treatment, acid scarification, cold stratification or nicking, depending on the species' coat and dormancy type.

Hardening of nursery stock before dispatch: reduce irrigation and shade over 7-14 days, reduce nitrogen, and expose to full sun so plants survive field conditions.

Grading standards: uniform height, stem diameter, root-collar diameter, healthy foliage, no pest or disease, and a firm root ball; reject etiolated or root-bound plants.

Ornamental pot sizes are quoted by diameter (e.g. 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm) and by volume; the pot must match the root system and be potted up as the plant grows.

Lifting and dispatch: water plants before lifting, lift with the root ball intact, trim damaged roots, and dispatch within 24-48 hours; bare-root stock needs cool, moist, dark storage.

Packing materials: polybags for root balls, cocopeat or sphagnum around bare roots, corrugated cartons or crates for pots, and shrink-wrap or sleeves to stop pots tipping in transit.

Labelling: every consignment carries the cultivar name, rootstock, batch number, date of dispatch, quantity and grower details; mislabelling is the most common cause of customer disputes.

Transport conditions: ventilated vehicles, avoid stacking that crushes plants, protect from wind and sun, and keep bare-root stock moist; long transit needs refrigerated or shaded transport.

Marketing channels: direct retail at the nursery, wholesale to landscapers, institutional supply (municipalities, forestry, horticulture departments), online sales and contract growing.

Pricing rule: price = cost of production + overhead + wastage allowance + margin; wastage in nursery stock is high, so price on saleable plants, not on plants propagated.

Sales promotion tools: catalogue with photographs and cultivar descriptions, demonstration plots, seasonal offers, and after-sales advice on planting and care.

Post-sale service: replacement policy for plants that fail within a stated period, care instructions, and follow-up; repeat customers are the cheapest sales channel.

Nursery project components: land, structures, mother stock, propagation inputs, labour, water and power, working capital for 12-18 months, and a market tie-up before planting begins.

Cost classification: fixed costs (land, structures, equipment, permanent labour) versus variable costs (seed, media, pots, casual labour, chemicals, packing); break-even is where total revenue covers total cost.

Key records: cash book, ledger, stock register of plants and inputs, labour muster, propagation and dispatch registers, sales invoices, and a crop-wise profitability statement.

Working-capital cycle: nursery stock takes 6-24 months from propagation to sale, so cash planning must cover the full production period plus a buffer of 3-6 months.

Subsidy and support schemes: horticulture mission and state horticulture department schemes commonly support polyhouses, shade nets, drip irrigation and nurseries; eligibility and rates vary by state and year and must be verified locally.

Labour management: task-based work norms (e.g. pots filled per worker per day), training in grafting and potting, and records of attendance and wages.

Risk management: crop insurance where available, diversification across ornamental, fruit and forest crops, staggered production so sales are continuous, and a written contingency plan for drought or disease outbreak.

Business growth: add value through larger specimen plants, contract growing, landscaping services and training; keep a customer database and measure repeat business.