Agriculture

1. Practices and
Operations in a Nursery
QUARTER3-MODULE 5

2. At the end of the lesson you are expected
to:
1. Identify the different operations and
practices in a nursery.
2. Appreciate the importance of
familiarizing the practices and operations
in a nursery.

3. What I Know
TRUE OR FALSE: Directions: Write True, if the statement is correct, and
False, if it is incorrect. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
____1. Success of any production system depends on the kind of seed we are
sowing.
____2. Healthy seedlings grown in a well-managed nursery will decide the
yield and consequently the profit.
____3. Some vegetables require special cares during their early growth
period.
____4. Raising of vegetable seedlings requires fertile and healthy soil.
____5. Nursery bed should be prepared according to the season and crop.

4.  _____6. Line sowing is the best method of seed sowing in
nursery.
 ____7. To maintain the soil moisture for seed germination
cover the seed bed with a thin layer of mulch of paddy straw
or sugar cane trash, or sarkanda or any organic mulch during
hot weather and by plastic mulch (plastic sheet) in cool
weather.
 ____8. In the rainy season raised beds are prepared but in
the winter and summer season flat beds should be prepared
 ____9. The nursery beds require light irrigation with the
help of hose can till the seeds get germinated.
 ____10. The care of seedlings from time to time is essential

5. What’s In
WORD HUNT:
Directions: Look and encircle the following
words inside the box. It can be found vertically,
horizontally or diagonally. Write your answer
on separate sheet of paper.

6. O P E R A T I O N S
W A T E R I N G S E
W A I N S E C T S E
W C S O W I N G S D
T T M U L C H S R L
T I N S E C T S C I
S C S Y R E S R U N
R E R W E E D I N G
Q S E E D S L S A S
1. OPERATIONS
2. SEEDLINGS
3. NURSERY
4. PRACTICES
5. SEEDS
6. WEEDING
7. INSECTS
8. WATERING
9. MULCH
10.SOWING
WORDS TO HUNT

7. Practices and Operations in a
Nursery
NURSERY
is a place or an establishment for
raising or handling of young vegetable
seedlings until they are ready for more
permanent planting

8. Why do we need Nursery?
Some vegetables require special cares
during their early growth period. There are
some vegetables with very small sized
seeds. These are first sown in the nursery
for better care and to combat with the time
for field preparation and after about one
month of seed sowing, transplanted in the
main field.

9. PRACTICES AND OPERATIONS IN A
NURSERY
SOIL AND SOIL PREPARATION:
Raising of vegetable seedlings
requires fertile and healthy soil.
Preferably, the soil for nursery
should be loam to sandy loam,
loose and friable, rich in organic
matter and well drained.
The soil pH should be close to the
neutral i.e. about 7.0

10. PREPARE THE BEDS FOR SEED
SOWING.
 This treatment should be done 15-20 days before seed
sowing.
 Cover the drench area with polythene sheet of 200
gauge.
 Put the wet soil on the margin of the covered polythene
sheet so as it does not allow the polythene film blown
away by the wind and air from the covered area to
outside.
 Removes the cover (polythene) after 15 days.

11. NURSERY BED PREPARATION
Nursery bed should be prepared
according to the season and crop.
In the rainy season raised beds are
prepared but in the winter and
summer season flat beds should be
prepared. For the uniform and
high percentage of germination
the soil must be fine and moist
enough.

12. SOWING OF SEEDS IN THE
NURSERY
After the seed bed
preparation seeds are
sown in the nursery bed
either by broadcasting or
in lines depending upon
the nature and season of
crop.

13. SEED COVERING MATERIALAND
ITS TREATMENTS
 Seed cover
After seed sowing the seed that are sown either
by broadcast method or line sowing method
required cover for better emergence. Therefore, a
mixture of sand: soil
Use of mulch
 It maintains the soil moisture and temperature
for better seed germination.
 It suppresses the weeds.
 Protects from direct sunlight and raindrops.
 Protects against bird damage.

14. Removal of mulch
Due attention is given to remove the covered
mulch from the seedbed. After three days,
observe the seed beds daily. As and when the
white thread like structure is seen above the
ground, remove the mulch carefully to avoid
any damage to emerging plumules. Always
remove mulch in the evening hours to avoid
harmful effect of bright sun on newly
emerging seedlings

15. USE OF SHEDDING NET
After seed germination during
the seedling growth, if there is
very high temperature (> 30o C)
then beds should be covered by
50% or 60% shedding nets of
green/green + black coloured,
about 60 - 90 cm above ground
by the use of suitable support.

16. WATERING
The nursery beds require light irrigation
with the help of hose can till the seeds get
germinated.
Excess rainwater or irrigated water should
be drained out from the field as and when it
is required otherwise plants may die due to
excess of water.

17. Watering in the beds depends upon the
weather condition. If temperature is high,
open irrigation is applied. Need not to
irrigate the beds during rainy days.

18. THINNING
 It is an important operation to remove
weak, unhealthy, diseased, insect pests
damaged and dense plants from the
nursery beds keeping distance of about
0.5 to 1.0 cm from plant to plant.
 The thinning facilitates balance light and
air to each and every plant. It also helps in
watching the diseased and insect pest
attacked plants while moving around the
nursery.

19. WEED CONTROL
Timely weeding in nursery is very
important to get healthy seedling. If
there are some weeds in the seed
bed, remove them manually either
by hand or by hand hoe (thin forked
Khurpi).
Pre emergence herbicides can also
be sprayed soon after seed sowing
to control the weeds

20. PLANT PROTECTION
Adaptation of plant protection
measures in the nursery against
the incidence of insect pest and
diseases is very important task to
get the healthy seedlings.
Damping off seedlings, leaf curl,
leaf blight diseases and leaf
miner and borer infect the
seedling in the nursery. The care
for controlling them time to time
is essential.

21. IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICES
AND OPERATIONS IN A NURSERY
Good nursery management involves many skills
and attention to detail.
Plants that are poorly managed in the nursery
usually struggle to perform well once planted out
in the field.

22. Successful plant production is dependent on
rapid germination of seeds and propagation of
vegetative propagules and their subsequent
growth in good, free-draining
potting compost well supplied with nutrients
and organic matter. During early growth some
shade is usually desirable to prevent wilting
and water stress. Usually daily watering is
required during dry weather.

23. What’s More
 Matching Type: Match column A with column B. Write the letter of
the correct answer in a separate sheet of paper.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. A. Watering
2. B. Mulching

24. 3. C. Shedding Net
4. D. Weed control
5. E. Thinning

25. What I Have Learned
Activity: Explain the following questions. Write your
answer in a separate sheet of paper.
1. Why do we need nursery?
___________________________________________
2. What is the importance of following proper care for
seedling?
____________________________________________

26. What I Can Do
 Directions: Agri-Puzzle: Find and circle the words that are related to practice and operation in a
nursery hidden in the grid.The words may be hidden in any direction.
T H I N N I N G S W
S G N I S K U N H A
E N S G O B R I E T
E I E N W S S H D E
D D C I I D E C D R
B E T R N E R L I I
E E S A G E Y U N N
D W F C S S U M G G

27. Assessment
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Directions: Read each item carefully and write the letter
of your answer in your answer sheet.
1. It is a common practice that's used to ensure the proper spacing
of plants in the garden, especially for those that were sown too close
together.
A. Transplanting B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Watering
2. It is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil.
A. Mulching B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Watering
3. The process of removing unwanted plants from the nursery.
A. Transplanting B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Watering
4. The act of scattering seeds on land so that they may grow the sowing of
seeds.

28. A. Sowing B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Watering
5. The practice of managing weather, weeds, pests and diseases that damage or inhibit the
growth of fruit, vegetable and other horticultural crops.
A. Sowing B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Plant protection
6. It is a piece of netting which is used as a protective covering for something, for example to
protect vegetables from birds.
A. Net B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Plant protection
7. Pour or sprinkle water over a plant in order to encourage plant growth.
A. Sowing B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Watering
8. It is a small area of a yard or garden that's used simply for growing certain selected plants
without regard to design
A. Nursery bed B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Plant protection
9. It is a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.
A. Weed B. Fruits C. Thinning D. Plant protection
10. It is the technique of moving a plant from one location to another.
A. Transplanting B. Weeding C. Thinning D. Watering

29. Additional Activities
Directions: Enumerate what is being asked. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper
What are different practices and operations in a
nursery?
1._____________________________
2._____________________________
3. _____________________________
4.______________________________
5.______________________________

30. References
 http://control.visionscape.com.au/SiteFiles/treesinnewcastleorgau/Trees_In_Newcsatle_Nursery
_Operations_and_Practice_web.pdf
 https://www.google.com/search?q=types+of+nursery+operation&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X
&ved=2ahUKEwjitcbW99XvAhWMHqYKHZn4B40Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1366&bih
=568
 https://www.google.com/search?q=thinning+of+seedlings&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiTr5mm-
NXvAhUGA6YKHXmTD7wQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=thinning+o&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgHMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADIC
CAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoECAAQQ1CTLljYNWCaU2gAcAB4AIAB9wGI
AZIDkgEFMC4xLjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=owJiYNP
RKoaGmAX5pr7gCw&bih=568&biw=1366#imgrc=4h8lTxk189wsuM