Success Stories of KVK
Planting Seeds Mechanically…….……Accurate, faster & still at lesser cost!!!
Selective Mechanization:Planting Seeds Mechanically…….……Accurate, faster & still at lesser cost !!!
Background
Nashik district is known as leading vegetable producing district in Maharashtra. Tomatos, Capsicum, Vineyard vegetables, cauliflower, cabbage, etc are the major vegetable crops grown in the district. The productivity of these crops is quite satisfactory as compare to national averages of these crops.
Unstable yields and high cost of production are the major problems faced by the vegetable growers. The factors responsible for these problems are heavy seedling mortality, uneven spread of plantation throughout the year, high cost of seed and extra use of seed.
Due to heavy and harmful rains in kharif, the vegetable growers use extra seed for seedling raising because experience is that some of seedlings damages due to heavy rains.
In summer due to heavy intensity of sunlight, survival percentage of the seedlings is low in open air condition so, the extra use of seed is observed. The vegetable growers are preparing the vegetable seedlings on raised beds, covering the raised beds with sarees or gunny bags which cannot provide sufficient protection to the seedlings. Even though, the farmers are using these local practices because of non availability of low cost technologies for such types of propagations.
The western belt of the district receives high rain fall. The vegetable growers are preparing the vegetable seedlings in protrays because these trays can be shifted in protected houses during heavy rains to avoid the damages and mortality of the seedlings. But this does not serve the purpose to its full extent.
Intervention of the KVK
Considering these facts Krishi Vigyan Kendra planned and conducted 30 days duration training programme on Nursery Management. Shri. Dattu Dhage a rural youth engaged in farming form village Belgaon (Dhaga), Tal and Dist. Nashik participated and successfully completed the training in the year 2006. He was engaged in vegetable cultivation and grape farming. With the aspiration to start the vegetable nursery, he participated in the training.
After successfully completing the training and under close supervision of KVK scientist, he started the vegetable nursery in 2006 on 2250 sq. feet area having capacity of producing 55000 tomato seedlings per year. At initial stage scientists frequently visited the nursery
Plants in pots for urban usages
and solved the problems like damping off, wilt. The technical guidance regarding the structures, media to be used, contact with the facility providers, convincing the parents of the entrepreneur, training to the farmers about the advantages of the seedlings, publicity of the seedlings through KVK on different forums.
Impact
Considering the huge demand for the vegetable seedlings he further expanded the capacity. He erected low cost polyhouse and shading net house on 10 guntha (R) of land with capacity of 260000 seedlings. Annually he prepares 26 lakh of
vegetable seedlings and supplying to the farmers. The major vegetables covered are Capsicum, Picador, Tomato, Brinjal, Chili, Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Sponge gourd, Ridge gourd, Watermelon and Drumstick. The rates of the seedlings is given in Table 1.
Table 1: Crop wise seedling produced, area covered and number of farmers benefited.
|
Sr. No. |
Name of the crop |
No. of seedlings produced |
Area Covered (Ha) |
No of Farmers Benefited |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
01. |
Capsicum |
450000 |
22.50 |
23 |
|
|
02. |
Picador |
400000 |
20.00 |
20 |
|
|
03. |
Tomato |
450000 |
25.71 |
26 |
|
|
04. |
Brinjal |
350000 |
23.33 |
58 |
|
|
05. |
Chili |
250000 |
14.29 |
36 |
|
|
06. |
Bitter gourd |
230000 |
115.00 |
144 |
|
|
07. |
Bottle gourd |
200000 |
100.00 |
125 |
|
|
08. |
Sponge gourd |
105000 |
52.50 |
66 |
|
|
09. |
Ridge gourd |
50000 |
25.00 |
31 |
|
|
10. |
Watermelon |
25000 |
4.00 |
5 |
|
|
11. |
Cauliflower |
50500 |
1.26 |
01 |
|
|
12. |
Cabbage |
45000 |
1.13 |
01 |
|
Total |
2605500 |
404.72 |
535 |
|
||
Outreach
The seedlings of 12 different vegetable crops are prepared and supplied to the farmers. Annually 26 lakh seedlings are produced. Total 535 farmers from 18 villages benefited through seedling procurement. The plantation on 404.72 hectares was observed under the seedlings procured from this nursery. The figures itself depicts the horizontal spread of technology and its huge impact on vegetable scenario.
Marketing system
At initial stage strong support from the Kendra was provided for marketing of the seedlings through its contacts and publicity on different platforms and programmes. The seedlings were prepared on the basis of advance booking from the farmers. Later on the seedlings get popularized by mouth to mouth publicity among the farmers. Now a days the seedlings are very popular and there is no need for extra efforts for publicity.
Media Used
The vegetable seedlings are prepared in root trainers using cocopeat and vermicompost mixture as media. While preparing the media 40 Kg of vermicompost is mixed with 625 Kg of cocopeat.
Well Maintained and Protected Vegetable seedlings
This gives excellent results in terms of healthy growth and easy uprooting from pro trays without damaging the root system. These seedlings are prepared in three types of root trainers.
An Overview of the nursery
104 cavities pro trays: These pro trays are specially used for Tomato and Brinjal crop. For filling one pro tray, one kilogram of the media is required. These trays are reusable and can be reused for four times.
102 cavities pro trays: These pro trays are specially used for Capsicum, Picador, Chili, Watermelon crop. For filling one pro tray, 1.10 kilogram of the media is required. These trays are disposable trays.
50 cavities pro trays: These pro trays are specially used for Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Ridge gourd, Sponge gourd crop. For filling one pro tray, 1.15 kilogram of the media is required. These trays are reusable trays and can be reused for four times.
Irrespective of season, the vegetable growers from Nashik district are growing the vegetables in all seasons of the year which reflects the demand for the seedling is observed round the year.
- Guidance about variety selection
- Aftercare of the plantation
- Genuine planting material
- Guidance about management of pest and diseases of crops
- Pure planting material- resulting in sturdiness and less susceptible to pest and diseases
- Timely plantation of the crop- good market prices to the produce
- Avoid damages to seedling due to harmful climate in open air condition
- Cost saving- Less seed requirement, sprayings reduced, hardiness of the crop
- At least 10 days early maturity
- Maintaining the plant population
Table 2: Year wise Development of the Nursery
Sr. No. |
Year |
No. of Seedlings Produced |
|---|---|---|
01 |
2005-2006 |
55000 |
02 |
200 6-2007 |
75000 |
03 |
2007-2008 |
200000 |
04 |
2008-2009 |
1500000 |
05 |
2009-2010 |
2605500 |
The Table 2 depicts that Shri. Dattu Dhage started the nursery with 55 thousand seedling producing capacity. Now he produce total 2605500 vegetable seedlings in a year. The gross income out of this nursery was observed to be Rs. 2859000. The production cost of the seedlings was Rs. 1550625. The approx. net profit generated through this entrepreneurship was observed to the extent of Rs. 1308375. The details are presented in Table 3.
Table 3: Economics of the Nursery (2009-10)
Sr. No. |
Name of the crop |
No. of seedlings Produced |
Rate/ seedling (Rs.) |
Gross Income (Rs.) |
Raising cost/ seedling (Rs) |
Total Expenditure (Rs) |
Net income (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
Capsicum |
450000 |
1.30 |
585000 |
0.75 |
337500 |
247500 |
2. |
Picador |
400000 |
1.30 |
520000 |
0.75 |
300000 |
220000 |
3. |
Tomato |
450000 |
0.60 |
270000 |
0.30 |
135000 |
135000 |
4. |
Brinjal |
350000 |
0.50 |
175000 |
0.30 |
105000 |
70000 |
5. |
Chili |
250000 |
0.70 |
175000 |
0.40 |
100000 |
75000 |
6. |
Bitter gourd |
230000 |
2.00 |
460000 |
1.10 |
253000 |
207000 |
7. |
Bottle gourd |
200000 |
1.75 |
350000 |
0.80 |
160000 |
190000 |
8. |
Sponge gourd |
105000 |
1.50 |
157500 |
0.75 |
78750 |
78750 |
9. |
Ridge gourd |
50000 |
1.50 |
75000 |
0.75 |
37500 |
37500 |
10 |
Watermelon |
25000 |
1.75 |
43750 |
0.80 |
20000 |
23750 |
11 |
Cauliflower |
50500 |
0.50 |
25250 |
0.25 |
12625 |
12625 |
12. |
Cabbage |
45000 |
0.50 |
22500 |
0.25 |
11250 |
11250 |
|
Total |
2605500 |
- |
2859000 |
- |
1550625 |
1308375 |
Address
Shri. Dattu Dhage
AP. Belgaon (Dhage),
In front of Trymbak Vidya Mandir,
Trymbak Road, Tal. Dist. Nashik
Mobile No. 9823220199
Future plans
- Extend the capacity of the nursery
- Prepare the vegetable plants in pots for urban
Plants in pots for urban usages
Ready seedling for transplanting
Healthy growth and well hardened seedlings