CSA Xpert

Establishment and management of community nurseries of high-quality seedlings at the well-aerated site with good water availability can serve as regular as well as a contingent source of seedling during aberrant weather years. Delay in the onset of monsoon often delays transplantation of kharif paddy in the eastern part of India resulting in lower productivity as over-aged seedlings suffer from the low tillering ability. The establishment of staggered community nursery could be a local adaptation strategy to combat the problems encountered during deficit rainfall seasons. Sometimes, rice crop is lost at its early stages due to droughts, insufficient rainfall, floods, pest, and disease incidence. Again, sometimes sufficient time is not available to start a new nursery or to arrange seedlings from other growers. During such circumstances, the farmer may lose a complete season. Such situations can be addressed by community nurseries managed by a group of farmers. The seedlings may be made available on commercial basis to the other farmers. The preferable place for growing nursery is either in protected structures like polyhouses or a lowland with irrigation facilities (in the drought-prone area) or an upland with suitable drainage facility (in the flood-prone area).