Skill Enhancement Course (SEC-IV)

Nursery Production in Horticulture Crops

Layout of model nursery, Tools and equipment-identification and application. Different methods of breaking seed dormancy stratification, scarification and use of plant growth regulators. Extraction and storage of healthy seeds, seed bed preparation, Identification and raising of rootstocks for different fruit plants, soil solarization, preparation of potting mixtures. Selection of healthy scion wood, practices in different methods of plant propagation like cutting, layering, budding and grafting in fruit plants. Micropropagation-explant preparation, media preparation, culturing–meristem tip culture, axillary bud culture, micro-grafting and hardening of plants. Nursery management practices i.e. weed control, irrigation, nutrition, removal of sprouts etc. Protection of nursery plants against adverse climatic conditions. Protected structures. Diagnosis and control of important diseases and pests in the nursery, lifting and packing of nursery plants, Visit to commercial tissue culture laboratories and accredited nurseries.

Seed Production techniques in Vegetable Crops

Vegetable seed industry in India, Floral biology, pollination and breeding behaviour of important vegetable crops, Categories of seeds and their maintenance, Characteristics of quality seed, Agronomical principles and methods of seed production in important vegetable crops, Use of growth regulators and chemicals in vegetable seed production, Methods of hybrid seed production, Seed harvesting, extraction, curing, drying, grading, packaging and storage, Seed sampling and seed testing (genetic purity, seed viability, seedling vigour, germination, physical purity), Visit to seed processing units, seed testing laboratory and seed production farms.

Sericulture

Mulberry varieties, Host plants of non-mulberry silkworms, Preparation of land, planting material and planting of mulberry, Pruning, harvesting and storage of mulberry, Mulberry pests and diseases, Identification of cocoons of important breeds, External morphology of life stages egg, larva, pupa and moth of Bombyx mori L. Study of silk glands and digestive system of Bombyx mori L. Disinfectants- rearing bed and general disinfectants, Grainage techniques. Study of rearing house plan and equipment’s for shoot feeding and shelf rearing. Methods of Incubation of silkworm eggs and brushing. Identification of silkworm settling for moult, at moult, out of moult, Feeding, bed cleaning and spacing, Identification and picking of ripe silkworms, mounting, types of mountages, cocoon harvesting and grading, Pests and diseases of mulberry silkworm, Single cocoon reeling, study of reeling equipment.