Despite ongoing strikes and blockade in the district, nursery raising and off-season vegetable training was successfully conducted in four different sites of our project area in January 2016.
On-farm nursery raising trainings were organized, facilitated by an agriculture technician from our Saptari based local partner “Jilla Krshak Samuha Sangh (JKSS)”. The overall objective of the training was to identify and explain suitable crops, off seasonal vegetables and the right way of nursery raising. The five-hour-long training contained both theoretical and practical sessions. In the theoretical session, a meeting was organized to explain the principles of nursery raising, associated methods and protection from insects and diseases. After this, a full-group discussion session included practical demonstration of plot preparation, seed bed preparation and proper use of fertilizer. Farmers were trained to develop plots for cucurbits, bottle gourd, bitter gourd and chili pepper.
A training session in Koiladi
The training had the following outcomes for participating farmers:
- Able to prepare seed bed properly
- Able to select off-season vegetables and improved seed varieties
- Understand the correct methods of germinating and handling seeds
- Know how to transplant seedlings
- Understand the benefits proper nursery raising and off-seasonal vegetable production
Following the training, farmers will grow different varieties of seeds for crops such as chili, cucumbers, bottle gourd, bitter gourd etc. Recommendations for specific seeds have been given according to farmer’s preference, production potential, disease resistance and improved varieties.
The seedlings will be transplanted when they are ready, and at that time, technologies such as drip, small solar pumps (sunflower pumps), mini- row basin piped irrigation and sprinklers coupled with small electric pumps will also be installed to irrigate them. An iDE agricultural engineer will conduct a day training for the farmer groups in each site on the installation, use and management of these technologies.