Nurseries are sites where establishment of optimum plant population is taken up do prevent gap in the field by growing mulberry cuttings in nurseries we get sapling that can be transplanted to the main field.

1. Supervised by
Kuntamalla Sujatha mam
Faculty of sericulture.
Department of sericulture
Brief presentation on nursery bed
preparation
Semester-l, Paper-ll
Presented by
P.Mary archana
MSC Sericulture
Batch 2023-2025.

2. Introduction of nursery
● It is an area in which new samplings are raised and nourished until
they are ready for sale are transplanting at a permanent place in a field
● Mulberry is the only food crop of silkworm which feeds on its leaves
and produces silk.
● Mulberry is a vegetatively propagated perennial crop
● The scale of Mulberry plantations and their utilisation is determined
according to the plan of silkworm rearing
● This generally depends on the number of plants available in the field
nutrients available in the soil, irrigation, fertility, drainage etc

3. What is need for raising nursery beds
1. In a limited area it becomes very convenient/ easy /manageable for raising the plants
as saplings.
2. To avoid gaps in the main field when the cuttings are planted directly in the field.
3. It is a vaible commercial proposition to raise samplings on large scale then available
to farmers during planting season.
4. It is very important for raising nursery beds because sappling secure successful
establishment of garden.
5. Saplings of high yielding varieties are in very demand and good returns to the
nursery growers.

4. Suitable season for raising nursery
● Mulberry saplings can be raised throughout the year in South India due to favourable
climatic conditions.
● It is advisable to raise saplings 3 to 4 months prior to the planting season.
● February to April so that the saplings will be ready by June to August to take up
plantation taking advantage of monsoon rains.
Selection of nursery site
● The nursery site should be flat and levelled.
● Sandy loam to clay loam with light texture good drainage with pH range of 6.5 to 7.5.
● The nursery site should also be free from nematodes and termite infestation.
● The site should have Irrigation facility as irrigation is the most important component
in the nursery activity.

5. land preparation
● After selecting the site , the land must be ploughed with tractor drawn, mould board
plough at least two times.
● 10-12 MT per acre and we'll decomposed farm yard manure at the rate of 10 MT/
acre must be applied.
Nursery bed preparation
● First a suitable place in the farm is to be selected for nursery. This is ploughed deep
with tractor and left for 10 to 15 days
● The plot is divided into 8 *10 yards nursery beds with 8-10 inches bund.
● Irrigation is made with 30-45cm size canal for each bed 20kg of cow dung and mix
well.
● If the nursery soil is clay a sufficient quantity of sand is added or the bed with more
sand is added with tank salt.

6. Preparation of cuttings in rainfed and irrigated
condition
1. Select the seed cuttings from
exclusive seed garden of 6-8
months growth after pruning.
2. It is free from past and diseases.
3. Select the branch with 10 to 15 mm
pencil thickness cut into 12 to 15
cm long with 3 to 4 active buds.
Irrigated condition Rainfed condition
1. Select the seed cuttings from
exclusive seed garden of 6 to 8
months growth after pruning
2. It is free from pest and diseases.
3. Select the branch with 10 to 15 mm
pencil thickness cut into 22 -24 cm
long with 5 to 6 active buds.

7. Recommended Mulberry
1. Branching type:- spreading
2. Leaf. :- large, smooth&glossy
3. Rooting ability
4. Leaf yield
5. Suitable soil.
6. Remark.
:-48%
:- 40- 50 MT/ha/yr
:- red loamy soil.
:- suitable for chawk rearing

8. Garden for cutting multiplication
● Prepare separate garden for
cutting multiplication
● Select the Saint cuttings from
executive seed garden of 6 to 8
months growth after pruning

9. Selection of shoot
● Harvest the shoots without
damaging the bark.
● Remove thick lower portion
and upper immature portion
of the shoot.
● Keep the shoots under shade
and spinkler water

10. Cutting by Bill hook
● Use sharp Bill hook for preparation of cuttings of
12 to 15 CM.
● Prepare the cuttings by one stroke without
damaging the bark.

11. Cutting by secateur
● Preferably use secateur for preparation of cuttings
of 12 to 15 CM
● Secateur makes clean cut without damaging the
bark

12. Ideal cuttings
● Prepare cuttings of 12 to 15 CM length with 3to 4
healthy buds
● Select cuttings of 10 to 15 mm diameter.
● Preserve the cuttings in wet gunny cloth under
shade.

13. Preparation of nursery bed
● Prepare nursery bed of 3 m (L)* 1m (W)*10
cm (H).
● Apply sand uniformly at the rate of 25 MT/ha
and thoroughly mix with soil.
● Apply farm yard manure at rate of 20 MT/Ha
and mix thoroughly.
●
Irrigation channel and
working road
● Prepare irrigation channel of 30
cm wide and 15 CM deep on
either side of nursery bed

14. Levelling of nursery bed
● Level the nursery bed before
plantation
● Irrigate nursery beds one or two
days before planting the cuttings
Irrigation before plantation

15. Marking for planting
Of rope and measuring
● Mark each row at 20 CM apart with the help.
tape.
● Plant cuttings following 20 into
10 cm spacing .
● Insert cutting vertically exposing
only one bud above soil.
● After planting press soil around
the cutting.
Planting of cuttings.

16. Management of nursery
● Irrigate nursery bed once in 3 to 4 days.
● Remove weeds after 45 days of planting of cuttings.
● Apply urea after 1 month of planting at the rate of 10 g/sqmt mix well in the soil.

17. Transplantation
● It is a cultivation practice in which saplings or seedlings are uprooted from nursery and
planted in the field.
● Saplings grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet within 4 months.
● Nursery is supplied with lot of water two to three days before uprooting .
● Then these are bandel carefully and wrapped in gunny bag for transplantation.
● This sapling or seedlings are planted in the field according to the system of cultivation.