Nursery Raising of Direct Sown Vegetable Crop

Deepali Tewari, GBPUAT

• The direct sown crop can not be transplanted after uprooting because of the formation of an external layer of corky cell "Suberine" in exerting cell of roots. Since suberin is impervious to water so results in the death of the plants in want of water.
• There are certain other combinations such as damage of growing tips and poor root regeneration which also hinder plant establishment after transplanting.
• So here we go for planting of such vegetable crops with earth ball.
• Generally the raised plant of the direct sown crop are needed in the adverse situation when there is too low temperature for seed germination or the field preparation is late due to some standing crop in it. Now there is practice in cucurbits to sow seeds in small poly bags (15 x 10 cm size) filled with soil, FYM /compost and sand mixture (1:1:1). Sowing is done in the month of December in adverse weather when out side conditions are not favourable.
• Poly-bags can be kept in poly house where temperature is above 20 ^o C. Watering of plants are done regularly as per need. After seed germination growth takes place. As soon as out side condition are favourable for planting, the seedlings are transplanted in well prepared and well fertilized pits, either by removing the polythene or by cutting lower portion of the polythene so that roots may penetrate into the soil.
• Vegetables, where this practice is followed: Bottle gourd, bitter gourd, muskmelon, watermelon, cucumber etc.
• This way, we can advance our crops about 45 days than normal planting and also growing season of preceding crops may be extended. Requirement of seedlings for transplanting one ha area is depicted in Table below: