Nursery Technique for Sorghum, Cumbu and Ragi

Scientific name:

Sorghum – Sorghum bicolor

Cumbu – Pennisetum glaucum

Ragi – Eleusine coracana

 

Nursery :

It is a place where young seedling are grown under controlled environment and then transplanted to main field for cultivation

 

Raised nursery bed

Selection of Seed:

     The seed should be free from pest and diseases. All the ill seeds should be separated by treating them in salt water ( 1kg sodium chloride + 10 litres of water), where the floating ones are separated from the rest of healthy seeds. This is done to prevent upcoming diseases like ergot, downey mildew, etc

Nursery Area:

Sorghum - 7.5 cent ( 300 sq.m)

Cumbu - 7.5 cent

Ragi -12.5 cent ( 500 sq.m)

Field Preparation: 

The field should be well ploughed, fine tilth leveled one

 

FYM( Farm Yard Manure) Needed:

 

Sorghum- 750kg /ha

Cumbu -750kg/ha

Ragi - 500kg/ha

 

Note: for Cumbu and extra 37.5 kg of zinc sulphate is added

 

Recommended Seed Rate:

 

Sorghum  

Irrigated field - direct sowing - 10kg/ha, Transplanting- 7.5kg/ha

Rainfed field - 15kg/ha

 

Cumbu

Direct sowing - 5kg/ha

Irrigated field - 3.7kg/ha

 

Ragi:

 

Direct sowing and tranplanting - 5kg/ha

 

Laying of Nursery Bed:

 

Raised seed bed is preferred for drainage of excess water.

Dimensions for crops:

Sorghum - 2 x 1.5m

Cumbu - 3 x 1.5m

Ragi - 3x 1.5m

 

Seed Treatment:

It is technique or process to prevent diseases in seed  by incorporation of fertilizers and fungicides.

 

Example :

Sorghum - Dry seed treatment ( mixing of 2-4 gm of fungicide to 1kg of seed)

                - Seed hardening for rainfed crops

                - Biofertilizer , Azolla ( 3 packets = 600gm) binder for adhesion of fertilizer to seed . 

Sowing:

 By means of broad casting the seeds/ sowing behind country plough/ using seed drill. Make a shallow hill, apply another 500 kg of FYM covering the hill

 Water Management:

 

1. Provide 1 inlet to each Nursery Unit.

 

2.  Allow passage of water to inlet and cover all channels, till the raised beds are wet enough.

 

3. Adjust frequency of irrigation according to soil type.

 

 

 

 

IRRIGATION SCHEDULE	RED SOIL	HEAVY SOIL
1st Irrigation	Life irrigation (i.e. immediately after sowing)	Life Irrigation
2nd Irrigation	3rd day	4th day (except Cumbu)
3rd Irrigation	7th day	9th day
4thIrrigation	12th day	15th day
5thIrrigation	17th day	-
Note:  2nd Irrigation for Cumbu in heavy soil is also done on 3rd day.

 

 

Transplating:

 

  Average Nursery Duration / Age of seedlings:

 

For Sorghum, Cumbu – 15 to 18 days

For Ragi – 15 days

 

Spacing:

Sorghum -> 45x15 cm

Cumbu -> 45x15cm(except Co 7 -35x15cm)

Ragi -> 15x15cm

 

No. of Seedlings per hill

 

Sorghum = 2 seedling/hill

Depth = 3 to 5 cm

 

NOTE: Do not keep seedlings in nursery for more than 18 days!