PRO TRAY NURSERY TECHNIQUE

Mix sterilized cocopeat @ 300 kg with 5 kg neem cake along with Azospirillum and phosphobacteria each @ 1 kg. Approximately 1.2 kg of cocopeat is required for filling one protray. 238 protrays (98 cells) are required for the production of 23,334 seedlings, which are required for one hectare adopting a spacing of 90 x 60 x 60 cm in a paired row system.
Sow the treated seed in protrays @ 1 seed per cell.
Cover the seed with cocopeat and keep the trays one above the other and cover with a polythene sheet till germination starts.
After 6 days, place the protrays with germinated seeds individually on the raised beds inside the shade net.

Water with rose-can everyday and drench with 19:19:19 @ 0.5% (5g/l) at 18 days after sowing

Cocopeat and Pro tray	Filling of cocopeat in Pro tray

Raising vegetable nursery in portrays
Chillies, tomato and brinjal seeds were sown in portrays with cocopeat. The portrays and cocopeat was purchased from Dharmapuri. While sowing, the portrays were filled with cocopeat and seeds were sown. Ten portrays were arranged one on the other and covered by a polythene sheet and kept as such for four days. On 5th day the polythene cover was taken out and water was sprinkled by rose cane. Afterwards the seedlings were maintained in the shade net.

Impact Horizontal spread
Farmers had accepted the benefit of raising nursery in protrays rather than in nursery bed. Because of better establishment of seedlings in main field, farmers feel that gap filling is is much minimized as pro tray seedlings established well.

Economic gains
The farmer had raised 55,000 seedlings (Tomato Seedlings : 20,000, Brinjal seedlings: 15,000 and Chilli seedlings : 20,000) during last year using protrays with cocopeat. He sold the seedlings to farmers of his own village at a cost of 55 paise/seedling. By which he earned about Rs. 30,250/-. The expenditure for producing the seedlings was Rs.10,600/- and he had got a net income of Rs.19,650/-.

Employment generation
The seedlings are raised in shade net and sold to other farmers at a reasonable price. His labourers were skill trained in handling pro trays and nursery techniques. Many landless labourers have got employment opportunities