From Seeds to Saplings

SEED COLLECTION

Seeds are either purchased, collected or exchanged. Seed collection for 40% of the avenue and fodder trees is currently carried out by volunteers, students and self-help groups throughout Tamil Nadu. Seed exchange is encouraged between different parts of the state in order to improve bio-diversity and create communication networks.

HEALTH OF MOTHER TREE
The health and maturity of each mother tree is checked before an order is approved and the seeds collected. Although the seeds may come from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala or Delhi, they are all native to Tamil Nadu.

CLEANING, SELECTION AND PACKAGING
The seeds are then held in one area for cleaning, selection and packaging before being sent to the appropriate nursery. 70% of the seeds become available in April, May and June (just before the rainy season) with others only becoming available in August/September or December/January.

SEED PLANTING
From the point of seed collection, planting needs to happen within:

• 2 days for jack fruit
• 2 months for oil seeds

Seeds that have to be planted within 2 months do not need any special treatment. All other seeds need to be treated in one of the following ways:

• soaked in hot or cold water or both
• soaked in organic growth promoter (panchakaviam)
• anaerobic pre-germination before sowing in the motherbed

SAPLING GROWTH
For each sapling the following elements have to be taken into account:

• Preparation and cleaning of the land
• Motherbed settlement
• Creation of Mist Chambers
• Germination of seeds
• Preparation of planting pockets
• Transplantation of germinated seeds
• 2 weeks shade with daily watering
• Sunlight to stimulate growth with alternate day watering
• Rearranging to curb root growth
• Weeding (3 weeks after transportation and once during next 2 months)
• Transportation
• Planting