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1 Nursery Bed preparation for the Cuttings
Trying out vegetative propagation of potential agroforestry
species is not so difficult provided the soil and nursery
beds are prepared as per the plant species requirement. The
vegetative propagation of plants is necessary for those species
that are difficult to propagate through seeds. A fast and
easy way to have successful propagation is by treating the
cuttings with the root hormone, and this applies only to those
plant species which are difficult to propagate through cutting.
The temperature, humidity, soil moisture and soil aeration
are some of the important factors to be considered because
this has direct influence over success of propagation. These
factors can be maintained through preparation of appropriate
media and nursery micro sites. The choice of media depends
on species some cuttings prefer only sand and some prefer
only the soil while some may prefer the mixed ratio of sand,
soil and sawdust. The cuttings usually require loose soil
with high porosity.
The mixture of soil with the leaf mould sand and the sawdust
is the perfect medium for cuttings. The sand helps in increasing
the porosity, sawdust keep the soil moist and the leaf mould
supplies the nutrition for the new sprouts.
Bed Preparation
1 Pit Bed
The pit bed is prepared by making the trench of 2-3 feet depth.
Normally the width of the bed is kept 1 m for convenience
in maintaining the cuttings. The length can vary as per the
available space. Once the trench is complete filled it with
stone gravels of 1-2 inches thickness to avoid water logging
and improve aeration. Fill the prepared medium of sand, soil
and the sawdust in the trench about 1 ½ to 2 feet thickness.
Level the bed after filling and watered to make it complete
wet. Plant the cuttings on the following day.
Cover the pit bed with the transparent plastic sheet for increasing
humidity and moisture, maintaining temperature and to prevent
from excessive evapo-transpiration either from the leaves
or stems. The bed is ready for the plant cuttings. Construct
shed using bamboo mats or any locally available materials
to prevent it from direct heat, heavy rain, hailstone etc.
2. Raised Bed
There is not much difference in raised bed as compared to
that of pit bed. The raised bed is constructed above the ground
level at 2-3 feet height. The height of the bed is raised
using the mud bricks, stonewalls or bamboo poles or any other
locally available materials. The same medium used in both
types of beds depending on the species requirement. The construction
of shed and other requirements are same like pit beds.
The advantages of raised beds over pit beds are easiness and
convenience in handling and maintaining the cuttings. It also
prevents water logging. This is also good for those cuttings
which require minimum humidity.
3. Polytube preparation
The mixture of sand, soil and leaf mould is made to the ratio
of 1:2:2 and sieved to remove larger materials like stones,
twigs etc. The
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sieved soil is mixed thoroughly with the spade and shovel
to have a good mixture. Sprinkle water to avoid dust. Check
the medium by making a ball and rolling it over to find out
the texture. If the ball breaks evenly while rolling, it is
perfect, and if it doesn’t break the soil mixture is
still clayey and needs addition of more sand and leaf mold.
Prepared medium is filled in the polytubes of different sizes
depending species. Two to three small holes are made at the
base of the polytubes to drain excess water and also for aeration.
Fig: 1 Example of raised bed
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2: Description, Propagation & Management of
Multipurpose tree Species (MPTS) species
I Scientific Name: Ficus bengalensis
Common name: Bar/ Wild banyan tree
Family: Moraceae
A Description
The commonly known as Bar (Lh) tree usually grows in the tropical
foothills in our neighboring country India. In Bhutan it is
found in the subtropical areas along Indo-Bhutan border from
200 to 1200 m above the sea level. The trees go up to 30 m
height and have wide branching characteristics. The numerous
aerial roots from the branches forming the additional prop
differentiate the Banyan tree from the other Ficus species.
B Uses
The trees are planted along the roadside and near by the houses
as a religious symbol in Hinduism. Due to the wide branching
characteristic it is good for shed. The timber is used for
making furniture and the foliage as fodder to cattle.
C Propagation Techniques
1 Seeds
2 Cuttings
1 Propagation through Seeds
Ficus bengalensis produces its figs annually in the month
of September to October. The ripened figs are collected from
the selected mother tree and the seeds are extracted through
the maceration or through air-drying. The seeds are very sensitive
to the insect attack due to the presence of sugar. Sow the
seeds right after collection this increases the viability
and to prevent from the insect attack.
Sow the seeds in the nursery tray or in the mother bed with
prepared medium of sand and topsoil by broad casting. Once
the seeds are broadcasted cover the seeds with thin layer
of prepared soil medium. Water the seedbeds lightly with the
watering can without making any splash.
3 Stem Cuttings
Stem cutting of this species is very successful even without
the use of hormone unlike other tree species. The 1 –
2 cm diameter, and 6- 12 inches long stems from the mother
tree is collected for the propagation. The collected planting
materials are directly planted in the rooting medium. Approximately
1/4th portion of the cuttings are buried under the medium.
Propagation is usually carried out on the on set of monsoon
season just before the start of new sprouts. The root system
will take place after 2-3 week from the time of planting.
100% survival is assured.
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The rooted cuttings can be potted in the tubes for keeping
it for long duration, or can be directly planted in the field.
II Botanical Name: Ficus roxburghii/ auriculata
Common Name: Fig Tree
Local Name: Nebaroo(Lh) Baku shing(Dz) Chongmashing(Sh)
Family: Moraceae
Description
This is a medium to big size tree commonly grown around the
farmland as a priority fodder species. It grows from tropical
to sub-temperate region from 200 to 2000 m above the sea level.
It has big and rounded leaves and wider branching characteristics.
The milk like sap oozes out from any wounded parts of the
plant. The tree bears fig along the branches and the stem
from June to September. The fig tree prefers to grow well
along the gentle slopes under shaded and moist condition.
Uses
In Bhutan, farmers consider this as one of the important fodder
tree species. The sweet red ripened figs are edible and children
enjoy the fruit during the season. Big and rounded leaves
are used for making leaf plates by some communities during
rituals. It is also good for soil conservation due to its
strong surface rooting system when planted along the edge
of degraded or unproductive wasteland. The small size fuel
woods can be obtained from the lopped branches.
Propagation techniques
Seeds
Cuttings
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10 Steps to Extract clean Fig seeds.
1. The ripened figs are collected from the mother tree and
splitted into two parts for extracting the seeds.
2. Inner layer of the fig bearing seeds is taken out with
the help of small knife.
3. The fine sand particles are put in the bowl till ¾th
of the size of container.
4. The seeds are mashed with hand and mixed thoroughly with
sand by pouring little water.
5. Once it is mixed properly, the seeds along with sand are
washed with water for several times.
6. This is done mainly to remove the sticky gum like substance
from the seeds.
7. After thorough wash, water is filled till to the brim of
the container and stirred with hand or sticks.
8. The minute seeds of the fig form the upper layer of the
sand, the seeds can be poured in another empty container.
9. The process can be repeated till all the seeds are extracted.
10. The extracted seeds are wind dried for further storage
and other uses.
Seeds
Due to the minute size of the seeds, it is very hard to germinate
fig seeds like other tree seeds in normal condition. It is
either eaten up by insects due to its sweet flavor or doesn’t
germinate at all. Proper care and method is needed for propagation.
The indigenous method of making a paste with cow dung along
the walls has proven to be successful.
The extracted seeds are mixed with the fresh cow dung, making
it like a paste. The pit bed is prepared under the nursery
sheds or in the green house of 5 to 8 inches deep. The four
walls of the bed are made slanting to 45 to 50 degrees. The
walls are plastered with the mixture of cow dung and soil.
Once the bed gets semi dried the prepared paste of seed is
thinly plastered along the slanting walls and bottom of the
bed.
The bed is kept moist till the seed starts germination. The
ficus seeds usually take 2 to 3 weeks for complete germination.
Around 80% to 90% germination percentage can be obtained through
proper sowing methods and treatments. The 1-2 inch height
seedlings are pricked out in the polytubes and kept under
the sheds till it is fully established. After 2 to 3 months
the potted seedlings can be taken out from the sheds for hardening.
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The success rate of propagating Ficus roxburghii through stem
cuttings is very less. The rooting to the stem is quite difficult
due to the hollow inside the stem like that of the bamboo.
Only 5 to 10 percent of the cuttings get survived. Therefore
ideally it is not advisable to propagate Ficus roxburghii
seedlings for mass propagation.
Field Plantation and Management
The 1 to 2 years old hardened Ficus roxburghii seedlings are
ready for plantation in the field. The potted seedling has
more potential to survive than the naked rooted seedlings.
This could be because of the excess transpiration from the
broad leaf of Ficus roxburghii. The naked rooted seedling
gets wilted very fast before reaching the plantation site.
The plantation is usually carried out during the onset of
monsoon season. Watering is necessary for a week or two and
even more, if the area is dry and under drought condition.
The plantation needs clearing of weeds for at least two years
to out-compete the grasses. The fencing or protection is needed
to avoid the trampling and browsing of young saplings by cattle.
When the tree attains a height of 2 to 3 m, the terminal shoots
can be cut off from the tip so as to allow more lateral branches
to grow from the stems. Further the lateral branches can be
trimmed off for further widening and increasing the crown
size. This is done mainly for not letting the trees to grow
taller which causes inconvenience while lopping for collecting
fodder. It is also to increase the biomass production from
the tree.
III. Scientific Name: Symplocos paniculata
Common Name: Asiatic sweetleaf
Local Name: Pangtse Shing
Family: Symplocaceae
A Description
The commonly called Pangtse Shing(Dz) around Wangdue and Punakha
valley is identified as Symplocos paniculata in botanical
term. It is a deciduous small tree or shrub up to height of
3 to 10 m. Symplocos paniculata grows in subtropical to temperate
region at an altitude ranging from 1500 to 2850m above the
sea level. Around Punakha valley the pangtse shing is usually
found planted around the periphery of farmland for its edible
oil. The plant bears flower from May to June and the seeds
ripen from October to December. Natural regeneration is rare
in the field. Farmers view it as one of the difficult species
for propagation. Due to the oily nature of the seed it is
hard to germinate in normal condition.
B Uses
Farmers of Punakha valley admire the plant for sweet vegetable
oil extracted through its matured seed. Still today the farmers
extract the pangtse seed oil through indigenous method. They
say that the oil provides energy and taste is comparable to
the other available vegetable oils in the market. It has also
good medicinal value. Dye is also extracted from the plants.
Environmentally the plant can be planted in the degraded or
sloppy areas around the farmland to conserve the soil. The
pruned branches and lops and tops can be used as fuel wood.
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C Propagation Technique
1. Seed
2. Stem Cuttings
3. Root cuttings
1 Seed
The past research result reveals that it is really difficult
to propagate pangtse shing through seeds. The different pre-treatment
of the seed has been carried out to break the seed dormancy.
In 2004 the matured seeds were collected from Hokona.
The berries were carefully harvested from the tree and brought
to the nursery for careful study on germination. The seeds
were extracted through the maceration from the fresh fleshy
berries and were soaked in cold water to avoid the seeds from
drying and losing viability. The seeds were given cold treatments
by keeping the seeds in the deep freeze packed in the plastic
bags. After two to three weeks of cold treatment the seeds
were given pre-treatment of cold water soaking for at least
5-6 days.
Preparation of Medium
Unlike the seeds of other trees, panchi seed prefers the medium
of continuous moist condition under the screen house. The
medium could be prepared from the mixture of fine particles
of sand, topsoil and sawdust with the ratio of 2:2:1.
Sowing method
The pretreated seeds can be sown in the mother bed either
through dibbling, broadcasting or line sowing. The important
thing to note while sowing panchi seeds is to maintain the
depth of sowing which is almost 3-4 inches depth into the
bed. The irrigation is frequently needed to maintain the moisture
of the soil. The germination starts after 2-3 months of sowing.
It is always good to sow the seeds right after collection
and giving the recommended treatments for successful result.
The seedlings can be potted in the plastic tubes once the
true leaves appear. Keep the seedlings for at least one month
under the shed to avoid direct light since the seedlings are
tender and can be easily wilted.
Cuttings
2 Stem
The branches of thumb size and 10-12 inches long are collected
as planting stock for root formation. The right season for
the collection of cutting is during the dormant stage when
the plant sheds its leaves and prepares for the new sprouting.
In the field, the collected materials should be kept in the
icebox or wrapped with the moist pieces of sacks or newspapers.
This is done mainly to reduce the loss of moisture and to
transport it or store for the longer duration. The cuttings
can be now planted in the prepared medium to develop the root
system. Root hormone can be applied to enhance the rooting
system, and also to increase the success percent. Cutting
usually prefers the warm and moist condition. In some cases
the plant sprouts very well for a week or so and dies back
without forming the root system, as the stored food inside
the stem gets exhausted the plant dies. It usually happens
when the cutting is done during the off season. It usually
takes 4-5 weeks for the complete formation of root system.
3 Root
The propagation of panchi through root cutting is more successful
than the stem. The process is same as that of the stem cutting,
except the length of the cuttings is shorter than the stem
cutting. The preferred lengths of 5-6 inches long are brought
to the nursery and planted vertically with the base of the
root upright. The ½ to 1-cm base length is exposed
from the medium to give rise to new sprouts.
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D Field plantation & Management
The one-year-old seedlings are ready to be transplanted in
the field. The seedlings can be either planted out during
dormant stage just before sprouting in the month of March,
or during the onset of monsoon season. The panchi usually
prefers moist condition, either along the bunds of terrace
or in the unproductive land along the edge of fields. The
seedling needs irrigation for 2-3 weeks after plantation in
the drought condition. Weeding around the seedling is necessary
for 2-3 seasons till it gets fully established. Young saplings
need to be protected from cattle.
IV Scientific Name: Oroxylum indicum
Local Name: Tsampaka metog(Dz) Totola(h)
Family: Bignoniaceae
A Description
Tsampaka shing is a medium size tree that grows up to 5- 7
m tall. The tree belongs to the family Bignoniaceae. It is
deciduous in nature and sheds the leaves in winter and sprouts
when the monsoon
season starts. The tree is found in the tropical to sub-tropical
region. It is characterized by thick fleshy and brown colored
barks, with thick and pubescent leaves. The seeds are feathery
and white in nature contained in the long pods. Due to the
feathery nature of the seeds it is easily pollinated by wind
in the natural forest.
B Distribution
In Bhutan tree is found in wild as well as domesticated in
the farmland in the low to mid altitude level.
C Uses
Tsampaka metog is widely used by the Buddhist community for
religious purposes. The Indians use this tree for the preparation
of homeopathic medicines for the treatment of different kind
of diseases.
D Propagation Techniques
Though we find less natural regeneration in the wild, still
the plant can be easily propagated through seeds, roots and
shoots cuttings in the nursery.
1 Seeds
The mature pods are collected in the month of April to May
and the seeds are extracted by drying and splitting the pods.
Seeds are sown in the month of May to June. It can be directly
sown in the polytubes filled with the prepared soil or can
also be sown in the mother beds
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and later pricked out in the tubes when true leaves appear.
The seed takes usually 2-3 weeks for germination. The simple
pre-treatment can be applied by just soaking in the cold water
for 6-12 hours to hasten the germination. The viable seeds
of Oroxylum indicum give the 100% germination.
2 Cutting
The profuse growth of the new shoots from the spreading rooting
system indicates the easy propagation of plants through cuttings.
The roots and shoots are cut to the size of 10-15 cm and planted
in the medium for rooting. The cuttings are usually carried
out in the month of February – March when the tree is
in dormant stage before the new leaf sprouts. The callus formation
and rooting takes around 4- 5 weeks.
The plants can be potted once the rooting system fully develops.
E Field Plantation
Six months to one-year-old seedlings are planted out in the
field during the on set of monsoon season. The pit size of
1 to 2 feet depth and 30 cm diameter is prepared for the plantation.
The addition of fertilizer or farmyard manure would accelerate
the growth of plants if planted in the degraded soil. The
raised basin is prepared to avoid water logging and rotting
of the tuberous roots.
F Management
Unlike other species Oroxylum indicum does not require many
management regimes. During the initial stage watering for
the first 2-3 weeks is required in the drought condition.
Clearing of bushes around the plant could avoid the plants
from shading and nutrition competition.
V Scientific Name: Benthamedia capitata
Local Name: Fetchi(Dz), Ramkattar(Lh)
Common Name: Duckwood
Family: Cornaceae
A Description
The Benthamedia species is a medium size tree that grows up
to 5 to 10 m tall. There are two varieties identified locally
according to the size and taste of the fruits. The leaves
are opposite, entire and elliptic, and the fruits almost 3
cm in diameter with reddish in color.
It is usually found growing in the wild at mid altitudes along
moist broad-leaved forest. The fruits ripen by the month of
September to October.
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B Distribution
The Benthamedia tree is usually found in the moist broad-leaved
forest at an altitude range from 1830 to 2900 meters above
the sea level. In Bhutan it is found in the districts of Chukha,
Thimphu, Punakha, Trongsa, Bumthang, Mongar, Trashigang and
Samdrupdzongkhar.
C Uses
The sweet edible fruit of fetchi is available in the Wangdue
vegetable market during the spring season. The pulp of the
fruit is sweet and edible. This could be one of the potential
species for domestication as a fruit tree by the horticulture
sector. During the flowering season of the plant it really
beautifies the area with the pleasant smell from yellowish
flower. Therefore the plant has an ornamental value too, and
can be planted as an ornamental tree. The stem and branches
can be used as fuel wood.
D Propagation Techniques
The stony nature of seeds of Benthamedia sp makes it difficult
in germination in the natural condition. Moreover it takes
a long duration to break the dormancy due to very hard seed
coat. In the forest natural regeneration is observed in the
place where birds and animals have eaten the fruits and excreted
the undigested seeds. This is also counted as one of the pre-treatment
of seeds swallowing by birds and animals. In the nursery condition
the plants can be easily propagated through seeds as well
as stem cuttings.
1 Propagation through seeds using different pre-treatments
The ripened fruit is collected from the tree and the seeds
being extracted through maceration. The sweet pulp of the
fruit is completely removed so as to protect the seeds from
insect attack. The
seeds are air-dried and can be stored for a longer duration.
The seeds usually take a year for germination without any
pre-treatment. Different pre-treatment can be applied to hasten
the germination. Here in the nursery we have tried out with
three different pre-treatments namely Scarifying, Hot water
and Cold water treatment. The scarifying is removing the apex
of the seeds with the help of Scrature or nail cutter without
damaging the embryo. The scarified seeds are sown in the mother
bed through dibbling or line sowing methods. The germination
is observed after three weeks of sowing. The hot water pre-treatment
is by soaking the seeds in the boiling water for minute and
soaking it again in the cold water for 12-24 hours. The hot
water pre-treated seed takes a month for germination. The
cold water pre-treatment is simply soaking the seeds in the
cold water for 24 to 48 hours and changing the fresh water
at intervals. Other method to hasten the germination of Benthamedia
seeds is by sowing the seeds in the mother bed or germination
box with the medium of only fine particles of sand.
Sl.No Pre-treatments Germination period Germination
percent
1 Scarification 2-3 weeks 95%
2 Hot water 4-5weeks 70-75%
3 Cold water 6-8 weeks 60-70 %
4 Sand bed 4-5 weeks 80%
2 Cutttings
The stem cutting of this species is very successful. The consideration
to be taken is the right season for planting of cuttings and
in the prepared medium of sand, soil and sawdust inside the
green house or in the Polly tunnel / misting chamber. Usually
cuttings are preferable before the sprouting of the new shoots.
The rooting system develops after a month or two if planted
without treating of root hormones, but
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with the application of root hormones the rooting starts after
2-3 weeks. The rooted plants can be then planted in the polytubes
for keeping it in the nurseries till the planting season.
E Nursery management and planting out
One year old seedlings are planted out in the field after
hardening the seedlings for few months. The size of the pit
is prepared same as that of other tree species. It prefers
moist soil and is light demanding. The care for few months
is necessary to fully establish the growth of the trees. The
shape and the size of the crown can be maintained through
proper pruning and thinning of the branches.
VI Scientific Name: Thysanolaena latifolia
Common Name: Tiger grass
Local Name: Tsakusha (Dz), Beyshaw(Sh)
and Amlisho (Lh).
Family: Gramineae
Sub Family: Thysanolaenae
A Descrription
It is a bushy rhyzomatous perennial grass and it’s widely
distributed in the country (from 200m asl to 1800m asl). It
grows as high as 2-3 m tall. The leaves are linear about 5
cm wide and 30-35 cm long which are alternately arranged.
After a year of plantation it starts producing the panicles
in which the inflorescence is borne along an elongated axis.
The plant is usually found growing along the roadsides and
in the difficult terrain areas.
B Uses
It has many uses: a) the grass for fodder (fig 1); b) infloral
parts as broom (fig 2) and c) its roots for the medicines.
Farmers particularly in the southern part of the country grow
it along the ridges of their field and in wastelands around
the homestead. Besides these use values, the plant serves
environmental functions such as soil stabilization in the
degraded areas, erosion control in the hilly areas as it grows
in clumps and multiplies rapidly through rhizomes. The plant
as such has a lot of potential for Agroforestry.
C Propagation Technique
Propagating through rhizomes is very simple and effective
with planting in the rainy season. The rhizomes should be
collected by manually digging from any good source but remembering
not to collect rhizomes from those in the steep areas and
roadsides to prevent soil erosion.
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Shoots of the clumps should be cut off at about 6 to 7 inches
from the dug rhizome. The collected clumps are then directly
planted or else taken to the nursery for generating more planting
materials (fig 3).
D Multiplication in the Nursery
These clumps of rhizomes can be separated into the single
rhizome with the help of a knife or a pair of secatuers. The
single rhizome should have the rooting system and possess
tender buds.
A raised bed (1x2 feet) should be prepared although the length
of the bed can depend on size of the available plot onto which
graded and selected single rhizome are planted with a distance
of 1m spacing between them. Leaf mould and other organic fertilizer
should be added for rapid growth of new shoots. Planting rhizomes
on the raised bed makes it easier to dig out for further planting
in the field. It also eases in watering and helps out-compete
weeds. Single rhizomes develop into a clump of 8 to 10 new
shoots and each shoot becomes a rhizome itself in a year.
The plant should start flowering within a year and be used
for various purposes.
E Method of planting in the field
The tiger grass rootstocks/rhizomes can be directly planted
in the field as required. The planting hole of 50 –
60 cm diameters is prepared in the planting site. The site
should be cleared of weeds through strip clearing or spot-ring/patch
clearing method. The culm of rhizome is collected and each
culm can be divided into 4 planting rootstocks for plantation.
The plantation is carried out usually on the on set of monsoon
season to acquire more survival rate. The space for planting
tiger grass depends upon the objective of plantation. If the
target is for production of panicles wider space is required
and if for conservation practices planting in close space
would be more effective. The
Clump of rhizome
Single slip separated from the clump
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fertilization could be done in the areas where soil nutrients
is deficient to enhance the growth of the plants
F Some management aspects
The plant does not demand sophisticated management regimes.
In the nursery it is easy to propagate and requires watering
only during the dry days.
In plantations occasional weeding should be done especially
during the initial establishment stage and if there is lot
of vegetation growing around. Once the plant gets fully established
the size of the clumps becomes large and can hold the soil
strongly preventing landslides and soil erosion.
Once fully grown (i.e. within a year) the foliage can be cut
and carried home as fodder and the infloral parts used either
as a soft broom or for other purposes. The plant is then cut
off from the height of 5 to 6 inches from the ground, which
can serve as fodder during the winter months. The cutoff clumps
of Thysonalena can be left as it is for new shoots or else
burnt which encourages profuse growth of new shoots when the
wet season arrives. Because of its profuse regenerative capacity
(fig 4) and robust growth it is important not to plant the
tiger grass inside the agricultural field to avoid dominating
agricultural crops and becoming a difficult weed. The plant
is very effective in soil conservation if planted along contours
along the steep slopes where the agricultural crops cannot
be grown.
VII Botanical Name: Cupressuss corneyana
Common Name: Cypress tree
Local Name: Tshenden Shing(Dz) Dhupi (Lh)
Family: Cupressaceae
Description
Cupressuss corneyana Carriere; C. funebris F.B.I. non Endlicher
(Tsenden –Dz-; Weeping Cypress -Eng) is one of the most
important native conifer species in the country growing between
1000-3000 m asl. The species has historical religious and
cultural significance with old Tsenden trees seen grown in
the periphery of monasteries and Dzongs. It is also the National
Tree of Bhutan.
Uses
Owing to its religious connection and the high quality timber
from the species it is used as for construction and renovation
of Dzongs and Monastries. The leaves of the Tsenden gives
sweet aroma when burnt so it is used as incense with whole
branches and leaves burnt.
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Figure 1: Prime timber from Tsenden
It is also planted as ornamental plant because of its bushy
conical shape. Its deep rooting system helps bind soils together.
It is relatively fast growing and a preferred species for
planting by farmers so has huge potential as an agroforestry
species.
Figure 2: Tsenden as a plantation species
10 Steps for propagating Tsenden
1. Seeds should be collected from superior mother trees in
Sept-Nov. Usual collection areas in Wangdue are Chuzelumpa
and Dangchu. Alternatively you can request small amount of
seeds from the DFO, Wangdue.
2. Spread collected seeds thinly on a tray (or bamboo mat)
to allow air to move freely over it to dry and stored in an
airtight container in a cool place.
3. Before sowing, soak seeds in cold water for about 12-24
hours to break dormancy and achieve better germination rates.
4. Sow seeds in beds inside screen house if available or shaded
mother beds (1 m wide with alleys 0.5 m in between) at a depth
of about 3 mm in rows with 3 cm distance apart. The distance
is to ease weeding and pricking out.
Figure 3: Tseden seedlings in shaded mother bed
5. Sown seeds should be watered daily until the seedling grows
to a height of 2 cm (in areas as dry as Bajo), in wetter areas
the mother beds can be prepared to allow sufficient drainage
to avoid damping-off to the seedlings. Use a watering can
with a long delivery trunk to avoid disturbing the sown seeds
while watering.
6. Before pricking out prepare growing mixture by using
equal proportions of soil, leaf mould and sand. Poly tubes
should be filled up at least 3 days before pricking out. Leave
a gap of about 1 cm to1.5 cm from the soil surface to the
top of the tube for watering and refilling.
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Figure 4: Use a watering can and water regularly
7. Use of polythene tubes is advised as bare roots have lower
survival rates. Punch holes in the bottom of the poly tubes
before filling with the growing mixture to provide sufficient
percolation of water (prevent water logging) and aeration.
8. Prick out seedlings at a height of about 2 cm to minimize
pricking out shock. Pricking should be done carefully. Use
a small garden shovel for the purpose.
9. In case there is an occurrence of fungal diseases then
arrange tubes with seedlings and without in alternate rows.
10. Harden seedlings by removing all shade and reducing
the frequency of watering.
Figure 5: Nursery shed give extra protection for successful
germination
Management and Field Plantation
Lifting seedlings from the nursery for planting forms a critical
part for successful survival. Avoid damaging the plant particularly
the roots when lifting from the nursery. Grade seedlings according
to their height and robustness and plant into small pits dug
in the planting area at 2.5 m x 2.5 m. watering is crucial
for about 2 weeks especially in dry areas during establishment
phase. Tsenden growth is highly stunted in areas with a high
degree of exposure. In such areas fast growing trees should
be planted as nurse trees.
Figure 6: First harvest from a Tsenden stand
VIII Botanical Name: Bambusa & Dendrocalamus spp.
Family: Gramineae
Local Name: Bans(Lh) Pashi(Dz)
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Introduction
Bamboos commonly grown as woody plants, belong to the family
Gramineae, and form the tribe Bambuseae of the subfamily Bambusoideae.
They often have tree like habit and can be characterized as
having woody, usually hollow clumps, complex rhizome and branch
systems, petiolate leaf blades and prominent sheathing organs.
Bamboo species are distributed throughout the country, though
they are most common in the higher rainfall areas. They can
be found from Tropical Southern borders to the tree line where
they form extensive areas of pasture for higher altitude cattle
like yak and sheep. Bamboo remains one of the most important
multipurpose plants in the Bhutanese society. Traditional
ways of bamboo propagation are not well documented and less
frequently understood. Hence it was felt important to study
and document propagation methods for both local and exotic
species. The propagation activities were initiated from 1996
and it are still on going.
Uses
Bamboo has multiple uses in the Bhutanese community (e.g.
roof mats, fencing pole and post, canning of shoots of edible
species, building construction, basket, etc.).Bamboos also
play an important role in soil conservation by virtue of their
dense surface root, which helps protect from sheet and gully
erosion. It can be planted in slope and landslide areas for
stabilization. It can also be planted along the agricultural
field boundary and home garden as a windbreak to protect crops.
Methods of propagation
Usually there are three propagation techniques being practiced.
Farmers collect the rhizomes from the source and directly
plant in their fields. Some also collect the shoots of mature
clumps keeping the internodes of two to three numbers and
burying under the soil till it gives out the new shoots and
roots. The other commonly practiced and effective method is
raising through the seeds, which is usually practiced in the
nursery for mass multiplication. Here we discuss mainly on
techniques through the seeds and mass production of planting
materials.
1 Through seed
2 Rhizome
3 Culm cutting
4 Branch cutting
5 Tissue culture
Nursery Method
• Raised bed
• Direct seeding in the plastic tube
Propagation from seed
This method is effective and useful especially if we are to
produce a large numbers of field plantable bamboo seedlings.
The technique and the methods involved are as follows.
Seed treatment
Soak the seed in cool water for 10-12 hours and sow it on
well prepared seed bed or in the plastic tubes.
Sowing
Two types of sowing are commonly done
• In plastic tube and in
• Seed bed
Put 3-4 seeds to each plastic tube and cover the seeds by
using soil, sand, and top soil up to 5 mm.
Sowing in the seedbed
In the prepared seedbed sow the seeds thinly and cover with
soil mixture. Sowing too thick may hamper rhizome formation.
Substrate
Mixture of soil, sand and top soil in the ratio of 1:1:1
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Watering
Maintaining good moisture and timely watering is critical
even before and after germination.
Protection
Application of pesticides helps to keep away pest against
seed damage in the nursery.
After germination, rhizome formation will take place in 3
months time. From each of these seed based seedlings, young
shoots as many as 4-5 are detached and transplanted. Each
of thus produced seedlings develops shoots which can be separated
for transplanting. From 100 seedlings with the detachment
of 3 shoots from each could easily raise 300 seedlings within
a year. This process could continue without having to procure
seeds for the second time and the mortality rate of such seedlings
is as low as 3-4%. This method has proved successfully with
Dendrocalamus strictus, Dendrocalamus calastachyous, Bambusa
bamboo and Bambusa arundinacea.
Plus point
1 Multiplication through seeds is a simple method for mass
propagation of Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa bamboo and
Dendrocalamus for raising large-scale planting
2 This method ensures that each propagule has shoot, root
and rhizomes even at the time of tiller separation, enabling
rapid establishment and very high survival of propagated materials.
3 The dependence on bamboo seed production in nature is
totally eliminated from second year onwards for mass production
of field plantable bamboo propagules. The method developed
is simple, easy and involves use of locally available materials.
4 Seeds are sown between March and July with the pricking
done when seedlings have attained a height of about 5-10 cm
(i.e. about April-August).
5 By the last week of May the next year, about five to six
tillers on an average are produced in each plastic tube.
6 Cutting rhizomes for production of more propagules separates
these tillers. After separation, each propagule is planted
in the plastic tube for further growth and development.
7 By July the following year, a number of propagules for
each species are retained in the nursery for production of
more propagules next year. The process can be repeated depending
on the amount of seedling required.
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IX Scientific Name: Phylanthus emblica
Common Name: Gooseberry
Local Name: Omla(Dz), Amala(Lh), Chhorgeng(Sha)
Family: Euphorbiaceae
A Description
This is a shrub or medium size tree from 1 to 10 m tall medically
termed as “Churoo”. It is a subtropical plant
that usually grows in the warm broad-leaved and chirpine forests.
The plant is a light demanding species and grows well in the
dry and sunny slopes. The growing elevation ranges from 300
to 1800 m above the sea level. It starts bearing fruits from
September and remains till March.
B Uses
The Omla tree has a very high demand in the preparation of
indigenous medicine. The sour taste berries of Omla are believed
to have high content of Vitamin C. The berries are used to
extract Amala hair oil in India and lots of other pharmaceutical
preparations. In Bhutan, the farmers sell ripened berries
in the market as horticultural fruits for cash income and
also used as tannin. In some areas local pickle is prepared
through fermentation in the salt and mustard oil. The twigs
and branches can be used as a fuel wood. The plant can also
be used to rehabilitate the dry and sloppy unproductive areas.
C Propagation Techniques
a) Seeds
b) Stem Cuttings
a) Seeds
The ripened berries of Phylsanthus emblica are collected
from the tree and let them dry in the sun to break the pods.
The fleshy parts of the fruits can either be pealed off for
immediate extraction of the seeds or can be sun dried which
usually takes a bit longer. The seed numbers range from 5
to 6 per fruit. The viability of the seed is very high and
can be stored for one to two years if properly packed. The
seeds can be sown from the month of April and under the screen
house any time of the year. The germination time differs with
the application of various pre-treatments. The pre-treatment
of the seed is necessary to hasten the germination due to
the nature of the hard seed coat. Seeds can be either treated
with soaking in hot water, cold water, and acids or through
sand stratification. It takes around a week or two to germinate
the seeds pre-treated with hot water, acids and sand stratification,
and for a month or two with cold water, and for 6 months to
year without any pre-treatments. The seedlings are pricked
out in the polytubes from 1-2 inches height and kept under
the sheds till they get established. The saplings are exposed
for hardening few months before transplantation.
b) Stem Cuttings
The thumb size girth and 6 to 8 inches long stems are collected
for carrying out propagation. The stem cutting is carried
out during the onset of monsoon season or at the dormant stage
of the plant before sprouting. The one-year-old shoots are
better for cuttings, and have a higher success rate. The cuttings
are planted in the prepared medium for rooting. After 2-3
weeks, the rooting system develops and can be pricked out
in the tubes. The use of hormones could shorten the time for
the formation of roots due to faster callus formation.
Field Plantation and Management
The hardened seedlings of 1 to 1 ½ years are planted
in the field. The shape and size of the planting pit is prepared
as that of the other tree species. The Omla tree prefers open
sloppy areas due to its light demanding characteristics. Irrigation
is necessary for first few weeks to supplement the loss of
water through excess transpiration and also to establish the
plantation. The planted seedlings have to be protected from
cattle to avoid trampling and browsing damage. Clearing of
grasses and weeding is crucial for first few years to allow
the free growth of plants and avoid suppression and to reduce
growth competition with weeds.
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