Five-Days Training Programme on ‘Smart Nursery Pipeline: Propagation to Designer Plant Production under Low-Cost Polyhouses’ Concludes

24-28 February 2026, Jammu & Kashmir

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Baramulla, ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, successfully organized a five-day training programme on “Smart Nursery Pipeline: Propagation to Designer Plant Production under Low-Cost Polyhouses” under the ARYA (Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture) Project from 24-28 February 2026 at KVK Baramulla. The programme was designed to build technical capacity among rural youth and promote entrepreneurship opportunities in scientific nursery raising and plant propagation.

During the programme, participants were provided with comprehensive lectures as well as hands-on practical training on various scientific propagation techniques including layering, grafting, and budding. Special emphasis was laid on the establishment and management of nurseries on scientific lines, enabling participants to understand the essential components of nursery infrastructure, propagation media, and plant handling techniques. Expert lectures were also delivered on important aspects such as scientific nursery establishment, nursery management practices, plant health management, and disease and pest management in nursery systems. In addition, participants were trained in vermicomposting techniques, highlighting the importance of organic waste recycling and sustainable nutrient management for nursery production.

An exposure visit to ICAR-CITH, Srinagar, was organized to provide participants with first-hand experience of advanced nursery infrastructure, clonal rootstock propagation, and modern horticultural technologies. The exposure visit greatly enhanced the practical understanding and motivation of the trainees. The training programme concluded with a valedictory session during which certificates of participation were distributed to the trainees by the Head and Programme Coordinator, KVK Baramulla. The trainees expressed high satisfaction with the quality of training and appreciated the practical orientation, relevance, and usefulness of the programme. Feedback received from participants was highly positive, and many trainees expressed their willingness to adopt nursery entrepreneurship as a livelihood opportunity.

The programme was coordinated under the ARYA Project with the objective of empowering rural youth through skill development, promoting scientific nursery practices, and creating sustainable self-employment opportunities in the horticulture sector.

A total of 25 rural youth from Baramulla district actively participated in the training programme.

(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Jammu & Kashmir)