Techniques of Seedling raising in Nursery:-

• Soil for seed bed preparation should be loose, friable and rich in organic matter content.
• The field for nursery raising should be prepared by ploughing/digging 3-4 times, the weeds, stones and crop stubbles/ residues are removed to bring the bed into fine tilth.
• Soil treatment is done by the use of 40 % farmaline (formaldehide) mixed with 100 part of water @ of 200 lit per ropani of land . The soil is covered by polyethylene or tripal for 72 hrs for effective treatment.
• The seed are sown in raised nursery beds which should be sterilized by formaldehyde (10%) or some fungicidal treatment (Bavistin 1 gm/ltr of water).
• The seeds for early sowing should be treated with some fungicides (2 gm/Kg of seeds) to save the young seedling from damping off.
• The seed bed of one meter breath with desirable length is prepared.
• 20 seed beds of 2.5 m and of 1 m breath size are enough for raising seedlings for transplanting in 1 ha

Seed bed to seed bed distance : 30-40 c.m

• The nursery bed is raised up to 15-20 c.m which also provide drainage during rainy season.
• Well rotten FYM/Compost 10 kg per square meter of nursery bed.
• Seeds are sown in line 5 cm apart. Seed sowing depth 1-2 c.m. continuously sowing.
• Nursery beds are covered with straw.
• Nursery beds are irrigated with watering can.
• Seedlings are ready for pricking at 2 – 3 leaf stage. Prickling makes the seedlings healthy and hardy.
• Seedlings become ready for transplanting in about 4 – 5 weeks. When the seedlings reach 3 – 4 leaf stage in early varieties and 5 – 6 leaf stage for mid and late season varieties.