1.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Volume: 2, Issue: 6, Dec -2014 ISSN (Online):- 2349-3585
1 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in
Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get
Livelihood for youth in Tribal areas of
Visakhapatnam District.
G.V. Subba Reddy1
, B. Srihari Rao2
,
S. S. N Malleswara Rao3
,Dr. G. Sridhar4
1
Subject Matter Specialist (Horticulture), BCT KVK, Visakhapatnam (India)
2
Subject Matter Specialist (Soil Science), BCT KVK, Visakhapatnam (India)
3
Subject Matter Specialist (Agronomy), BCT KVK, Visakhapatnam (India)
4
Programme Assistant, BCT Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Visakhapatnam (India)
Abstract:Various training programmes were conducted for
Tribal youth of Visakhapatnam District at BCT Krishi
Vigyan Kendra to provide the knowledge in Pro-Tray raised
seedlings production in Agricultural and Horticultural crops
for transplanting robust seedlings for reducing input cost to
the farmer. The main target in conducting the trainings was
to convert the unemployed Tribal youth to employed one.
KVK has identified Tribal villages in the Agency of
Visakhapatnam district of Andhrapradesh for accomplishing
this task. The knowledge level of the different trainees was
checked before and after the trainings. The evaluation
profarma of 10 questions were prepared and given to check
the difference in knowledge. It was found that almost
58.55% increase in the knowledge and work efficiency of the
rural youth which was sufficient for starting own business.
After completion of model training course, trainees were
sponsored from the different agro based industries in order
to start the business. A post evaluation after starting the
business was taken which leads in real success of the
training. The average income of the trainee was increased by
2.55 times due to real practical experience given at KVK,
which resulted in building the trust in rural youth for this
sector.
Keywords: Pro-Tray raised seedling production training, Rural
youth, Income, BCT KVK,
1.INTRODUCTION
India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in
the world. Still there is an urgent need for technology
upgradation to meet the international quality standards as well
as domestic needs. Horticulture today is not merely a means of
diversification but constitutes and integral part of food and
nutritional security, as well as employment generation. Quality
Seeds and planting material, including hybrids, contribute
nearly 30% for enhanced productivity and ensures the food
security. From 1961 to 2008, the cultivated area and
production of vegetables in the world have drastically
increased by 128 and 313%, respectively and the seed
production of vegetable crops has increased from 46.34 to
128.71 thousand tonnes; out of which America, Asia and
Europe contribute 50%, 32% and 16.96% respectively. Seed
production and productivity of vegetables have increased 161
and 80%, respectively (FAO 2009), which shows that still
there is a need to enhance the productivity through integrated
strategies including quality seeds and planting material.
Bhagavatula Charitable Trust (BCT) is a non-proft
organization working in the rural Visakhapatnam distric since
1976. Hallmark of BCT‟s programs has been involvement
community in their own development. Visakhapatnam Krishi
Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is under the aeigs of BCT. KVK is
offering necessary technical support to the farmers.
Considering the labour issue, high competition in middle aged
tribal youth for employment the BCT KVK has started finding
out such unemployed tribal youth for converting them the
dependent into independent. KVK having different disciplines
like Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Protection, Soil Science,
Agriculture Engineering, Home Science, Veterinary and
Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, computers in Agriculture and
allied areas that the tribal people need to learn and uplift their
skills and generate their livelihood. The mandate of the KVK
is to cater the need based and age based demonstrations and
trainings for the farmers, various extension functionaries and
rural youth. Gardening may be very specialized, with only one
type of plant grown, or involve a large number of different
plants in mixed plantings. It involves an active participation in
the growing of plants, and tends to be labor intensive, which
differentiates it from farming or forestry. The growing
vegetables market has resulted in higher demand for vegetable
seeds. The government expects the total vegetable seed market
to grow to 140 million tonnes by 2012 against the demand of

2.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get Livelihood for youth
(Vol.2, Issue-6) ISSN(O):- 2349-3585in Tribal areas of Visakhapatnam District
2 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
62,695 million tonnes during the period (M. L. Chadha, 2010).
It is believed that there are about 50,000 nurseries propagating
different ornamental and fruit plants. in most of these
nurseries (85%) are situated in and around cities catering
largely the ornamental plants for more effluent society.
Nevertheless, with the growing demand from semi urban
regions as well as from the old traditional areas, many new
nurseries have mushroomed in the last 10 to 15 years.
However there is a mismatch in demand and supply, (G.S.
Prakash, 2010). After the National Institute of Nutrition
project, 42% of households had started growing one or more
perennials varieties and 85% were growing the seasonal
varieties. At the end of our three-year extension project, 95%
of households had started growing perennials and 86%
seasonal varieties (Vijayraghavan K, 1997). Small and
Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have created a special space
within all national economies. Hills (1996) in a comparative
study brought about a comparison between the responses of
highly successful entrepreneurs to a sample of just
entrepreneurs on certain opportunity recognitions. Most of
them, i.e. close to 85% indicated the identification of the
opportunity as a process was a continuous one rather than just
a one time attempt. “Gut feeling” to an entrepreneur while
evaluating opportunities was considered to be an important
factor (Hills, 1996). Participation and inclusion in decision-
making processes was high on the agenda. “Participatory
planning is a vital aspect of community development and any
community development strategy must incorporate formal or
informal mechanisms for local people to have a genuine role
in the making of priority decisions” (Ife 1995, p.138). Current
environmental and health challenges require us to identify
ways to better align aesthetics, ecology, and health. Our
findings demonstrate that gardeners‟ aesthetic experiences
generate meaning that encourages further engagement with
activities that may lead to positive health outcomes.
Community gardeners consumed fruits and vegetables 5.7
times per day, compared with home gardeners (4.6 times per
day) and non gardeners (3.9 times per day). Moreover, 56% of
community gardeners met national recommendations to
consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 times per day,
compared with 37% of home gardeners and 25% of non
gardeners (Litt, 2011). Household gardens are efficient users
of soil, water, sunlight and household wastes, and therefore
present an ecologically sound land management system. As a
multiple cropping system, they prevent depletion of soil
nutrients and represent repositories of diverse plant genetic
resources. They also do not use toxic chemicals in contrast to
field-based agriculture. In addition, other family members
such as the children and the elderly can provide labor.
(Midmore, D.J. et al., 1992). Community gardens enhance
nutrition and physical activity and promote the role of public
health in improving quality of life. Opportunities to organize
around other issues and build social capital also emerge
through community gardens. (Joan, 2003). The purpose of this
study is to gain a better understanding of how community
gardens can catalyze positive change in an urban environment,
to determine and catalog the impacts, and to learn about their
importance to small-scale agricultural production. (Kearney S.
C., 2009). Introduce community gardening as a promising
method of furthering well-being and resilience on multiple
levels: individual, social group, and natural environment. We
examine empirical evidence for the benefits of gardening (HA
Okvat, 2011). Keeping all these social and rural youth issues,
A study was undertaken at BCT Krishi Vigyan Kendra for
upliftment and stabilizing the socio-economic status of the
tribal farming community and tribal youth.
Material and Methods
Visakhapatnam District is having a total population of
4,288,113 compared to 3,832,336 of 2001. Population Growth
for Visakhapatnam District recorded in 2011 for the decade has
remained 11.89 percent. The survey at Visakhapatnam district
shows highest number of unemployed rural people in age of
25-30 because of lower education compared with the urban
once. Though the district is growing fast with several private
sectors but the unemployment is arises due to inadequate
knowledge in tribal youth. So to overcome this problem of
rural and Tribal unemployment, BCT KVK started at
organizing the trainings and demonstrations.
Infrastructural facilities for the Nursery Raising Training
at KVK
The KVK is having 50 acres instructional farm with several
Demonstration units with 40 mt capacity. Two Vermi compost
units, Shade net house, walking tunnel poly house, Nursery,
Small Agri Business Development unit , Medical plants block,
Vermi wash unit, Organic Banana growing block, Kitchen
garden demo block, Jatropa plantation block and the KVK has
Infrastructural facilities like Administrative Building equipped
with training hall having LCD presentation and Audio visual
facilities, Permanent Exhibition on KVK activities, Soil
testing Laboratory with facility of testing PH, EC, Nitrogen,
Phosphorous, Potash and Organic matter content of the soil
sample, KVK is having farmers hostel, Mess etc
Main reasons for organizing the training and
demonstration:
Specifically, the need for training arises due to the following
reasons
 To match the Employee specifications with the Job
Requirements.
 Organizational Viability and the Transformation process
 Technological Advances
 Organizational Complexity
 Human Relations
 Change in the Job Assignment
The need for training also arises to:
 Increase productivity.
 Improve quality of the service.
 Help a person to fulfill its future personnel needs.

3.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get Livelihood for youth
(Vol.2, Issue-6) ISSN(O):- 2349-3585in Tribal areas of Visakhapatnam District
3 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
 Improve organizational climate.
 Improve health and safety.
 Prevent obsolescence.
 Effect the personal growth.
 Minimize the resistance to change.
Inputs in Training and Development
Any Training and Development programme must contain
inputs which enable the participants to gain skills, learn
theoretical concepts and help acquire vision to look into the
distant feature. In addition to these, there is a need to impart
ethical orientation, emphasize on attitudinal changes and stress
upon decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
Attitudinal changes in rural youth: Attitudes represent
feelings and beliefs of individuals towards others. Attitudes
affect motivation, satisfaction, and job commitment. Negative
attitudes need to be converted into positive attitudes.
Decision making and problem solving skills
Decision making and problem solving skills focus on methods
and techniques for making organizational decisions and
solving work-related problems. Learning related to decision
making and problem-solving skills seeks to improve trainees
abilities to define and structure problems, collect and analyze
information, generate alternative solutions and make an
optimal decision among alternatives.
Need of Hi-tech Nursery:
In India most of the farmers are not able to produce good seed
and healthy seedlings because of lack of knowledge and
resources for the basic units of Agriculture and Horticulture
production. Most of the farmers using higher seed rate even
though they are getting lower output due to lack of modern
nursery techniques which leading to mortality of seedlings by
seed born and soil born diseases and pest. Now a days seed
rate is drastically reduced by raising of seedlings trhough pro-
tray technics. There is great demand for pro tray raised
seedlings horticulture crops agriculture crops like sugarcane.
There is a need to equip the village level farming youth on
recent Hi-tech nursery techniques and developments, in view
of globalization the farmers have to be educated as the W.T.O
standards of production. In view of increased demand on
organic products there is a need to reorient the Indian farmers
towards organic farming techniques. In the villages for timely
supply of inputs to the fellow farmers there is a need to open
service oriented outlets, managed by trained farming youth for
supplying seeds, farm implements, bio-pesticides and organic
fertilizers. The farmers also need timely advice on situation
crop specific problems. To provide the above services there is
a need to develop locally available skilled human resources.
These skilled human resources can be developed through
K.V.K‟s and managed properly. The skilled human resources
(Trained farming youth) in turn, also add to increased
horticulture crops in the area and their productivity. They will
also acts as a facilitators for the extension of new technology.
The K.V.K has following objectives for the project:-
1. Development of skilled human resources
2. Timely supply of inputs and farm advisory services
through the trained farming youth to the farming
community.
3. Increased area and productivity in agriculture and
horticulture crops.
4. Facilitating better marketing tie up‟s thus intern provides
better price to the farm produce.
5. Encouraging post harvest technologies.
6. Encouraging and creating awareness on Organic Farming
Hi-tech Nursery Raising Training Programme at BCT-
KVK:
Keeping the above points in view Department of Horticulture,
Govt. of A.P has sanctioned nursery Training Programme
under National Horticulture Mission to few Institutions in A.P.
BCT-KVK is one among them. The training Imparts skills on
various aspects of nursery raising like seedling production by
using portrays under shade net house and transplantation, Seed
bed preparation and method of plant propagation. Handling
and maintenance of gardening equipments. Nursery
production, Flori-Culture, Seed Production, and Principles of
landscape design for house Gardens, Public parks, preparation
of complete landscape. The residential programme will give
the participants all the insights, with hands on training and on
field experience for six months. Already 2 batches have
completed the training.
Horizontal spread of gardening:
To make wider coverage of nursery training program in
different mandals of the district and to identify suitable
beneficiaries, different institutions like NHM, DRDA, Dept of
Horticulture, Dept of Agriculture and other NGOs in the
District like SVDS, ORRC, Sujana, Laya, Prgathi, Creators,
Shakti, Sweep, SRDO, IRDS and Gramabhudaya were made
involved . The program covered 30 Mandals and followed up
with the help of the above mentioned institutes. I addition to
this they are spreading production of saplings through Pro
Tray culture from the vegetable seeds. Through this farmers
are able to save the seed germination ration and production
cost. This is a major technological benefit to the farming
community and major way to generate livelihood.
Modus operandi of Gardening and Nursery Raising
Training:
Identification of Trainees from the Tribal Areas.
Exposure to the organization and Instructional farm.
Exposure to the Entomology
Exposure to Pomology

4.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get Livelihood for youth
(Vol.2, Issue-6) ISSN(O):- 2349-3585in Tribal areas of Visakhapatnam District
4 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
Exposure to Landscaping
Exposure on Medicinal Aromatic Plants
Exposure on Olericulture, Floriculture, Horticulture
Exposure to Pro Tray culture
Collection of Soil Sample
Preparation of Decorative, Garlands and Bouquets
Preparation of Wood Fencing
Preparation of Hedges
Exposure visits like Vuda Park, Ramoji film City,
Lumbini Park where Landscaping and gardening was
done
Turmeric
Ginger
Sugarcane
Cutting of Seed
Plate 1: Seed Collection and Cutting of Seed
Plate 2: Training on Preparation of seed in Pro-trays

5.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get Livelihood for youth
(Vol.2, Issue-6) ISSN(O):- 2349-3585in Tribal areas of Visakhapatnam District
5 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
Plate 3: Seed placing in Protrays
Plate 4: Raised Seedlings
Plate 5: Exposure visit of Trainees
Plate 6: Tribal Youth Batch and Certificates Distribution
by Dr. M. V. Rao and
Shri. Ajaya Kallam
Results and Discussion
The survey and analysis among rural youth indicates
that the worst worry is not to get employment or starting the
business but is the lack of knowledge and confidence level
among the rural youth. The prepared 10 questions for trainees
revealed that the trainees have significant variation in the
knowledge level for every question. This study gives that the
rural youth lacks the practical knowledge on how to grow the
seedlings. Since the Gardening program is found to be
economically viable and technically feasible to be handled at
village level, the study reveals that on an average there is
58.55% increase in income. The knowledge level of the
trainees was calculated by the following formula
Table 1: Knowledge level of Trainee in Nursery Raising
Training
Question
No.
No. of
trainees
answered
the
question
before
Training
No. of
trainees
answered
the
question
after
Training
% increase in
Knowledge
I 56 94 40.42
II 46 104 55.78
III 65 85 23.52
IV 45 105 57.14
V 37 113 67.25

6.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get Livelihood for youth
(Vol.2, Issue-6) ISSN(O):- 2349-3585in Tribal areas of Visakhapatnam District
6 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
VI 24 126 80.95
VII 61 89 31.46
VIII 63 87 27.58
XI 26 124 79.03
X 15 135 88.88
Total
Score
438 1062 58.75
Figure 1: Knowledge level of trainee on nursery raising
before and After Training
Table 2: Impact of nursery Training on Income Levels
Sr
.N
o
Traine
e
Income/year % Change in
incomeBefore After
1 Trainee
1
16000 16000 +
48000
200.00
2 Trainee
2
12000 12000+720
00
500.00
3 Trainee
3
12000 12000 +
60000
400.00
4 Trainee
4
10000 10000 +
30000
200.00
5 Trainee
5
12000 12000 +
35000
191.66
6 Trainee
6
12000 12000 +
37000
208.33
7 Trainee
7
12000 12000 +
62000
416.66
8 Trainee
8
36000 36000 +
56000
55.55
9 Trainee
9
30000 30000 +
62000
106.66
Total
income
1,52,000 4,62,000 253.21
Out of the 140 trainees the BCT KVK followed 10 trainees
who was started the nursery before the training itself. The 10
trainees were selected from different mandals of
Visakhapatnam district to calculate the average gain in the
income of the rural youth in order to justify the extension
activity in gardening aspect.
Figure 2: Income variations for different trainee.
This above graph implies that there was 2.5 times in increase
the annual income among the rural youth and leads to
livelihood generation. This indicates good scope to establish
sustained livelihood in rural areas through establishment of
Nurseries.
Conclusion:
 Gardening proved one of the livelihood options to be
a feasible in handling as well as generating gainful
employment and income.
 The significant change in the knowledge level of the
trainees was seen through their business skills.
 KVK got best impact in surrounding rural areas to
execute such type of new projects, trainings and
demonstrations.
References
(1) Chadha M. L., “Quality seeds and planting material
in vegetables : an international scenario‟,
AVRDC-The world Centre, Regional Centre for
South Asia, ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru,
502324, A.P, TS1: O-1, National Conference on
Production of quality seeds and planting
material-health management in Horticultural crops,
11-14 March 2010, New Delhi, 1-2.
(2) Hills, G. E., Lumpkin, G. T., & Singh, R. (1997).
Opportunity recognition: Perceptions and
behaviours of entrepreneurs. Frontiers of
Entrepreneurship Research, 17: 168-182.
(3) Ife J 1995, Community Development:
Creating community alternatives – vision, analysis
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(4) Joan Twiss, M A, Joy Dickinson, BS, CHES, Shirley
Duma, MA, Tanya Kleinman, BA, Heather Paulsen,
LevelofIncome
Beneficiaries
Change in Income through Gardening
Income/year
Before training
Income/year
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% Change in
income
Trainees Knowledge Level
0
20
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I II III IV V VI VII VIII XI X
Knowledge test
NoofTrainees
Before Training
After Training

7.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- Hi-tech Nursery raising Training in Agricultural and Horticultural crops to get Livelihood for youth
(Vol.2, Issue-6) ISSN(O):- 2349-3585in Tribal areas of Visakhapatnam District
7 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
MS, and Liz Rilveria, MPA, „Community Gardens:
Lessons Learned From California Healthy Cities and
Communities‟ Am J Public Health. 2003
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(5) Litt, J.S., Soobader, M., Turbin, M.S., Hale, J.,
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(6) Midmore, D.J. et al.,‟ Household gardening projects
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(7) Prakash G. S., „‟Demand and supply of quality
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(8) Kearney,S. C., (2009). „The Community Garden as a
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