Rajasthan to Promote Indigenous Trees

• 02 Jan 2025

Why in News? 

Agricultural centres of excellence in Rajasthan will study Tamil Nadu’s nursery model to promote planting indigenous trees suited to the State’s climate.  

• These centres actively train farmers in modern farming practices and advanced horticulture production techniques. 

 Key Points 

• Tamil Nadu’s Nursery Model: 
  • Tamil Nadu’s nursery model, part of the Green Tamil Nadu Mission, promotes planting native trees and saplings. 
    • The initiative enables individuals to purchase high-quality seedlings from nearby nurseries via an online platform. 
  • The model supports environmental sustainability and enhances afforestation efforts across the State. 
• Visit by Agriculture & Horticulture Secretary: 
  • Agriculture & Horticulture Secretary visited the Rajasthan State Seed Corporation’s field centre, olive cultivation centre, and pomegranate excellence centre at Dhindhol, Jaipur district. 
  • He highlighted that the centres of excellence have increased farmers’ income and are operating at high capacity. 
• Recommendations: 
  • The need for the centres to initiate rainwater harvesting for crop irrigation was emphasized. 
  • The training module for farmers was reviewed, focusing on water conservation techniques like micro-irrigation and mulching. 
• Modern Infrastructure at Dhindhol: 
  • The centre of excellence at Dhindhol includes modern vegetative propagation structures such as greenhouses, shade houses, nursery blocks, mother tree blocks, and automation units. 
  • The centre engages in intensive gardening, grading, and packing for farmers, along with agricultural technology transfer. 
  • The activities assist horticulturists in water management, fertigation, and technical upgrades in cultivation. 

 The Green Tamil Nadu Mission  

• It aims to increase the state's forest and tree cover. The mission's objectives include:  
  • Tree planting: 
    • The mission has raised and handed over 73 lakh seedlings to the Department of Agriculture. The mission has also proposed to plant over 47 lakh saplings across Tamil Nadu.  
  • Nurseries: 
    • The mission has established 260 nurseries in 43 forest divisions across the state. The mission also has a mobile app to collect daily nursery activity updates.  
  • Green committees: 
    • The mission has established State Green Committees and District Green Committees to protect and manage trees.  
  • E-nursery portal: 
    • The mission launched an e-nursery portal to provide free native tree saplings in Chennai. The mission plans to expand this service to other cities in the future.