Rajasthan

• 02 Jan 2025

Rajasthan to Promote Indigenous Trees

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.