pilot training course in bioengineering - nursery and bioengineering

you have considered the theory of the requirements, components, layout and design of nurseries. now you are going to plan the layout of a nursery yourselves.
each group will be assigned an area of land marked out as the site where a nursery is to be set up. a reliable water source will also be indicated and also the direction to the access road.
the nursery you have to establish is required to produce 250,000 grass slips, 200 rooted bamboo culm cuttings and 18,000 tree seedlings in polypots. note that 4 bamboo cuttings can be planted pre m2.
     1 make a rough map of the nursery area with the aid of the tape measure
        provided. Note any features of the area that may influence your planning.
     2 make a sketch to show where the main components should go, and how
        the should be laid out in relation to each other. try to agree this on site.
        add any notes, which will help you plan the site when you return to the
        classroom.
you should include the following components:
        - compound wall or fence;
        - office;
        - chowkidar's hut (8 m ´ 4 m);
        - vehicle access and turning area;
        - working area;
        - nursery store;
        - soil and sand stores;
        - compost bays;
        - water tank and accessories;
        - drainage systems;
        - seed beds;
        - bare root plant beds;
        - grass beds;
        - bamboo beds;
        - standout beds for polypot seedlings;
        - shades for beds;
        - areas for perennial grass and hardwood stock plants; and
        - other components of your choice.
     3 Return to the classroom and draw a presentable map of your nursery
        on the chart paper that is provided. Mark in the main features.
     4 if you have time, make a provisional list of the items required to set up the
        nursery. a particularly important consideration may be whether the soil on
        the site is good enough for grass beds or whether you will have to bring
        some in from elsewhere. you will certainly have to bring in the forest topsoil
        for the polypot seedlings.
     5 each group will be given a maximum of five minutes to present its plans
        followed by five minutes discussion. Please be ready to present:
                   · a brief description of the site as it is now;
                   · an account of the shape and major considerations such as the
                     point of road access and the water supply;
                   · your plans for its layout; and
                   · major constraints and difficulties you have encountered.

grass seeding
     1 well in advance of the date of sowing, prepare the site. remove all
        irregularities likely to allow slumps or gullies and clean loose debris away.
     2 immediately before sowing, scarify the surface of the slope. this means
        scratching the surface or carrying out basic cultivation to give a loose
        surface into which the germinating grass seeds can send their roots.
     3 spread the seeds or grass seed heads liberally over the slope. ideally,
        the whole surface should be very lightly covered in seed material. an
        application rate of 25 grams per square metre is normal.
     4 cover the seeds completely with a layer of mulch, made from cut herbs
        such as Eupatorium adenophorum (banmara), or with hessian sheeting.
        vegetation mulch is preferable.

shrub and tree seeding
     1 in advance of the sowing programme, clear all very loose debris from
        the site.
     2 make a small hole, a little bigger than the seed, using a planting bar.
     3 push the seed right into the hole and cover it with soil; or, if it is in a rocky
        crevice, check that it is right out of direct sunlight. make sure that the seed
        coat is not damaged in this process.
     4 seeds are normally sown at a rate of one every 25 cm, centre to centre.

planted grass lines
     1 prepare the site well in advance of planting. remove all debris and either
        remove or fill in surface irregularities so that there is nowhere for erosion
        to start. if the site is on backfill material, it should be thoroughly compacted,
        preferably when wet.
     2 always start grass planting at the top of the slope and work downwards.
     3 mark out the lines with string using a tape measures. make sure they run
        exactly as required by the specification, whether it is contour, diagonal or
        downslope.
     4 split the grass plants out to give the maximum planting material. trim off long
        roots and cut the shoots off a about 10 cm above ground level. wrap the
        plants in damp hessian to keep them moist until they are planted.
     5 with a planting bar, make a hole just big enough for the roots. place the grass
        into the hole, taking care not to tangle the roots or have them curved back to
        the surface. fill the soil in around them, firming it gently with your fingers.
     6 if compost or manure are available, scatter a few handfuls around the
        grasses. if the site is very stony, this is important for improving early growth.
        you may have to incorporate it into the surface material to prevent it being
        washed off.
      7 if it looks rather dry and there is no prospect of rain for a day or two,
         consider watering the plants by hand.

planting shrub and tree seedlings raised in polypots
     1 prepare the site well in advance of planting. remove all debris and remove or
        fill surface irregularities. If the site is on backfill material, thoroughly compact
        it, preferably when it is wet. cut all weeds.
     2 if possible, dig pits for the shrubs or trees well in advance of the planting
        programme, but refill them the same day.
     3 when the ground is wet enough to support reasonable growth, plant out the
        seedlings. the bigger the hole made, the better it is for the plant; but there
        must be a compromise between helping the plant and avoiding excessive
        disturbance to the slope.
     4 carefully remove the polypot by slicing it down the side with a razor blade or
        tear it carefully alone the join. take care not to cut the roots.
     5 plant the seedling in the pit, filling the soil carefully around the cylinder of
        roots and soil from the polypot. ensure there are no cavities. firm the soil all
        around the seedling with gentle foot pressure.
     6 if available, mix a few handfuls of well-rotted compost with the soil around
        the roots when you are backfilling the hole.
     7 remove any weeds around the plant, add mulch so that it does not touch the
        stem.

planting lines of hardwood cuttings (palisades or 'live staking')
     1 well in advance of the planting operation, trim and clean the site, removing
        irregularities and loose debris.
     2 with string mark out the lines to be planted.
     3 always start at the top of the slope and work downwards.
     4 using a pointed bar, make a hole in the slope that is bigger than the cutting
        and deep enough to take at least two-thirds of its length.
     5 carefully place the cutting in the hole, preferably so that at least two-thirds is
        buried Firm the soil around it, taking care not to damage the bark. ideally, only
        one node of the cutting or about the top 3 cm should protrude from the soil.
        on steep, unstable sites, however, a greater protrusion helps to raise the
        delicate new shoots above the zone of moving debris and to trap more
        debris.

brush layering
     1 using string mark the lines to be planted, starting 50 cm from the base
        of the slope.
     2 always brush layer from the bottom of the slope, and works upwards.
     3 form a small terrace, with a 20% fall back into the slope. the terrace should
        be 40 cm wide. if you are brush layering a gravel-filled road embankment
        slope you should by a 5 cm thick layer of soil along this terrace to improve
        rooting conditions.
     4 lay the first layer of cuttings along the terrace, with a 5 cm interval between
        the cuttings. leave at least one bud and up to 1/3 of the cuttings sticking
        beyond the terrace edge and the rest inside. the branch growing tips should
        point towards the outside of the terrace.
     5 lay a 2 cm thick layer of soil in between the cuttings to provide a loose
        cushion.
     6 lay a second layer of cuttings on top of this, staggered with the first layer.
        on a gravel-filled embankment slope lay an 8 cm layer of soil over the cuttings
        before you do any backfilling.
     7 partly backfill the terrace with the excavated materials. this should not be
        more than 5 cm thick.
     8 mark a line 1 metre above the first brush layer and set the string for the next
        layer.
     9 follow steps 3 to 7. as the next terrace is cut, always fill the lower bench
        with the material excavated from above and compact it reasonably well by
        gentle foot pressure.

fascines
     1 well in advance of planting, prepare the site. clear all loose material and
        protrusions and firmly infill depression.
     2 mark on the slope the lines where fascines are to be installed. supervise
        workers carefully to ensure that the lines follow the contour or desired angle
        precisely.
     3 always construct fascines from the bottom of the slope and work upwards.
     4 dig about five metres of trench at a time, carrying out step 5 at the same time.
        this ensures that the soil in the trench is exposed only for a short period,
        retaining residual soil moisture. the trench should be about 20 cm deep and
        20 cm wide.
     5 lay the cuttings together, filling the trench and with their ends overlapping so
        that they form a single cable right across the slope. four cuttings per bundle
        is normal, but sue eight per bundle if there is a lot of material available or if the
        site is very critical.
     6 the fascines can be bound as they are installed by first laying strings across
        the trench and then tying it when the cuttings are in place. this helps to keep
        the cuttings together during backfilling but is not essential.
     7 backfill the trench as soon as possible, lightly covering the cuttings, and
        tamp the soil down firmly around it.
     8 if the slope angle is more than 250, you should peg the fascine. this can be
        done by hammering a large cutting into the slope immediately below the
        fascine. use one peg per 50 cm run of fascines.

planting bamboo culm cuttings
     1 keep the root ball wrapped in wet hessian until you are ready to plant it,
        so that it does not dry out.
     2 remove all the loose debris from the site and carry out any other site
        preparation well in advance of the planting day.
     3 dig a sufficiently large hole and plant the cutting in it.
     4 carefully backfill the hole, making sure that you do not damage buds at the
        base of the cutting. firm the soil.
     5 place a layer of mulch over the disturbed soil and the surrounding area.
     6 water thoroughly.
     7 do not place bamboo cuttings closer than 2 m apart across the slope or 5 m
        up and down it.

live check dams
     1 choose a location for the live check dam so that the maximum effect can be
        achieved.
     2 make a hole deep and big enough to insert vertical hardwood cuttings of the
        largest size available (truncheon cuttings of up to 2 metres in length are
        best). use a crowbar if necessary to extend the hole.
     3 insert the vertical cuttings by carefully pushing them into the hole and firming
        the soil around them. try not to damage the bark. they should protrude about
        30 cm above the ground surface.
     4 place fascines or long hardwood cuttings on the uphill side of the vertical
        stakes.
     5 key these horizontal members into the wall of the gully.
     6 backfill around the check dam and compact the soil with foot pressure.

these notes give the construction steps for the main vegetative techniques used in bioengineering. you can find further information in Vegetation Structures for Establishing Highway Slopes.