This story is from July 14, 2020

Forest wing adopts pot plantation plan

Forest wing adopts pot plantation plan
The move was initiated after desirable results at Jhalana Reserve
JAIPUR: The forest department has adopted an ancient, clay pot plantation technique to increase the survival rate of plants in the desert state.
The move was initiated after receiving desirable results last year at the Jhalana forest Reserve.
A forest staff member said, “Last year, of the 2,000 trees, around 300 were planted using pot technique. Trees planted using pot technique have shown tremendous results and grown double their size.”
In this technique, an earthen or clay plot is buried along with the plants.
These unglazed, porous clay pots are filled with water to provide controlled moisture and water to plants. The water seeps out through the pot wall at a rate that is influenced by the plant’s water use. “We buried pot with a capacity of 15 litres of water. Generally, the water given to the plant is evaporated or dries within a few hours. The pot buried near the roots provide moisture and water to the plant for at least five days,” added the staff member
This technique is used by the forest department mainly to grow fruit trees. “The success rate of this method is 90% and it has very high efficiency, even better than drip irrigation,” claimed an official.
The official further claimed there are constant efforts to improve green cover in the state.
As plantation in Rajasthan is difficult and survival remains a challenge, this method is very effective in saline soil and desert conditions. “It has proved useful for land restoration in very arid environments. This is an adaptation of an ancient method which originated in Africa. It can save 50-70 % of water without depriving the tree,” the official added.
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