Slide-by-Slide Detailed Explanation Slide 5 - Cedrus Deodara (Deodar Cedar)
Slide-by-Slide Detailed Explanation Slide 5 - Cedrus Deodara (Deodar Cedar)
These species hold great ecological, economic, and cultural significance, especially in the
Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir. We will also discuss the threats they face,
reasons for their decline, and the purpose of their propagation in forestry practices.
Cedrus deodara is a large evergreen coniferous tree, reaching 40–50 m in height with a
trunk diameter up to 3 m.
Distribution:
Found throughout the Western Himalayas, including Jammu & Kashmir, at altitudes of 1500–
3200 m.
Uses:
In Kashmir, the wood is used for structural timber, houseboats, carpentry, and furniture.
The essential oil of its wood has insect-repellent and antifungal properties
Propagation:
About 1,13,000 ha under Deodar forests in J&K — found in Doda, Kud, Jammu, Kazinag
NP, Doodhpathri, Bhaderwah Tehsil, and Gulmarg.
1. 15–20% mortality due to insect infestations, wood decay, and fungal infections (as per
Gulmarg survey).
To restock cut areas and conserve the species for climate change mitigation and sustainable
forestry.
Distribution:
Found across Kashmir Himalaya — Liddar, Pirpanjal, Shopian, Sindh, Kamraj — at 1800–
3700 m altitude.
Uses:
Highly durable, suitable for carvings, and valuable in precision instruments, turnery, and
paper industries.
Propagation:
Mainly by seed
Why Propagate?
To restock depleted areas, mitigate climate change effects, and control deforestation.
Origin:
Native to Eastern Mediterranean and Iran; not naturally found in Kashmir but cultivated as an
ornamental tree.
Altitude:
Propagation:
By seeds and cuttings (semi-hardwood cuttings are reliable but not easily accessible).
SLIDE NO. 11
Slide Title: "Timeline Of Events" – This indicates the chronological sequence of activities
performed.
           10. Weeding and Aftercare: This weeding was done for plants placed in poly
               bags. This was an ongoing process, with weeding done "weekly and irrigation
               on alternate basis from May."
SLIDE NO. 12
   ●   Content: This slide shows the pictures of the process of collecting seeds for different
       plant species.
           ○ Top Left Image: This image shows the collection of seeds of Italian Cypress
               from Lar Sagg Eco Village on November 5.
           ○ Bottom Left Image: This image shows the collection of seeds of Kail from
               Wahgath Kangan on October 6.
           ○ Top Right Image: This image shows the seed collection of deodar from
               Gutlibagh on October 6.
SLIDE NO. 13
   • Content: This slide shows the images of the process of preparing the seed beds
   where the seeds were sown.
   ·  Top Left Image: This image shows the process of removing the old sand from the
   beds inside the poly house.
   ·  Bottom Left Image: This image shows the preparation of seed bed inside poly house
   by adding new sand into the seed bed.
   ·
   ·   Right Image: This image shows the bed prepared for seeds to be sown.
SLIDE NO. 14
   ●   Content: This slide shows the pictures of process of extracting the seeds from the
       collected cones.
           ○ Top Left Image: This image shows the process of manual seed extraction of
               deodar from cones.
           ○ Top Right Image: This image shows the extracted seeds of deodar.
           ○ Bottom Left Image: This image shows the extracted seeds of Italian cypress.
           ○ Bottom Right Image: This image shows the extracted seeds of Kail.
Slide 15
The slide shows the seed extraction process for different conifer species, specifically Deodar
(Cedrus deodara), Cypress (Cupressus spp.), and Wallichiana (Pinus wallichiana).
   1. Seed extraction process (top left) – This step involves manually separating seeds
   from collected cones. The cones are usually dried to open the scales, making seed
   removal easier.
   2. Extracted Deodar seeds (top right) – Shows cleaned and separated seeds after
   extraction from Deodar cones.
   3. Extracted Cypress seeds (bottom left) – Displays seeds obtained from Cypress
   cones, typically small and winged.
   4. Extracted Wallichiana seeds (bottom right) – Shows elongated, winged seeds from
   Pinus wallichiana cones.
This stage is critical in nursery operations to ensure that viable seeds are obtained for
sowing in afforestation and plantation programs.
Slide 16
This slide shows the seed sowing and initial nursery preparation process in three main
steps:
   1. Sowing of seeds (top) – Seeds are placed in prepared rows or drills in the nursery
   seedbed. Proper spacing and sowing depth are maintained according to species
   requirements to ensure healthy germination and seedling growth.
   2. Seed sowing completed (bottom left) – After sowing, the seeds are covered lightly
   with soil or a sand-soil mixture to protect them from desiccation, birds, and pests. The
   surface is leveled to maintain uniform coverage.
   3. Irrigation of seed bed (bottom right) – The sown beds are watered gently to maintain
   adequate soil moisture for germination. Initial irrigation is done carefully to avoid seed
   displacement, ensuring even sprouting across the bed.
This sequence is critical to achieving uniform germination and producing vigorous seedlings
for plantation programs.
Slide 17
This slide illustrates the germination stage of different conifer species in nursery beds.
   1. Italian cypress seed germination (top left) – Shows young Cupressus sempervirens
   seedlings emerging in rows after successful germination, indicating healthy nursery bed
   conditions.
   2. Deodar seed germination (top right) – Depicts germination of Cedrus deodara, with
   small, uniform seedlings spread across the seedbed. This stage is crucial for ensuring
   optimal density for later transplanting.
   4. Germination timing table (bottom right) – Lists the approximate germination periods
   for each species:
This stage confirms the success of earlier seed extraction, sowing, and irrigation steps,
marking the transition from seed to seedling establishment in plantation forestry.
Slide 18
This slide illustrates the weeding and aftercare stage in nursery management.
   2. Weeding of beds (bottom left & right) – Nursery workers and students are manually
   removing weeds from the seedbeds. Weeding is done to:
This stage is essential for maintaining healthy nursery stock and ensuring uniform, vigorous
seedling development before transplantation.
Slide 19
This slide shows the preparation of a seedling bed before sowing seeds in a nursery.
   1. Loosening of soil (top left) – The soil in the seedbed is dug and loosened using tools
   like hoes or spades. This improves aeration, root penetration, and drainage.
   2. Leveling the bed (top right) – The loosened soil is leveled to create an even surface,
   ensuring uniform water distribution and preventing waterlogging.
   3. Removing debris and shaping the bed (bottom left) – Stones, sticks, and other debris
   are removed to avoid hindrance to seed germination. The bed is shaped to the desired
   size and orientation.
   4. Final leveling and dressing (bottom right) – The surface is finely leveled and dressed
   with a thin layer of fine soil or compost to prepare it for sowing. This helps in smooth
   seed placement and healthy germination.
These steps ensure that the seedbed provides optimal conditions for seed germination and
early seedling growth.
Slide no 21:
This image is a collage showing Phase-I of Rooting Media Preparation, which is an essential
step in nursery and plant propagation work. The process involves several activities:
   1. Loosening and Turning Soil with Hoe – Students and instructors are using hand tools
   like hoes to break compacted soil, improving aeration and texture for the rooting
   medium.
   2. Soil Collection and Piling – Prepared soil is gathered and piled in one place for
   further processing.
   3. Soil Sieving Process – The soil is passed through a sieve to remove clumps, stones,
   and debris, resulting in fine, uniform soil suitable for plant rooting.
The activity appears to be a practical training session involving multiple participants, likely
part of an agricultural or forestry program at SKUAST. The focus is on preparing quality
rooting media to support healthy root development in nursery plants.
Slide no 22:-
               This image shows Rooting Media Preparation – Phase II, which involves
               preparing a suitable growth medium for plant propagation.
               1. Mixing Soil Components – Different soil materials (like sand, garden soil,
               and compost) are thoroughly mixed to create a uniform medium suitable for
               root growth.
               2. Heaping Soil for Mixing – The soil mixture is heaped together for better
               blending and easier handling before use.
3. Extracting FYM (Farm Yard Manure) for Mixing – Well-decomposed
farmyard manure is taken out from a storage structure to be added to the soil
mix.
4. Collecting FYM from Pit – Manure is gathered from the pit using spades
and shovels, ensuring only decomposed material is used.
Overall, this phase ensures that soil, organic matter, and other components
are properly prepared to create a nutrient-rich and well-drained rooting
medium for nursery plants.
Slide no 23:-
The image shows different stages of preparing polybags for plant nursery
work.
Top row: Students are engaged in filling polybags with a prepared rooting
medium, usually a mixture of soil, sand, and organic matter. This step
ensures a proper growing environment for seedlings.
Bottom left: The polybags, once filled, are protected from rain using a plastic
sheet to prevent waterlogging and nutrient loss.
Bottom right: The filled polybags are arranged neatly in nursery beds for ease
of watering, weeding, and seedling maintenance.
Slide no 24:-
These activities form a crucial stage in raising healthy planting stock for
afforestation and plantation programs.
              - Spacing and layout: Arrange polybags with small gaps for airflow and to
              allow watering access; avoid overcrowding to reduce disease pressure.
              The irrigation slide shows manual watering using a hose, with personnel
              moving through polybag blocks to wet the media. The polybags are arranged
              in compact blocks with clear walking access for irrigation.
Recommendations:
              - Timing: Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation losses and lower
              disease incidence caused by prolonged wet foliage.
              - Drainage: Ensure bags and nursery bed have good drainage to prevent root
              suffocation and damping-off diseases.
              - Monitoring: Check soil moisture by feel (top 1–2 cm may appear dry while
              lower media still moist); use consistent schedules and adjust for rainfall.
Poa annua L.: Annual meadow-grass (a common small grass which competes for nutrients
and moisture).
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Anthoxanthum odoratum L.: Sweet vernal grass (a perennial/sometimes short-lived grass,
may compete for resources).
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Trifolium nigrescens Viv.: Small white clover (a nitrogen-fixing legume which can compete
for space).
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Oxalis stricta L.: Yellow wood-sorrel (broadleaf weed; spreads from stolons/taproots).
 Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Erigeron bonariensis L.: Fleabane (broadleaf weed; prolific seeding and can become
abundant).
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Convolvulus arvensis L.: Field bindweed / wild morning-glory (deep, persistent roots and
twining stems).
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Cyperus rotundus L.: Nutgrass / purple nutsedge (a very competitive sedge with tubers —
difficult to eradicate).
 Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
Rostraria cristata (L.) Tzvelev: Mediterranean hair-grass (a tufted grass — shown in the slide
as ‘Mediterranean-hair grass’).
Management: Hand weeding while plants are young and soil moist; regular monitoring and
removal of seedlings; mulching between rows to reduce seedling establishment; maintain
cleanliness to reduce seed sources.
A decision was made to increase the length of polybags to allow seedlings' roots to establish
without coiling and to provide sufficient media for growth during an extended nursery stay
(around two months). The dimensions changed from 5" x 7" (width x height) to 5" x 9".
- Root development: Taller bags provide vertical space for roots to grow downwards rather
than coiling at the bottom, which improves root architecture and later field performance.
- Media volume: Increased media volume means better moisture reserve and nutrient
availability over a longer nursery period.
- Reduced need for early re-potting: Larger polybags can retain seedlings longer, reducing
labor and transplant stress.
- Stability: Larger root systems give seedlings better mechanical stability when out-planted.
Slide 29:-
This table presents the results of our seedling propagation and survival monitoring as of 27th
June 2025.
       •       Beds 1–8 contain Deodar and Kail seedlings, while Beds 9–10 have Italian
Cypress.
       •       For each bed, we recorded the number of seedlings planted, number of
seedlings that survived, and the survival percentage.
Key Points:
      1.       Deodar Performance
      •        Planted: 3,964 seedlings, Survived: 3,906 → 98.54% survival rate.
      •        Highest survival in Bed 1 (Shahzaib) at 99.29%, lowest in Bed 4 (Ibrahim) at
97.97%.
      2.       Kail Performance
      •        Planted: 1,784 seedlings, Survived: 1,745 → 97.81% survival rate.
      •        Highest survival in Bed 7 at 98.09%, lowest in Bed 6 at 97.47%.
      3.       Italian Cypress Performance
      •        Planted: 1,400 seedlings, Survived: 1,378 → 98.43% survival rate.
      •        Both beds had identical survival percentages (98.43%).
      4.       Overall Results
      •        Total seedlings planted: 7,148
      •        Total seedlings survived: 7,029
      •        Overall survival rate: ~98.33%.
Implication:
These results indicate excellent propagation and care practices, with minimal mortality
across all species. The high survival rates suggest proper site preparation, irrigation, and
protection measures were effectively implemented.
Slide 30:-
This slide uses donut charts to visually compare the survival and mortality rates of the three
species we planted.
        1.     Deodar
        •      Survival: 98.54%
        •      Failure: 1.46%
        •      The chart shows a very thin failure section, indicating almost all seedlings
survived.
        2.     Kail
        •      Survival: 97.81%
        •      Failure: 2.19%
        •      Slightly lower survival compared to Deodar, but still an excellent outcome.
        3.     Italian Cypress
        •      Survival: 98.43%
        •      Failure: 1.57%
        •      Performance is very close to Deodar, with minimal losses.
        4.     Overall Survival (bar chart at the bottom)
        •      Success rate: 98.34%
       •       Failure rate: 1.66%
       •       This confirms our plantation effort had an exceptionally high success rate
across all species.
Interpretation:
The data clearly shows that our nursery management, planting techniques, and aftercare
measures were highly effective, as all three species exceeded a 97% survival rate, which is
considered outstanding in forestry and nursery operations.
Slide 31:-
This slide explains the basis and assumptions used for calculating the benefit–cost ratio
(BCR) for our plantation project.
        1.     Two-Year Analysis Period
        •      The calculation has been done for a 2-year time frame because customer
data shows that the most preferred age for buying the QPM (Quality Planting Material) is 2
years old.
        •      This age ensures the plants are mature enough for transplanting and have a
higher survival and growth rate after being sold.
        2.     Inclusion of Aftercare and Rental Value
        •      The 2-year period also covers aftercare costs, such as irrigation, weeding,
pest control, and maintenance until the seedlings are sold.
        •      Additionally, it includes rental value considerations for land and polyhouse
structures, which form part of the fixed and operational costs in the economic analysis.
Slide 32:-
This table lists all the variable costs involved in producing seedlings over the two-year period
for our project. Variable costs are those that change with the level of production and are
directly linked to operational activities.
Slide 33:-
This slide presents the remaining cost components of our project and summarizes the total
expenditure over the 2-year analysis period.
1. Fixed Costs
2. Cost Summary
        •     Variable Cost: ₹1,08,600 (from previous slide – operational costs like seeds,
labor, FYM, polybags, etc.)
        •     Fixed Cost: ₹5,700 (land rental + tool depreciation)
        •     Total Expenditure: ₹1,14,300
Key Point:
This total expenditure figure will be used directly in our Benefit–Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis to
evaluate the profitability of the nursery operation over the chosen 2-year period.
Slide 34:-
This slide presents a Product Overview with key financial metrics:
        1.        Benefit – ₹3,51,450
This represents the total revenue or returns obtained from the product.
        2.        Cost – ₹1,14,300
The total expenses incurred in producing, marketing, and delivering the product.
        3.        BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio) – 3.07
        •         Formula:
BCR = \frac{\text{Total Benefit}}{\text{Total Cost}}
Here:
3.07 = \frac{3,51,450}{1,14,300}
        •         Meaning: For every ₹1 spent, the product generates ₹3.07 in returns — a
strong indicator of profitability.
        4.        Profit – ₹2,37,150
        •         Formula:
\text{Profit} = \text{Benefit} - \text{Cost}
Here:
2,37,150 = 3,51,450 - 1,14,300
        •         This is the net gain after covering all costs.
Interpretation:
The product is highly profitable with more than triple the returns compared to the cost. This
suggests strong market performance, good pricing, or efficient production.
Slide 35:-
This slide presents a Product Overview with key financial metrics:
        1.        Benefit – ₹3,51,450
This represents the total revenue or returns obtained from the product.
        2.        Cost – ₹1,14,300
The total expenses incurred in producing, marketing, and delivering the product.
        3.        BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio) – 3.07
        •         Formula:
BCR = \frac{\text{Total Benefit}}{\text{Total Cost}}
Here:
3.07 = \frac{3,51,450}{1,14,300}
        •         Meaning: For every ₹1 spent, the product generates ₹3.07 in returns — a
strong indicator of profitability.
        4.        Profit – ₹2,37,150
        •         Formula:
\text{Profit} = \text{Benefit} - \text{Cost}
Here:
2,37,150 = 3,51,450 - 1,14,300
        •         This is the net gain after covering all costs.
Interpretation:
The product is highly profitable with more than triple the returns compared to the cost. This
suggests strong market performance, good pricing, or efficient production.
Slide 36:-
This slide is presenting an environmental concern and recommendation.
Explanation:
        •      Title (“Our humble Suggestion”) — It shows that this is a polite proposal from
the presenters, likely as part of a project or awareness campaign.
        •      Main message (“We must look for an alternative to polybags”) — This refers
to the widespread use of plastic polybags in plant nurseries, which are used to hold
seedlings before transplantation. While they are cheap and convenient, they create a serious
waste problem once discarded.
        •      Image — The photo shows a large number of discarded black polybags on
the ground, likely after plants have been transplanted. These polybags are non-
biodegradable, can persist in the environment for decades, and cause soil and water
pollution.
        •      Context — This is likely from a forestry or plantation-related project (the
SKUAST logo in the corner supports this), where after planting thousands of seedlings, the
leftover polybags accumulate as waste.
Key idea:
The slide is suggesting that instead of polybags, nurseries should adopt eco-friendly
alternatives like biodegradable bags made from jute, coir, paper, or other compostable
materials, to reduce long-term environmental harm.