Technological Advances in Raising of Quality Planting Material of Tree Species in Temperate Regions

Contents: 1. Selection of Mother Trees and Role of Maturity Indices in Quality Seed Collection/A. H. Mughal. 2. Effect of Cold Stratification on the Germination of Seeds of Conifers from Indian Himalayan Region/Shalu Devi Thakur. 3. Seed Stands, Seed Production Areas, Seed Orchards and their Management/Parvez Ahmad Khan and Suhail Ahmed Wani. 4. Seeds Requirement in Nursery and Plantation Area: - Calculations/G. M. Bhat and M. A. Islam. 5. Plant Growth Regulators and Their Applications in Forestry/Zaffar M. Dar1, A. H. Mughal, Malik Asif, Amjad Masood & M. A. Malik. 6. Nursery Raising of Conifers Under Temperate Conditions of Kashmir Valley/J. A. Mughloo, K. N. Qaiser, Mehraj u Din Dar and Rameez Raja. 7. Raising of Quality Plant Material of Conifers: Improved Container and Growing Media/K. N. Qaisar and Monisa Banday. 8. Application of Microbial Inoculants for Raising Quality Forest Nursery Vermicompost Technology and its Application in Forest Nursery Raising/Malik Asif, A. H. Mughal, Zaffar Mehdi, Bisma R, Saima S, Misbah A, M. A. Malik. 9. Development of Nursery Technology of Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana Wall.): The Champion of Rocky Mountains/A. R. Malik, G. M. Bhat, P A Sofi, Nazir A. Pala and Aafaq A. Parrey. 10. Raising of Multipurpose Broadleaved Tree Species in Nursery/Vaishnu Dutt, A H Mughal and Shiba Zahoor.
 11. Nursery Raising Techniques of Wild Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) Under Temperate Conditions of Kashmir Valley/A. H. Mugha, J. A. Mughloo, P. A. Khan, Rameez Raja and Mehraj ud Din Dar. 12. Important Broadleaved Agroforestry Tree Species of Kashmir Valley/G. M. Bhat, A. R. Malik and Nazir A. Pala. 13. Technological Advances in Plantation Techniques of Populus deltoides Bartr. for Problematic Sites in Temperate Regions/Tahir Mushtaq. 14. Management of Abiotic Stress in Forest Nursery/Z. M. Dar. 15. Management of Insect Pests of Forest Nurseries/Munazah Yaqoob, Quratul Ain, Sajad H. Mir and Liyaqat Ayub. 16. Damping-off of Forest Nurseries and its Management/T. A. Shah and K. A. Bhat. 17. Sustainable Livelihoods Through Entrepreneurship in Forest Nursery Establishment/M. A. Islam and G. M. Bhat. 18. Recent Approaches in Biocontrol of Plant Diseases/ K. A. Bhat and T. A. Shah. 19. Mycorrhizal Fungi: An Effective Nutrient Input for the establishment of Nursery/Zahoor Ahmad Baba. 20. Application of Statistical Tools and Techniques in Forest Data Sets/T A Raja.

Raising of Quality planting material is important primary input for productive forestry and for any afforestation program. Mitigation of climate change and carbon credit schemes have increased the scope of this subject. Large quantities of seed are needed every year to raise the nursery stock for propagating the desired plant species. A plentiful supply of quality seed i.e., high in viability and vigour, is therefore one of the prerequisites to make such activities successful. Nursery raising of both conifers and broadleaved becomes important for sustaining life in temperate Himalayan region and to conserve and also a means to distribute the plant germplasm. QPM is essential input in forestry for maximizing revenues, improving adaptability to adverse environmental conditions and meeting quality raw material requirements of markets. Guaranteed performance in terms of higher yield and quality of crops could be achieved with reliable planting material and good management practices.

The agroforestry (TOF) in the country is mostly practiced on private farmlands, community lands and on government wastelands. In view of the increasing importance of quality planting material in forestry and the numerous challenges in handling, testing and storage of forest seed, present volume is very important for the benefit of forest seed/nursery industry.