VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (KAUSHAL BODH)-CLASS 7– Q&A

Part 1: Work with Life Forms
Project 1: Plant Nursery

Activity 1: Visit to a Nearby Plant Nursery

Questions:– Answers

Date of visit: [To be filled based on actual visit date, e.g., “October 15, 2025”].
Name of nursery visited: [To be filled based on actual visit, e.g., “Green Valley Nursery”].
Type of nursery: Could be vegetable, fruit, flowering, or ornamental plants, depending on the nursery visited (e.g., “Vegetable and ornamental nursery”).
Types of plants grown: Examples include tomato, brinjal, marigold, rose, mango, or coconut, depending on the nursery type (e.g., “Tomato, marigold, and rose”).
Nursery tools and equipment used: Garden shovel, spade, hand cultivator, grafting knife, pruning shears, watering can, gardening gloves, seedling trays, cocopeat, compost, etc.
Management practices: Watering using cans or drip irrigation, pest control using organic or chemical methods, nutrient supply via compost or fertilizers, and maintaining shade with nets or cloth.
Which plants are generally grown in the nursery? Common plants include vegetables (tomato, brinjal), flowering plants (rose, marigold), or fruit plants (mango, coconut), depending on the region and nursery type.
What methods of plant propagation are used in the nursery? Seed sowing, stem cuttings (softwood, semi-hardwood, hardwood), and sometimes grafting or layering.
Are the same plants grown throughout the year or are there seasonal variations? If yes, which plants are grown in which season? Seasonal variations exist; for example, vegetables like tomato and brinjal are grown in warmer seasons, while certain flowering plants like marigold may be grown during specific festivals or seasons.
How do you ensure that plants receive the right amount and duration of sunlight? By placing plants in areas with 2-3 hours of sunlight and using shade nets (50% or 75% shading) to regulate light exposure.
What methods do you use to provide shade for plants? Green shade nets, tree branches, or old cloth (e.g., sarees) are used to protect plants from excessive sunlight.
What measures do you take to maintain ideal temperature for plants? Shade nets reduce heat stress, and nurseries are placed in areas with optimal temperature; water bowls may be used to maintain humidity.
How do you make sure that plants receive the right amount of water? Watering cans or drip irrigation ensure controlled watering, keeping soil moist without waterlogging.
How is optimal humidity maintained? By placing water bowls near plants or using moist growing media like cocopeat to retain humidity.
Is there anything else that plants need for their healthy growth? Nutrients from compost or manure, protection from pests, and a weed-free environment.
How do you prevent damage to plants from external factors, like pests, animals, or human activity? Protective fencing using bamboo or discarded pipes, pathways between beds to avoid trampling, and pest control measures (e.g., organic sprays).
How are plants transported from the nursery to home gardens/farms? Plants are placed in nursery bags or pots, carefully packed to avoid root damage, and transported in vehicles or by hand.

Activity 2: Planning and Laying Out Plant Nursery

Questions:–Answers:

What is the available space for the nursery? Approximately 150-200 square feet, or if limited, pots can be used on a terrace or unused pathway.
What factors were considered while choosing the particular location? Access to 2-3 hours of sunlight, good drainage to avoid waterlogging, and proximity to a water source.
Draw a layout or sketch of the nursery with dimensions: [This requires a physical sketch, but a description might include a rectangular area of 15 ft x 10 ft, with 1-1.5 m wide raised beds, 0.3-0.4 m pathways between beds, a water source (e.g., tap or barrel) at one end, and a shade net supported by bamboo poles.]

Activity 3: Preparing Land and Setting Up Shade-Net

Questions:–Answers:

What kind of shade-net or clothes did you use to provide shade to the plants? A green shade-net with 50% or 75% shading percentage, or old cloth like sarees if shade-nets are unavailable.
Which materials did you use to fix the shade-net? Bamboo poles, wooden poles, or discarded metal pipes; on terraces, metal tin boxes or plastic drums filled with sand.

Activity 4: Germinating Seeds

Questions:–Answers (hypothetical, as actual data depends on the experiment):

Which seed did you use for conducting seed germination test? Tomato seeds.
How many seeds were used for the germination test? 100 seeds.
How many days did it take for the seeds to germinate? 3-5 days.
How many seeds germinated? 85 seeds.
What was the germination rate? Germination percentage = (85 / 100) × 100 = 85%.

Activity 5: Raising Plants in the Nursery

Questions:–Answers:
For Method 1:

Which seeds did you sow in the raised-bed? Tomato and marigold seeds.
What have you done to provide optimal conditions for growth of seedling? Mixed compost with soil (40:60 ratio), raised beds 15-20 cm above ground, ensured proper drainage, watered gently with a watering can, and provided shade using a 50% shade-net.

For Method 2:

Which method did you use for sowing the seeds? Sowing seeds in seedling trays and raised beds.
What steps have you taken to provide optimal conditions for the growth of seedlings? Used cocopeat as growing media, soaked it with 5-8 liters of water per kg, sowed 1-2 seeds per cell, covered trays with tarpaulin for 2-3 days, and placed them under a shade-net after germination.

For Method 3:

Which kind of plants did you use for plant propagation using cuttings? Did you use a cutting of hard, semi-hard, or softwood? Rose (semi-hardwood) and coleus (softwood) cuttings.
What have you done to ensure conditions for growth? Filled nursery bags with a soil-compost mix (2:1), made slant cuts on 10-15 cm cuttings, dipped cut ends in rooting hormone, and placed bags under a shade-net to maintain humidity and temperature.

Activity 6: Watching Plants Grow

Questions:–Answer:

Table 1.2 (Maintaining record for the plant nursery): [This requires a table to be filled based on observations. A sample might include columns for plant name (e.g., tomato, rose), propagation method (seeds, cuttings), date of sowing/planting, germination/growth status, and remarks (e.g., “Healthy growth, watered daily”).]

Activity 7: Calculating the Cost