TRANSPLANTING

TRANSPLANTING

What is transplanting?
  • Transplanting is a general term to designate the removal of living plants from nursery whereby they may become established in new quarters (place) i.e. main field.
  • It is a violent operation which may be performed when the plant is actively growing.
  • Transplanting operation in vegetables becomes more successful in deep and fine soils with optimum moisture level.
Why to transplant.
The advantages of transplanting are:
  • It economizes the expensive seeds by sowing them in nursery.
  • Through transplanting, one can very well look after the young tender seedlings growing in small area in the initial growth stage i.e. nursery.
  • During transplanting there is a root pruning in the plants, which give rise to many more short branched roots in the plants and such plants when planted in the field are better able to establish themselves due to the root system in the immediate block of soil that goes with the plant.
  • Shorter time from planting in the field to harvest is taken by following transplanting method.
  • This result in better returns to the growers by selling the produce early in the market and period of crop production can be extended easily.
  • Before transplanting, it is possible to grow plants under unfavourable climate conditions in the form of nursery.
  • More plants of high quality can be produced through transplanting due to proper spacing, selection and protection from insect-pests and diseases.
  • Through transplanting, better yield with more uniform maturity is obtained.
  • It is a safe way to start small seeded crops in heavy soils which crusts badly.
  • The more frequently a given plant is transplanted, the more readily it ensures the removal.
Disadvantages of transplanting:
The disadvantages of transplanting are:
  • Increases the cost of production.
  • May result in delayed maturity.
  • It is harmful but frequently a necessary operation.
Crops suitable for transplanting
  • All the vegetable crops are not fit for transplanting.
  • The following two groups separate plants as to their ease of transplanting.
a) Successfully transplanted:
b). Difficult to transplant:
  • Broad bean and pea
  • Formation of new roots in plants of group b) is slow and there is a tendency for the roots to be suberized or cutinized in these plants, which make them less effective in absorbing water.
When to transplant
  • Transplanting should not be delayed.
  • If seedlings are allowed to grow too long in the nursery, they become weak and flower early.
  • It should be done as soon as the seedlings are 10-15 cm high and have formed about 3-4 true leaves (not seed leaves and cotyledons).
  • The time of transplanting may vary according to species of plant, age and condition of transplanting.
  • The younger the plants as a rule, the better it withstands the transplanting operation.
  • Transplanting should always be done in the evening hours so that plants may establish in the cool weather at night and may recover from the shock of transplanting before the sun comes up next morning.
  • In a cloudy weather and when there is drizzling, transplanting may be done at any time. Before uprooting the seedlings for transplanting, the beds must be watered 24 hours before transplanting so that seedlings may not suffer from desiccation as their tissues will be filled with water.
How to transplant
  • When the seedlings are in proper stage of transplanting and are 4-6 weeks old according to the season and kind of plant, then the transplanting should be done in the following way:
    • Prepare the soil thoroughly before transplanting as it has to be firmed closely around the plants so that plant root may come in contact with the moist soil and sub-terranean moisture may be brought upward for the roots by the soil.
    • Through a khurpi or small transplanting trowel, take out few seedlings with care without injuring the roots.
    • Separate these seedlings and put them in holes in the field and press down the soil near the roots with your fingers to make the soil firm.
    • Pressing soil gently around the roots of plants prevents air pockets formation near roots
    • Pressing of soil is one of the most important operations while transplanting during rainy seasons.
    • Complete the transplanting as early as possible after removing the plants from the nursery.
    • During transplanting, take care that seedlings are well protected from wilting.
    • This may be done by keeping the seedlings covered in moist soil, wet plant leaves or by frequent sprinkling of water over the seedlings.
    • Do not remove the part of leaves of the seedlings before transplanting.
    • Irrigate the transplanted area immediately after finishing transplanting.
Care during transplanting
  • Plants are dug from the nursery with as little injury as possible.
  • Uprooting of plants should be preceded by ample watering.
  • Do not dig plants more than the required number.
  • After the plants are dug out, cover them with the moist cloth or sacks and keep them in the shade so that there will be little loss of water from the plants.
  • Sometimes leaves or portions of leaves are removed from plants to reduce the area of transpiring water at transplanting time
  • This is done to establish a better balance between the intake of water by roots and loss of water from leaves.
  • Pruning or clipping the tops in case of onion does not aid survival.
  • Light pruning does not give beneficial effects while heavy pruning sometimes results in a reduction of early yields and also of total yield.
  • The water loss from the cut surface may be greater than would be by transpiration, if all the leaves were allowed to remain on the plant
    • by carrying the seedlings in a basket covered with a wet sack
    • by carrying the seedlings with their roots submerged in a bucket of water.
Care after transplanting
  • After transplanting, examine the field every day for watering whenever necessary till they are well established.
  • Those seedlings which are not doing well, they should be removed and replaced from the reserve seedlings.
  • If there is any attack of insect pests or the disease, it must be controlled before it spreads throughout in the fields.
  • Gap filling may also be done where the seedlings are dried.
Last modified: Sunday, 17 June 2012, 6:02 PM