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A horticulture initiative in Prayagraj plans to train around 350 rural women associated with self-help groups to raise seedlings in courtyard nurseries. Hindustan Times reported on October 3, 2026, that the first 70 women had completed training and that trainees would receive kits and pro-trays free of cost. The target is planned reach, not a confirmed count of everyone trained.

What the Prayagraj initiative plans

Hindustan Times reports that the horticulture department is implementing the initiative under the Integrated Horticulture Development Mission. Women will learn to produce seedlings at home, with the stated aim of making saplings available to local farmers and creating a possible additional source of income for participants.

The report says the first batch of 70 women completed training at the Horticultural Research and Training Centre in Khusro Bagh. It does not give a schedule for training the remaining women or publish selection criteria. The local program details and counts are reported by the newspaper; no official project order or department notice confirming them is established here.

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How seedlings are raised in pro-trays

Pro-trays, also called propagation trays, are polypropylene trays divided into individual cavities. The National Horticulture Board handbook describes drainage holes and spacing for growing media, and says trays can be reused. Separate cells let seedlings grow apart rather than sharing one nursery bed. The report does not identify the model, cell count, or growing medium supplied to participants.

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The handbook says sterilized commercial growing media is preferable because seedling disease incidence is lower or nil. ICAR describes tray-based seedling production as a commercial activity and emphasizes the importance of quality seedlings to vegetable-crop growth and performance. These sources explain the method’s general rationale; they do not report results from the Prayagraj training.

What the germination figures do—and do not—show

Hindustan Times attributes two comparisons to V.K. Singh, in-charge of the Horticultural Research and Training Centre: direct sowing can result in 30–40% seed loss or damage, while germination in pro-trays can exceed 90%. The report does not provide the crop, sample size, test conditions, or independent trial data behind those figures. They should be read as Singh’s reported comparison, not as a universal performance guarantee.

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Singh also said traditional nurseries are vulnerable to soil-borne diseases including wilt, nematodes, and root rot. He said separate tray cells can help protect seedlings from pathogens and keep roots from becoming entangled. This is an explanation attributed to the local training-centre official, not evidence that disease losses have been measured in this initiative.

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Income is an aim, not a measured outcome

Geeta Devi, a member of the Om Mahila self-help group from Balakaranpur village in Phulpur, said saplings could be sold to local farmers as an additional source of income for women in self-help groups. The report presents this as a livelihood opportunity. It provides no figures for sales, earnings, or jobs created, so the income effect remains unmeasured.

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Grafting is planned for a later phase

Deputy director (Horticulture) Kaushal Kumar Neeraj said women will also be trained in grafting. He said grafted vegetable seedlings can develop stronger root systems and offer improved resistance to certain diseases, potentially helping reduce crop losses. The article says grafting has yet to be introduced at the mini centre of excellence in Saidabad, which has been established for nursery management and seedling production; seedlings there are currently raised conventionally.

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