Students of the Agriculture and Horticulture College of Kalasalingam University underwent field training at the Government Horticulture Farm near Periyakulam in Theni district as part of the Rural Horticultural Work Experience (RHWE) programme.
The students—Saravanakumar, Yuvanidhi, Yuvaraj, Ravichandran, and Senthamizhselvan—are currently undergoing residential training under the guidance of Professor Vijayakumar and Assistant Professor Kannabiran.
During the training, officials demonstrated the air-layering propagation technique in guava, explaining its methods and benefits. Students were taught how a mixture of soil, sand, and farmyard manure in a 2:1:1 ratio is prepared and placed in containers. Side branches of healthy guava mother plants are then bent into the containers, covered with the soil mixture, and watered regularly. After about three months, the rooted layers are separated from the mother plant, and healthy saplings are distributed to farmers.
The trainees also observed grafting operations carried out in mango, pomegranate, jamun, and custard apple saplings. In addition, they learned about the production of tomato, chilli, and brinjal seedlings using the pro-tray nursery method.
The practical training was conducted by Horticulture Officer Saravanan and Assistant Horticulture Officer Krishnakumar, who provided hands-on guidance to the students.