EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING MODULES

COMMERCIAL NURSERY TECHNOLOGY OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS

• It is engaged in multiplication of horticultural crops (Rare ornamental plants, pollution control indoor plants, bee pasturage for bee keepers) through standard propagation methods
• Plants suitable to  this ecosystem are multiplied and supplied
• More than 100 plant species are multiplied
• It is also involved in vermi composting

The list of plants available in DBCA nursery

1	Jasmine	21	Holy basil	41	Papaya
2	Lilly	22	Turmeric	42	Moringa
3	Alamanda	23	Kesavarthini	43	Sweet lime
4	Hibiscus	24	Curryleaves	44	Lemon
5	Nandhiyavattam	25	Insulin plant	45	Mango
6	Ixora	26	Indian long pepper	46	Jamun
7	Crossandra	27	Aloe vera	47	Pineapple
8	Nerium	28	Vetiver	48	Coconut
9	China box plant	29	Lemongrass	49	Banana
10	Desert rose	30	Betelvine	50	Water apple
11	Plumeria	31	Teak	51	Custard apple
12	Blue butterfly pea plant	32	Silver oak	52	Ber
13	Cape jasmine	33	Kumizh teak	53	Pomegranate
14	Crotons	34	Bamboo	54	Dragon fruit
15	Bryophyllum	35	Clove	55	Karonda
16	Begonia	36	Arecanut	56	Jack
17	Duranta	37	Rose wood	57	Fig
18	Spider plant	38	Red sandal	58	Goose berry
19	Peace lilly	39	Vengai	59	Guava
20	Money plant	40	Tamarind	60.	Cherry

 

COMMERCIAL BEE KEEPING

In this experiential learning module the students undertake all the work related to establishment, maintenance, extraction and marketing of end products. Every week the students organized themselves into various groups to perform the assigned task. The course teacher will be designated as chief executive officer of the unit and a student leader will be designated as project manager, who in turn will plan daily activities and allocate work to the team members in rotation, so that everyone will have knowledge and experience about various techniques in apiary. The students are given a seed money based on the project plan at the beginning, with the condition, to return the principal at the end of the project. The students of 2018 and 2019 batches successfully operated and marketed both honey and its value added products in an innovative marketing strategy. At the end of the project the profit was shared among the team members.

 

VERMI-COMPOSTING

Vermi-composting unit of our college serves the students, to learn the technology of composting using African earth worm. This unit adopts the above ground method of composting and follows a cycle of 45 days. The students of 2018 and 2019 batch successfully operated this unit during the experimental learning course. In this course the students are engaged in production of compost, processing, value addition, storage and marketing.      

               

COMMERCIAL MUSHROOM PRODUCTION

Our college has mushroom production unit to provide hands on training in the production of oyster mushroom. The students undergoing experimental learning in mushroom production are exposed to preparation of spawn, substrate preparation, spawn inoculation, management, harvest and packing. The students of 2019 batch procured oyster mushroom (Pleurotes sp.) and grow them in paddy straw packed in polythene covers.  The end produce was packed and marketed to demonstrate the profitability.

 

PROTECTED CULTIVATION OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS

1. POLY HOUSE

The college has one naturally ventilated poly house and one fan and pad cooled poly house, to demonstrate protected cultivation of vegetables and fruits and to educate the layout and establishment of poly house. During one semester the students of final year use this facility to grow high value vegetables under protected condition.  So far the final year students used this facility for growing capsicum and demonstrated its profitability.

1. MIST CHAMBER

The nursery unit has two mist chambers to produce rooted cuttings and to harden the layered, grafted plants. In this chamber high humidity is maintained by applying pressurized water in the form of mist this unit serves both teaching and demonstration.

 

BIOFERTILIZER / BIOINOCULANT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

The biofertilizer production unit, functioning in the department of microbiology produces various biofertilizers like Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Phosphobactera, Azospirillum. The unit has got autoclave, laminar airflow chamber, automatic shaker, both liquid and solid carrier materials. The students are given practical exposure in mass production of Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Phosphobactera, Azospirillum in liquid and solid based media. The students of 2019 batch produced Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Phosphobactera, Azospirillum  biofertilizers and distributed to the farmers during farmers day and exhibition.

 

COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF BIO CONTROL AGENTS

Biocontrol production unit is maintained by Department of Agricultural Microbiology is providing hands on experience to the students opting for Experiential Learning Module. This unit has undertaken Mass production of three fungal biocontrol agents and one Bacterial Biocontrol agents namely Trichoderma viride, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Students of 2018 batch mass multiplied Trichoderma viride, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Pseudomonas fluorescens biocontrol agents and sold the same at the rate of Rs.300 per Kg and demonstrated profitability of the enterprise.

 

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

The students are exposed to various organic preparations and also certification procedures for organic products.

 

MANAGERIAL SKILLS FOR AGRIBUSINESS

Under Agribusiness module the students of 2018 Batch planned and executed Agro based enterprise Sale of value-added fruit& vegetable and demonstrated their knowledge, expertise and profitability.

 

COMMERCIAL BROILER AND LAYER PRODUCTION

A model Broiler unit of 120 Chicks is constructed with the dimension of 10square feet × 16 square feet – 160 square feet to provide Experiential Learning. It has all the necessary facilities like Brooder, waterer and deep Liter. The students undertake purchase of Chicks, feeding, Cleaning, Vaccination, temperature and humidity management. So far two batches have successfully produced and marketed.