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Environmentalists have developed new methods of planting various tree saplings in containers other than polythene. Such novel methods have been introduced into the plant industry as a home-garden product by the Upper Watershed Management Project under the guidance of its project Director D. P. Munaweera.

A ban on polythene is being seriously considered by the government due to its adverse impacts on the environment. Yet it has become a matter for regret that polythene containers are still being used for plants by mainly commercial oriented flower growers.

D. P. Munaweera explained how he experimented with coir (kohu) and reed containers for plants and said that he has also introduced this concept to plant growers in the project areas. Coir and reed containers are environment-friendly and contribute immensely to the healthy growth of a plant.

Coconut is one of Sri Lanka's major income earners and is readily available in all parts of the country. As such using coir and husk for the production of plant containers could be encouraged as a feasible income generator and as an environment-friendly local industry.

Munaweera said that growing saplings in coir containers have proved to be economical and practical in that the plant could be embedded in the soil with the container itself, whereas plants grown in polythene bags have to be removed for planting.

In this process in many instances the roots of the plant gets damaged. He also said that saplings grown in coir containers are healthy due to the flexible space within the container and without for the roots to spread itself without being restricted as in the case of polythene. Moreover coir containers afford the facility to evenly distribute sunlight and water for the healthy growth of the plant unlike in polythene bags where water gets stored at the base of the plant if there is no perforation to expel excess water. Coir containers also retain the moisture needed for the plant as against polythene bags where plants tend to dry and wither for lack of moisture.

Other local material which could be used for producing environment -friendly plant containers include bamboo, reed, banana fibre, pol matulla (web-like material found on the coconut tree), grey cloth etc.

Research conducted by the Upper Watershed Management Project has proved that the best plants could be obtained from coir containers, with the next best in bamboo and reed containers.

Munaweera also said that the jak saplings in the plant nursery established by the UWMP in Balangoda to provide one lakh jak saplings for the NJDP are planted in coir containers.

(Information: courtesy Nihal P. Abeysinghe)

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