A new tree nursery was inaugurated in Vadlamudi, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology, and Research. This nursery aims to help with local and national climate change goals by producing one million healthy plants annually and using advanced technologies like automated irrigation and climate control systems.
Veena Reddy from USAID mentioned that this collaboration with India is focused on mitigating climate change through practices like climate-smart agriculture. Lavu Rathaiah, Chairman of Vignan’s Foundation, highlighted their commitment to educating students about plant propagation and nursery management to advance agroforestry in the country.
Manoj Dabas, Chief of Party at the Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) Program, emphasized the importance of the high-tech nursery in advancing agroforestry systems like trees outside forests in the state. This initiative is part of a five-year collaboration between USAID and India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) to rapidly expand tree coverage in seven states.
Overall, this new nursery is a significant step towards achieving climate change mitigation goals, promoting sustainable practices, and fostering innovation in agroforestry.
