The team members are having high level of field experience and extensive database / knowledge in inspecting various sites and giving advice on raising and managing Forest Nurseries, Plantations including Non Timber Forest Produce species, Medicinal plants and their harvesting, value addition and marketing. Consultancy will be provided in procuring good quality seed, seed treatment protocols for raising nurseries in suitable containers with suitable potting medium. We also suggest details of suitable nursery growers in the country from where high quality nursery seedlings/planting material including clonal plants of various tree species both short term and long term crops and medicinal plants; can be procured at affordable price.Suggestions on site-specific and management-objective planting of tree species and NTFP plants including medicinal plants that are responsive to local conditions to enhance growth potential and derive maximum benefit, will be provided after visiting the site. Suggestions will be given whether the site is suitable for short rotation woody crops such as Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Gamhar etc. or long rotation high value timber species such as Teak depending on the choice of the farmer, site quality and market economics.
Advice will be provided on raising highly remunerative Sandal wood and Red Sanders plantation crops and also their harvesting and marketing. The interface between technical and social innovation will be carefully managed, and the composition and management of these plantations will be advised on a site-specific basis with the users of the land. Trading some of the delayed returns from timber species in favour of more frequent short-term returns will be suggested to achieve early financial returns to the farmers. We have expertise in suggesting multi-storied plantation crops including major sought-after NTFP and Medicinal Plants. Traders along with well established MNCs will be linked for assured marketing for the crops suggested; with assured buy back agreement according to the farmers’ requirements. Various nurseries of Medicinal Plants across the country and contact persons will be linked towards selection of suitable planting material within a competitive price. However, procurement will be at farmer’s choice only, before planting is taken up. Link will be provided to prepare projects for obtaining subsidy for cultivation of medicinal plants crops as per the guidelines of National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB). The existing scenario on important species: Supply vs. Demand, collection from natural sources against requirement for cultivation in various climatic conditions across different states will be explained as per the available data base which is updated periodically.
Mr. P. S. Rao headed Research & Development wing of undivided Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for more than a decade. He is bestowed with rich expertise and experience in dealing with environmental and forestry issues. He Headed Research component of two successive World Bank aided Forestry Projects and guided the execution of various research plans involving Breeding of Teak, Eucalyptus, Casuarina and non-Teak hardwood species for improving the genetic quality of planting stock, selection of high yielding NTFP species, their cloning and multiplication, Production of high yielding clones and supply of grafted planting stock, collection, testing and supply of improved seed for raising nurseries, Standardization of improved nursery practices and Vegetative Propagation, Production of Teak Tissue culture plants, Production of Organic Manures, Bio-fertilizers and Bio-pesticides, Inventorisation, conservation, propagation and marketing of Medicinal plants etc.
After serving for 3 decades in Forest Department, he was selected as Expert Member, National Green Tribunal (NGT), India’s Apex Environmental Court. He shared the NGT bench for five years with Judicial Members viz. retired Supreme Court and High Court Judges, and dealt with a variety of cases pertaining to environmental and forest jurisprudence in the country.
Mr. J.S.N. Murthy has rendered about three and half decades service to Forest Department and also worked in some of the important line Departments in the undivided state of Andra Pradesh. He is a hardcore Forester and innovator and has creative eye. He trained a number of forest officers who are now occupying responsible and senior policy making level positions and substantially contributing to the Development of Forests. Many of his initiatives taken by him have borne fruit and have translated into important policy inputs. His ideas for presentations are creative, thought provoking and very effective.
Under his aegis Mahabubnagar Forest division was awarded “Indira Priayadarshini Vruksha Mitra” a prestigious national award. He has received certificate of appreciation for his outstanding contribution in reviving Kolleru Lake to its pristine glory. He did extensive work on vegetative propagation of Givotia rottleriformis and Decalepis hameltonii. He is instrumental in promoting Community Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) at Maredumilli in East Godavari Dist. and Pacherla of Nallamala Forests in Kurnool district. He was also instrumental for establishing and promoting Urban Forestry projects at Kurnool, Kadapa and Rajamahendravaram.
Mr. V.V. Hariprasad has been practising as advocate in Central Administrative Tribunal and High court of Telangana. He prepared project on Wasteland Development in Nellore district which was approved by NWDB, New Delhi. He implemented medicinal plant projects as Asst. Silviculturist BIOTRIM Tirupati of AP Forest Department and played an important role in the preparation of the project for community forest management.
As DFO, TTD, Tirupati the project prepared by him for the improvement of S.V. Ayurveda pharmacy was approved by Govt. of India. He worked for more than a decade in Red Sanders bearing areas and is well versed with Red Sanders related issues.
After retirement, he worked in A.P Medicinal Plants Board and A.P. State Biodiversity Board as subject expert. He prepared projects on medicinal plants for implementation by Central university of Hyderabad and CRDA Amaravati. He delivers lectures in Central university, Hyderabad on Cyber laws and Intellectual Property Rights as guest faculty to the students comprising of police officials, advocates and software engineers.,
Presently he is working as consultant in Institute of Forest Biodiversity, Govt. of India being a subject expert on Bio-diversity Act, Peoples' Biodiversity Register, Environment management, grading of Red Sanders wood, Cyber laws, Forest laws, General laws, Bio piracy and Intellectual Property Rights, Criminal justice and Forensic science.
Mr. D. Basavasankar Rao worked as Forest Officer over a period of 36 years in AP Forest Dept. In his service he spent most of the time in raising various types of plantations and involved in extension forestry activities. He was part of the team of Forest officers credited with introduction of Farm Forestry in AP in 1980s and raising large scale short rotation plantations in the farmers’ fields thus making AP a pioneer in the production and supply of Eucalyptus, Casuarina and Subabul wood to paper and pulp industries bringing a new trend in the country and reducing pressure on natural forests. He worked with the local communities and made them aware of the scientific utilization of NTFP including value addition and marketing. He was instrumental in establishing a facility for collection of data on various NTFP resources for effective utilization by the local communities.
He worked for retrieval of Rare, Endangered and Threatened species of Medicinal plants, development of multiplication techniques and planting in the natural habitat i.e. in situ & ex-situ conservation and cultivation in wild conditions.
