Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science
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Effect of different packaging materials and calcium chloride on post-harvest longevity of banana
No full textNepal produces large amount of bananas annually but suffers significant losses owing to inappropriate postharvest management. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of polythene and fiber bag packaging, and calcium chloride treatment on bananas quality and shelf life. The two-factor experiment involved treatments that included bananas wrapped in a polythene and fiber bag of size 60 cm × 60 cm, and an open space, combined with calcium chloride concentrations of 1%, 3%, and 5%, along with untreated fruits kept in open space without using any bag as a control. Each treatment was replicated three times in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The research was conducted for 16 (sixteen) days and the observation taken were physiological weight loss, ripening percent, titratable acidity (TA), and total soluble solid (TSS). Polythene bag with 5% CaCl2 reduced 89.6% weight loss than that of open space with 0% CaCl2. Similarly, polythene bag with 5% CaCl2 reduced ripening percentage by 10.72% compared to open space with 0 % CaCl2. Polythene bag also reduced ripening percentage by 4.14% compared to fiber bag at 16th Day of study. On the 16th Day, ripening percentage was reduced by 5% by 5% CaCl2 concentration compared to 0% CaCl2. A longer time to reach ripening stage was observed in polythene than those of fiber bags and open space. Thus, the polythene bag with 5% CaCl2 fruits had the highest TSS content (23.2 0Brix)
Evaluation of sunflower germplasms for salt tolerance based on morpho-physiological and yield attributes
No full textThe effects of salinity on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) germplasms growth, morpho-physiological traits and yield attributes among six varieties was studied to identify potential salt-tolerant sunflower varieties for cultivation in saline-prone areas of Bangladesh. For this, an experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural University in a net house from January 2019 to May 2019. Results showed that all varieties of sunflower exhibited significant (p<0.05) alterations to morphological characteristics aside from stem diameter under salt stress conditions. The physiological changes were also induced, except for one measure of photochemical efficiency. Notably, relative chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, and total chlorophyll content shifted in a variety dependent manner. However, maximum photochemical efficiency did not statistically differ between varieties impacted by saline soils. Additionally, salt exposure impacted seed yield aspects such as filled and sterile seed counts per head, total seed weight per individual flower, and 1000-seed mass, with prominent variations among the tested varieties of sunflower. Therefore, out of the six varieties of sunflower evaluated in this assessment of salt tolerance, Hysun 33 was emerged as the most resilient to adverse impacts of salinity on growth and productivity of sunflower in salinity affected regions of Bangladesh
Diversity assessment of rice varieties in Khairahani Municipality, Chitwan District, Nepal
No full textThe study aims to assess varietal diversity in the Khairahani municipality of Chitwan district of Nepal. A cross-sectional survey and stratified random sampling were employed, surveying 100 households across all 13 wards. The survey focused on examining the effectiveness of varieties cultivated by farmers. Rice, the main staple crop in the Chitwan district, was found to consist of 19.20% of hybrid seeds, 9.74% of local seeds, and 71.06% of improved seeds. All hybrid seeds surveyed were registered, with 77.42% improved seeds and 20.59% of local seeds. Additionally, Chaite-5 was the most prevalent variety, followed by Sabitri and Hardinath-1 among the improved varieties, while Gorakhnath 509 dominates the hybrid category. The study applied the Shannon-Wiener Index to analyze genetic diversity, evenness, and richness among rice varieties. The diversity index for the rice genotype in Khairahani was 2.87, indicating an effective number of varieties of 17.71, a richness score of 32, and an evenness score of 0.49, suggesting moderate to high rice diversity. Agro-vets are the main suppliers of seeds, which were found to be 47%, 15% from preserved seeds, 49% from both agro-vet and preserved sources, 15% from co-operatives, and 13% from neighbors. The study suggested that registered hybrids varieties are prevalent due to higher yields, and easy accessibility, but local landraces are at risk due to their low production. Therefore, approaches aimed at promoting local rice varieties are essential for protecting genetic diversity in Khairahani municipality, Chitwan district
Assessment of physicochemical parameters and heavy metals concentration of leachates from dumpsite around Idemili River, Obosi Nigeria
No full textLeachates originating from solid waste dumpsites pollute water bodies, especially in Nigerian urban areas. This study aimed to assess the concentrations of heavy metals and physicochemical parameters in leachates from dumpsite around the Idemili River in Obosi, Nigeria. Physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, EC, TDS, DO, BOD, turbidity, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulphate), heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, As) and bacteriological parameters (total and faecal coliforms) were analyzed in leachate and Idemili River water. ANOVA, Tukey’s post-hoc and Pearson correlation were applied to find spatial variations and relationships between physicochemical properties and heavy metals concentration in leachate and water samples. Results revealed significant (p<0.05) contamination, with EC, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, Fe, Cd and Pb in leachate samples exceeding WHO/NSDWQ limits. Leachate contained significantly higher levels of Fe (4.430±3.231 mg/L), As (4.455±3.1465 mg/L) and Cd (2.8783±2.794 mg/L), suggesting potential leachate infiltration, thereby influencing water quality. Also the leachate and water samples had elevated levels of total and faecal coliforms, exceeding the WHO standards of 10 cfu/mL and 0 cfu/mL, respectively. Results also revealed significant spatial variations in the physicochemical, heavy metals, and bacteriological parameters across various sampling points in leachate and water samples. Therefore, water samples from Idemili River are unsafe for human consumption, and aquatic ecosystems, due to leachates infiltration. It is recommended that governments should adopt inclusive approaches to reducing amount of wastes reaching dumpsites.
Effect of sowing methods and spacings on growth and yield attributes of spring maize (Zea mays L.) in Parbat, Nepal
No full textThe study was conducted in Phalewas Municipality, Parbat district, Nepal to assess the effect of two sowing methods (ridge bed and raised bed) and four plant spacings (60×15 cm, 60×20 cm, 60×25 cm and 60×30 cm) on growth and yield characteristics of spring maize for improving the maize yield. This experiment aimed to identify adequate sowing method and optimum spacing using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results of this study showed that yield attributing characteristics per plant was significantly (p<0.05) impacted with decrement in plant spacing up to 60×15 cm. Likewise, number of cobs per plant, ear length, ear circumference, number of kernels per row, grains per cob was found significantly at par up to 60×20 cm spacing but significantly (p<0.05) higher than 60×15 cm. 60×20 cm spacing was found to have the highest impact on biometrical as well as yield attributes. The grain yield (6.53 Mt/ha) was significantly (p<0.05) higher at 60×20 cm than at 60×25 cm and 60×30 cm but at par with 60×15 cm. There was no discernible effect of the sowing method on the metrics of grain yield between ridge bed and raised bed sowing. However, both bed sowing methods significantly (p<0.05) improved the grain yield of maize (5.78 Mt/ha), compared to the farmer's practice in Parbat district. Therefore, this study suggested that farmers of Parbat can combine 60×20 cm plant spacing with bed sowing methods to maximize the production of maize
Socio-cultural and economic determinants of clean cooking technology adoption in Uganda
No full textThis study examined socio-cultural and economic determinants influencing clean cooking technology adoption, with emphasis on cultural norms, gender roles, income, education, and user perceptions in Uganda. A cross-sectional survey of 480 households from urban, peri-urban, and rural areas in six districts employed structured interviews and questionnaires. Awareness of improved cook stoves and alternative fuels (briquettes, LPG, ethanol) was high (74%), but adoption was low (27%). Major barriers included high upfront costs (68%), limited distribution networks (52%), and perceived incompatibility with traditional cooking methods, especially for staple dishes. Adoption was significantly (p < 0.05) higher among households with at least one adult completing secondary education (42% vs. 18%) and those earning above UGX 300,000 or 83.90 USD /month, who were 3.1 times more likely to adopt. Women were the primary cooks in 93% of households, with girls aged 7–16 frequently assisting. Cultural beliefs, such as firewood enhancing food flavor and symbolizing tradition, further influenced adoption decisions. The findings indicated that accelerating clean cooking adoption in Uganda requires culturally sensitive and gender-responsive interventions, integration of local knowledge, targeted behavior change communication, supportive policy frameworks, and sustained financing. Strengthening supply chains and empowering women as energy entrepreneurs are essential to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) on universal modern energy access
Economics of production and marketing of coffee in Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, Kavre, Nepal
No full textThis study was conducted to assess the profitability of coffee production and marketing, find its constraints, and identify major marketing channels of coffee in Bethanchowk rural municipality in Kavre district, Nepal. Random and snowball techniques were used for sampling. For data analysis, MS Excel and IBM SPSS 26 were used. A total of 72 coffee farmers, 2 collectors, 6 pulpers, and 2 processors were surveyed from the study area, along with conducting FGD and KII. Coffee was grown in 0.0514 hectares (1.01 ropani; 1 hectare = 19.66 ropani) of land on average, where the farmers’ overall landholding was 0.7214 hectares (14.18 ropani). The total variable cost per hectare was NPR 235783.8 (US 212.30). The gross margin per hectare was found to be NPR 332159.5 (US$ 2340.24). B:C ratio was calculated to be 2.14 at a 12% discount rate. The returns to scale of coffee production was 1.563, which showed increasing returns to scale in the study area. The most significant factors that affected coffee farming were the area under coffee cultivation, the number of productive plants, and labor. Farmers faced challenges due to frequent infestation from diseases and pests and having inadequate water supply access in the study area. But if the concerned authorities address those problems, coffee farming can be a great source of income, especially for rural farmers
Determinants and perceptions of women’s participation in community forest management: Evidence from Western Nepal
No full textCommunity forestry in Nepal has significantly contributed to forest restoration, livelihood enhancement, and local governance since its initiation in the late 1970s. Despite policy mandates for gender inclusion, women’s effective participation in community forest management remains limited. This study examined the demographic and socio-economic determinants of women’s participation and their perceptions of community forest management in Manakamana Community Forest of Western Nepal. Data were collected from 82 randomly selected women community forest users using household surveys, supplemented by key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify predictors of participation, while perceptions were assessed using a Likert scale. Results revealed that out of 10 independent predictors studied age, years of schooling, executive committee membership, and proximity to the Community Forest Office were significant predictors of participation, explaining 53.4% of the variance. Education had the strongest effect, with the probability of participation increasing from less than 5% among uneducated women to more than 90% among those with secondary education or higher. Similarly, old-aged women and women from households with executive committee representation were nearly twice as likely to participate compared to others, while distance to the community forest office posed a strong spatial barrier. Perception analysis showed that women were highly involved in labor-intensive tasks such as plantation programs and forest product collection but were excluded from strategic roles including operational plan preparation, fund mobilization, and monitoring. The study highlights a persistent gap between women’s representation and actual influence in community forestry governance
Evaluation of growth and yield performance of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.) under conventional urea, nano urea and azotobacter biofertilizer
No full textConventional urea, while being the predominant nitrogen source in Nepalese agriculture, presents significant challenges including import dependency, low nitrogen use efficiency, and environmental pollution. A field experiment was conducted in Tulsipur, Dang, during 2024-25 season to evaluate Nano urea and Azotobacter biofertilizer as potential partial or complete substitutes for conventional urea in broccoli cultivation. The study employed a randomized complete block design with three replications and nine treatments, including reduced (75%, 50%) doses of recommended conventional urea supplemented with Nano urea and Azotobacter, using full conventional urea (N 100% PK full) as control. The treatment with 75% conventional urea and both supplements produced a significantly (p<0.05/0.01) superior plant height (56.31 cm) and the largest canopy diameter (57.97 cm) at harvest, while 50% conventional urea with Nano urea resulted in longest leaves (38.30 cm) and broadest leaves (19.82 cm) of broccoli at harvest. The combination of 50% conventional urea with Azotobacter achieved the highest economic yield (26.96 t/ha), while 75% conventional urea with both supplements yielded maximum biological production (67.2 t/ha) of broccoli. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.947) between head diameter and economic yield which was further quantified by a linear regression model (y = -18.44 + 2.87x, R² = 0.896), confirming head diameter as a key predictor for yield of broccoli. Hence, the study concludes that integrating Nano urea or Azotobacter can reduce conventional urea use by 25-50% without compromising yield, offering a sustainable strategy that addresses both import dependency and environmental concerns
Comparing Sentinel-2 vegetation indices for optimal estimation of aboveground carbon stock in a tropical community forest of Nepal
No full textAccurate monitoring of forest carbon stocks is essential for effective climate change mitigation. This study aimed to identify the optimal Sentinel-2 vegetation index (VI) for estimating aboveground carbon (AGC) stock in the Raktamala Namuna Community Forest, Nepal. Field data from 53 circular plots (500 m² each) were used to compute AGC based on tree-level dendrometric measurements and species-specific wood density. Ten VIs, including traditional (e.g., NDVI, EVI) and red-edge-based indices (NDVIre1–NDVIre4), were derived from a cloud-free Sentinel-2 Level-2A image (April 7, 2023). Five regression models (linear, logarithmic, quadratic, power, and exponential) were tested for each VI–AGC relationship. The average AGC was 63.88 t·ha-¹. The red-edge index NDVIre1 (using Band 5, 705 nm), modelled with a logarithmic function, yielded the highest predictive accuracy (R² = 0.7205, r = 0.848, p < 0.001), outperforming traditional indices like NDVI (R² = 0.609). This study demonstrates the superior sensitivity of Sentinel-2’s red-edge band (705 nm) to canopy structure in dense tropical forests. The study concluded that the NDVIre1 logarithmic model provides a novel, cost effective tool for operational and scalable carbon monitoring in community-managed forests, directly supporting REDD+ implementation and localized forest management