Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science
Not a member yet
674 research outputs found
Sort by
Preharvest application of ethephon improved growth, maturity and quality of banana
No full textPoor yield, non-uniform ripening, and delay in maturity are some serious issues faced by commercial banana growers in the country. This research was conducted in a commercial banana orchard of Chitwan from December 2021 to April 2022 in order to study the effect of different doses of ethephon on growth, maturity, and quality of banana. Five different doses of ethephon (200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 ppm) were sprayed on a banana bunch at 15th days after shooting which were compared with the control (no ethephon treatment) in RCBD design. The maturity of the bunch was significantly hastened at a higher concentration of ethephon (above 600 ppm). Fruit length and fruit weight were also observed higher at 600 ppm (10.21 cm and 62.68 g) and 800 ppm (10.67 cm and 63.26 g) ethephon spray. The bunch treated with 600 ppm ethephon had the highest TSS (10.78oB and 23.27oB at 0 and 5 days of storage, respectively) and PPR (1.65). Considering quantitative and qualitative parameters, preharvest ethephon spray @600 ppm significantly improved growth, maturity, and quality of banana fruits
Effect of transplanting dates on growth, yield and quality of broad leaf mustard (Brassica juncea L. var. rugosa) varieties at Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal
No full textBroad Leaf Mustard, one of the most popular, highly commercialized, and widely grown green vegetables due to its richness in vitamin and minerals with peculiar taste. The precise knowledge of ideal planting time with right selection of variety provides suitable environmental conditions at all growth stages that increase the yield. The field experiment was carried at Horticulture Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan to evaluate the effect of transplanting dates on growth, yield and quality of Broad Leaf Mustard (Brassica juncea L. var. rugosa) varieties in Terai condition of Nepal during October 2021 to March 2022. The experiment was laid out in two factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. There were sixteen treatment combination comprising four varieties (Khumal Broad Leaf, Marpha Broad Leaf, Manakamana and Mike Giant) with four transplanting dates (October 25, November 9, November 24 and December 9). The results revealed that transplanting dates and varieties along with interaction significantly influenced the growth, yield and quality of Broad Leaf Mustard. Among the varieties, Khumal Broad Leaf was significantly superior on growth parameters like plant height, leaf length and breadth, plant canopy but on yield attributes the superior variety was Mike Giant based on number of leaves harvested per plot (226.08) and leaf yield (26.43 mt ha-1). However, the organoleptic test result revealed that the Mike Giant had excellent taste (74%) along with highest recovery percentage of Gundruk (27.62 %). Among the date of transplanting, mid transplanting on November 9 was better in terms of growth and leaf yield of 28.92 mt ha-1. While poorest performance was recorded on last transplanting on December 9 in all growth, yield and quality parameters with leaf yield of 17.36 mt ha-1. The interaction effect of different varieties and transplanting dates resulted better growth and quality in Khumal Broad Leaf and Manakamana varieties when transplanted on November 9. So based on the results of the experiment, Mike Giant transplanted on November 9 produced better growth and yield than others for the optimum yield production in Chitwan, Nepal
Factors affecting the adoption of farm mechanization in Rupandehi, Nepal
No full textAgricultural mechanization is pivotal in farmer’s fields as it functions more efficiently and helps increase farm productivity. Despite the massive involvement of people in agriculture, farm productivity is relatively low. One main reason for this is the staggered implementation of farm mechanization. This paper aims to explore the factors affecting the adoption of farm mechanization using the Chi-square test and identify the major problems using relative frequency values. A total of 112 respondents, 28 each from 4 municipalities of Rupandehi district were interviewed based on stratified random sampling technique. The results showed that the adoption rates of various farm machinery were notably high, with tractors, cultivators, mills, and sprayers being universally employed by 93.75 % of the surveyed individuals. The government subsidies to only 7% of farmers facilitate machinery procurement. The size of the total cultivated land was found to be significant over the use of harvester, grass cutter, and power tiller, and owing of milling machine. The availability of subsidies and owning of mills were found inter dependent. The annual expenditures of farmers and their access to theCusto m Hiring Centre were found to be significant. Lastly, with index values of 0.402 and 0.393, the high costs of farm machinery and small land holdings were major problems in the adoption of farm mechanization. Therefore, addressing the high initial costs of modern farm equipment, providing targeted subsidies, innovative institution formation to provide better services to marginalized farmers, and expanding extension services are essential steps to promote the adoption of farm mechanization
Comparative analysis of manures and fertilizer on okra growth, yield and its economics in Baitadi, Nepal
No full textEmbracing organic techniques can minimize environmental impacts and promote practices that enhance soil and ecological health. A field experiment to study, “Comparative Analysis of Manures and Fertilizer on Okra Growth, Yield and its Economics in Baitadi, Nepal” was conducted at Gokuleshwor Agriculture and Animal Science College in 2023. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replications and 7 treatments. The variety used in this experiment was ‘Arka Anamika’. The treatments used in the experiment were FYM, Goat manure, Poultry manure, Vermicompost, Sesame cake, RDF, and Control (no fertilizer). The fertilizer provided the necessary nitrogen, while the insufficient phosphorus and potassium were supplemented with single super phosphate and muriate of potash, respectively. Results revealed that the application of different fertilizers significantly affected various vegetative and reproductive parameters such as germination days, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, number of branches, number of buds, number of open flowers, number of pods, pod’s length, girth of pods, weight of pods and yield. The results obtained were minimum germination days(4.64) for RDF. Maximum plant height(208.43cm), maximum stem diameter(9.4cm), and number of branches(24.27) were obtained by application of poultry manure at 60 DAS. A maximum number of buds, open flowers, and pods were recorded in poultry manure and RDF application at 75 DAS. The maximum length of the pod(12.52cm) in vermicompost and the maximum girth of the pod(1.59cm) in poultry manure were obtained while the maximum wt. of the pod(14.1gm) in sesame cake. The application of poultry manure obtained a maximum yield per hectare(15.51t/ha). Also in the B: C ratio, Poultry manure exhibited higher(2.65) as compared to other treatments. From this study, we can conclude that poultry manure could contribute to the higher yield and overall attributes of okra.
Yield performance of aromatic fine rice as influenced by nitrogen fertilization and weed control techniques
No full textNitrogen fertilization and weed management is the major concern to yield maximization of rice. The study was conducted to assess the influence of nitrogen and weed control to yield improvement of aromatic rice BRRI dhan34. The experiment included three nitrogen levels viz. 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1 as well as three weeding schedules viz. one hand weeding at 15 days after transplanting (DAT), two hand weeding at 15 and 30 DAT and three hand weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAT. The experiment was conducted with randomized complete block design. The findings demonstrated important correlations between weeding techniques, nitrogen levels and yield components. When the crop was fertilized with 50 kg N ha-1 the highest numbers of total tillers hill-1 (8.53), effective tillers hill-1 (7.51), grains panicle-1 (128.0) and grain yield (3.97 t ha-1) were resulted. Regarding weeding practices, two manual weeding carried out at 15 and 30 DAT reported the highest numbers of effective tillers hill-1 (7.62), grains panicle-1 (128.1) and grain yield (4.10 t ha-1). The highest effective tillers hill-1 (8.33), the most grains panicle-1 (129.8), the grain yield (4.36 t ha-1) and straw yield (6.40 t ha-1) were found in two hand weeding at 15 and 30 DAT combined with 50 kg N ha-1 and the lowest grain yield (3.53 t ha-1) was obtained from one hand weeding given at 15 DAT along with 150 kg N ha-1. Therefore, the study demonstrated that BRRI dhan34 can be fertilized with 50 kg N ha-1 along with two hand weeding at 15 and 30 DAT to obtained higher yield
Climate-smart agriculture: A review of sustainability, resilience, and food security
No full textThis paper investigates Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving agricultural efficiency and sustainability while addressing the challenges of climate change. It examines the economic advantages of CSA for adopters compared to traditional farming methods and assesses CSA's role in mitigating climate change, adapting to its impacts, and enhancing food security. The study reviews essential CSA practices, including agroforestry, conservation agriculture, water-efficient irrigation technologies, crop diversification, improved livestock management, and soil carbon sequestration, as well as the barriers to adoption, such as limited funding, arable land, land tenure issues, and insufficient expertise. Agroforestry and crop rotation have shown encouraging results, with agroforestry serving as a cost-effective solution for food production and environmental preservation. Dairy companies boosted milk consumption from 529,000 to 3 million liters, while farmer profits grew from 0.3 per liter. Rice yields have increased, from 3-4 tons to 7.5 tons per hectare. In cotton farming, CSA adopters cut input costs compared to traditional methods, resulting in long-term economic gains. Crop rotation increased maize productivity by 5–10%, while new irrigation techniques improved water efficiency by 5–35%. However, regions without CSA methods experienced significant livestock losses, highlighting the importance of widespread adoption to ensure resilience. Despite CSA’s advantages, its widespread adoption is hindered by financial and knowledge barriers. Future research should focus on optimizing multiple cropping systems, crop diversification, and no-till agriculture. CSA, particularly when integrated with technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), offers a promising path toward more adaptive and resilient agricultural practices. Broader adoption will require investments in research and resources to effectively scale CSA innovations
Assessment of phenological and physicochemical characteristics of peach (Prunus persica L.) varieties in Mustang, Nepal
No full textThis research was conducted at the Temperate Horticulture Development Center (THDC), Mustang, Nepal, to study flowering phenology and evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of five peach varieties (Surprise, Benedict, Peregrine, Local Khallya and Early Red) from February to September 2023. This research was conducted on a randomized complete block design with four replications and five treatments (fruit trees of a particular variety were replicated four times). The flowering phenology of varieties was studied by dividing the developmental stages of a flower into eight different stages: first swelling, calyx green, calyx red, first pink, first bloom, full bloom, petal fall and fruit set. The completion of each phenological stage was marked from a reference date. Physicochemical analysis of fruits was performed following UPOV guidelines of peach. Physical characteristics were encompassed in individual fruit weight, fruit length, fruit volume, fruit size (length and width), stone weight, stone size (length and width) and mesocarp thickness and in chemical characteristics, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and TSS/TA ratio were included. The study of flowering phenology revealed that Early Red was found to be the earliest (60.50 DARD) to reach the fruit-set stage. The highest and lowest fruit weights were measured in Benedict (153.85 g) and Early Red (46.5 g), respectively. Finally, chemical analysis revealed that TSS/TA was found to be maximum in Benedict (12.38) and minimum in Early Red (6.03). It can be concluded that Early Red was the earliest maturing variety among the varieties. Also, Benedict was found to be the superior in terms of sweetness and size
A study on family farm-enterprise of producers in rural communities of the Gambia
No full textThe agricultural systems of the Gambia entirely depend on rain-fed agriculture, and it propels economic growth. Agriculture's contribution to the Gambia's GDP is 22%. The Gambia's economy heavily depends on agriculture and provides 30–40% of the country's foreign exchange earnings. Family farm enterprise is a lucrative business, but limited research work has been done to determine its economic contributions in improving the livelihoods of producers. The problem statement of the research work is to identify knowledge gap, finance, and markets of family farm producers to enhance production capacity, yield and income. The objective identifies the contribution of family enterprise to the economy, and to address the challenges that affects profitability. The study applied a purposive sampling technique for qualitative and quantitative approaches. The methodology of data collection was focus group discussion, key informants’ interviews and review of secondary data from other research work. A total of (5) focus group discussions, (90) interviews and (10) key informants was conducted in 3 agricultural regions. The results showed female participates immensely in family farm production than male of 443 and 25 respectively. The result showed positive contribution in socio-economic development were North Bank Region scored D2, 709,225 while lowest income earned was Central River Region amounting to D279,700.00 respectively. In conclusion, family farm enterprises can boost local economy of rural communities enhancing livelihoods. Thus, recommend government to create easy access to finance, market and training on business management skills for the family members engaged in agriculture as a business entity
Role of credit on mustard production and food security in a selected area of Sirajganj District in Bangladesh
No full textCredit is a driving force behind increased crop productivity, and food security is essential to the general advancement of humanity. The current study was carried out to analyze the socioeconomic profile of the respondents, examine the loan components, evaluate the effect of credit on mustard production, and find out how many calories each household member consumes on a per capita basis. A sample size of sixty respondents was selected randomly from Sirajganj district in Bangladesh. Primary data were collected through a field survey using a semi-structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics, the multiple linear regression models, and the modified OECD scale were used to analyze the data. The study found that most of the respondents were in the active age group, and half of the respondents had a secondary level of education. About half of the respondents belonged to the middle-income group. Two-thirds of the respondents received a large loan. It was found that credit had a positive impact on mustard production. The poverty rate was much higher than the national average in the study area. Along with specialized banks, other financial institutions should extend agricultural loans to increase mustard production and food security for rural poor households in Bangladesh
Gravel and River sand mining activities in Maroua (Far-North Region, Cameroon): Environmental and Socioeconomic aspects
No full textSand and gravel mining are amongst the main factors that induces significant impacts on environment, as a result of growing need for building materials and as a source of income for rural communities. This study was conducted to assess the socio-economic and environmental effects of these activities in Maroua, Cameroon. Its objectives include a description of artisanal mining method and identification of its socio-economic and environmental impacts. The study was conducted in a multidisciplinary approach. During the fieldwork, data were collected using questionnaires and focused group discussions were undertaken with those responsible for managing natural resources in the that area. The results reveal that sand mining activity alter river morphology at a faster rate than normal river process, where river reduction of the extraction areas is significantly larger. These activities were responsible for quick resource depletion and adversely affecting the environment and causing disturbances such as, ecological balance, soil degradation, pollution, infrastructure destruction, as well as conflict between miners and communities. Despite the negative impacts, mining activities generate income for all parties involved in the value chain, including the government. Accordingly, based on the research results, there are concerns about sustainable extraction practices by implementing strict rules and government policies