Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources
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Plant protection measures to promote organic farming in Nepal: prospects and challenges
Get PDFOrganic farming is a production system that relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs to sustain the health of soils, ecosystem and organisms. This needs enough organic plant protection measures and biological fertilizers by eliminating synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. An attempt was made to review current plant protection measures for organic farming in Nepal. Though some insect pests and diseases are very hard to control without the use of chemical pesticides, this is high time to produce agriculture products organically. There is ample prospect of organic production in Nepal utilizing traditional knowledge of Nepalese farmers and existing agri-biodiversity. The paper is focused on best utilization of local natural resources, indigenous knowledge and bio-control agents for plant protection in organic agriculture. The information related to organic plant protection measures are collected from various sources and are grouped. The authors have listed technologies on organic plant protection measures in Nepal and made some suggestions to improve the organic farming of the country
Effects of different dose of nitrogen and lime on soil properties and maize (Zea mays L.) on acidic nitisols of Northwestern Ethiopia
Get PDFThis study was carried out on the nitisols of Burie district, Ethiopia to examine the effect of integrated use of lime and nitrogen on soil physicochemical properties and maize yield. Two levels of lime (0 and 0.5 t/ha) and five-level of nitrogen (0, 46, 92, 138 and 184 kg N/ ha) were laidout in randomized complete block design with three replications. The results indicated that among before planting, soil bulk density (BD), pH, soil organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available P and CEC were 1.42 g/cm3, 5.2 (strongly acidic), 1.32% (very low), 0.12% (low), 8.86 mg /kg (very low), and 19.57 cmolc /kg (medium), respectively. The physicochemical properties except bulk density increased. The lowest soil BD (1.21 g/m3) was from plots treated with 0.5 t/ha lime and 184 kg N/ ha. The maximum soil pH (6.85) was obtained from plots treated with 184 kg N/ ha and 0.5 t/ha lime. The maximum soil CEC (35.38 (cmolc /kg) was obtained from plots treated with 184 kg N/ ha and 0.5 t/ha lime. Level of lime, nitrogen fertilizer, and interaction effects of lime and nitrogen fertilizer (L×N) significantly affected maize yield (p<0.001). Indeed yield of maize has positive correlations with most soil physicochemical properties but negative with BD (r= -0.543). The adjusted yield and net benefits was 6.4 t/ha and 1101.77$. Inherent physicochemical properties of the soil are changed either by sole or combined use of lime and N fertilizer. Soils tilled with 0.5 t/ha lime and 138 kg/ha nitrogen were found in maximum net benefit. Residual long-term effects should be researched. Thus, liming should be given an emphasis on acidic soil amelioration. Moreover, the government may facilitate the supply of lime and nitrogen fertilizer to the farmers.
Yarsagumba collection and marketing: A key income source of people in Api Nampa conservation area, Darchula, Nepal
Get PDFYarsagumba the Himalayan gold rush is the major part of the economy of the himalayan people in the Darchula distict. Our study was conducted in Khandeshwori region of the the Darchula district to quantify the contribution of Yarsagumba on the total household income of the harvester and to reveal the problems releated to its harvesting and selling. Income from Yarshagumba accounted upto 68% in this region. Geo-physical problems were observed most during collection along with significant conflicts and lower productivity. Price variation is the major market problem of those Yarshagumba harvesting peoples. Social factors like family size, adult members and educational factors have significant impact in total collection and income. The highest price obtained was Rs.18408.33, average price was Rs.15308.33 and the lowest price was Rs. 10205. Benefit to cost or expenses (BC) ratio found in research area was 5.13. Having sharp eye vision school children were taken for the collection and have to leave school for time. Although the data is emerging on medicinal use and market of Yarshagumba little systematic research has explored village level harvesting practice and socioeconomic impacts, especially in this region of Nepal
Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)
Get PDFThe present study was carried out to study the variation, broad-sense heritability, and genetic advance, correlation among traits for growth, yield, and its attributing traits in lentil genotypes. Sixty lentil genotypes were evaluated in augmented design in 2020 at Khajura, Banke. The results indicated that the genotypes were significantly different for days to flowering, days to maturity, 500 seed weight and grain yield kg/ha. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was greater than the genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) for all traits. The 500 seed weight showed the highest PCV (22%) and GCV (21%) whereas days to maturity showed the lowest PCV (5.5%) and GCV (3.2%). The highest value (90%) of heritability (broad sense) was in and lowest (3%) in pods per plant. Genetic Advance Mean 40% was the highest for seed weight but lowest at 1.2% in pods per plant. Grain yield showed a positive and significant correlation in genotypic level with days to maturity (r = 0.7**), plant height (r = 1.66*), pods per plant (r = 1.15**) and seed weight (r = 0.56*). Path analysis found that the seed weight had the most impact on grain yield followed by pod per plant. Thus, selection for yield in lentils through these characteristics would be effective in the varietal developmental program.
 
Characterization of Nepalese rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces for qualitative traits
Get PDFThe characterization of rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces enables to identify phenotypically unique variables which certainly aid in rice breeding program. So, an experiment was conducted in alpha designed to characterize 188 rice landraces from NAGRC (National Agriculture Genetic Resources center) Nepal for their qualitative agromorphologies in research farm of Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Rampur, Chitwan in 2020 AD. Twenty-nine qualitative variables viz; twelve leaf characters, six culm characters, four panicle character and seven grain characters were observed and 26 characters revealed diverse trait expressions for each variable in experimented 188 rice accessions. Two leaf characters namely ligule colour and flag leaf attitude for early observation and one grain character (stigma colour for early observation) showed no variation among studied rice accessions. The intensity of green colour of leaf blade, culm lodging resistance and culm habit, secondary branching of panicle, and lemma and palea colour, lemma apiculus colour and sterile lemma colour, elucidated the higher variation in studied characters. The distinction revealed in qualitative characters approves the presence of abundant phenotypic diversity in the landraces assemblage and that eventually signifies the efficient and effective utilization of landrace in rice breeding programs
Economics of production and marketing of fish in Dang district of Nepal
Get PDFA study was carried out to analyze the economics of fish production and marketing in Dang district of Nepal. Structured survey was done with 75 respondents (45 producers, 5 wholesalers, 10 retailers, and 15 consumers) in three different sites of Dang district (viz: Lamahi Municipality, Rapti Rural Municipality and Gadhawa Rural Municipality). The initial investment, cost of production and returns, production function, price spread,and marketing margin, and ranking of production and marketing problems of fish were done by index ranking techniques. Financial analysis showed that the total initial investment per hectare of fishpond was found to be NRs. 9, 68,394 with the annual production cost of NRs. 6, 93,483. The total return was found to be NRs. 932,088 and net profit realized per hectare was NRs. 238,604. Out of total cost, about 73.70% was variable cost and the remaining 26.30% was fixed cost. Of the total variable cost, the cost of feed (58.63%) was significantly higher followed by the cost of fingerlings (12.94%), labor (11.37%), manure and fertilizer cost (8.33%) fuel/ energy (4.46%) and maintenance cost (4.27%) respectively. The benefit cost ratio (B/C ratio) was found to be 1.82 which implies that the fish enterprise was found to be profitable in the study area. The research also revealed that the producer’s share was 78.17% with price spread of 71.57 and marketing efficiency of 90.81%. The value sum of the estimated parameters associated with all the inputs is 0.52 which indicates the decreasing return to scale. Lack of technological know-how and unavailability of inputs on time are the major production problems. Inefficient price information system and competition with the Indian fish are the major marketing problems. Thus, for sustainable production and marketing of fish government should focus primarily on technological dissemination and better pricing policy
Phenotypic characterization and diversity of Nepalese garlic (Allium sativum L.) landraces
Get PDFA total 37 garlic landraces collection from Nepal Genebank were characterized using phenotypic trait maps or agro morphological markers at National Agriculture Genetic Resources Centre (Genebank), Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal during 2017 using quantitative and qualitative traits. Shannon and Weaver diversity index (H’) analysis revealed significant intra landrace diversity for both quantitative and qualitative traits. Nine principal components contributed 100 % to the cumulative variance and the first three principle components with Eigen value >1 accounted for 69.9 % of the entire variability.The cluster analysis grouped the 37 accessions into five distinct group. The Accession CO4816 from cluster 5 were superior in terms of yield attributing characters such as number of cloves/bulb, weight of cloves and yield but found to be shorter is plant height. Pearson correlation analysis among eight quantitative traits showed highly significant positive correlation between leaf length and leaf width, leaf length and shaft length, leaf length and yield, weight of cloves and yield. The high yield is associated with leaf length, leaf width, weight of cloves and number of cloves. The frequency distribution for disease (Cercospora leafspot and Alternaria porii) occurrence were very low in 78 % of the accessions
Field efficacy of phytoextracts, antagonists and chemical fungicides with native approach for controlling banded leaf and sheath blight in maize
Get PDFExperiments on maize (Zea mays L.) were carried out aiming to control banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) caused by fungus, Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn with six treatments represented by different fungicides, antagonists and phytoextracts against control receiving no spray with three replicates of each under field conditions during two consecutive years from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, the higher Percent Disease Control (44.85%) and Percent Yield Increase (62.10%) both were estimated in plot treated with SAAF (carbendazim 12% WP + mancozeb 63% WP) followed by the plot where seed was treated with bavistin (carbendazim 50% WP). The grain yield was higher in plots treated with SAAF followed by leaf stripping method. Almost similar trends of disease control were observed in 2020. The lower percent disease index (47.67% PDI) with higher yield (4660 kg/ha) was recorded from the plot sprayed with SAAF@3 g/L during knee high and subsequent spray after 15 days interval followed by leaf stripping technique (lower 3-4 leaves from ground surface) as compared to control plot (PDI- 93.67% and yield-1393.33 kg/ ha). The results showed that, the combined treatment with fungicides i.e. seed treatment with bavistin before sowing and twice spraying of SAAF during knee height stage at 15 days interval followed by leaf stripping technique were effective to control banded leaf and sheath blight disease of maize to increase the yield
Identification of micronutrient-rich germplasms of barley for mid-hills and Terai region of Nepal
Get PDFZinc and iron deficiencies, common in many parts of the world, having risk factors that raise the burden of disease with high child and adult mortality. Breeding efforts for exploring barley grains with higher zinc and iron are underway. A study was conducted during the normal barley growing season of 2017 to identify the barley genotypes with higher concentration of protein, starch, iron and zinc for the mid-hill and Terai conditions of Nepal. An augmented block design was followed, and two improved varieties i.e., Bonus and Solu Uwa were used as repeated checks. The average grain protein, starch, zinc, and iron content were 11.9%, 55.6%, 47.4 mg/kg and 41.4 mg/kg at Dailekh and 11.3%, 53.3%, 46.6 mg/kg and 39.9 mg/kg at Rampur, respectively. The grain protein content was found up to 19.8% (AM-55, AM-45, AM-88 at Dailekh) and 16.6% (AM-81, AM-77, AM-98 at Rampur). Similarly, the highest grain zinc content was found 97 mg/kg (AM-6, AM-138 and AM-125 at Dailekh) and 92 mg/kg (AM-226, AM-99 and AM-227 mg/kg at Rampur). The highest iron content 71 mg/kg ( AM-2, AM-43, AM-4 at Dailekh) and 63 mg/kg (AM-90, AM-168 and AM-92 at Rampur). The identified genotypes with higher grain elements concentration are valuable resources for Nepal\u27s barley breeding program that helps develop quality and nutritious barley varieties.
 
Assessment of the effectiveness of storage structures for maintaining the quality of maize seed stored at different moisture levels
Get PDFOne of the main causes of food insecurity is the timely unavailability of quality seeds for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Improved storage technologies are effective in reducing storage losses. Thus, the objective of this research is to assess the traditional and emerging seed storage structures/materials for the maintenance of seed qualities. The effect of different storage conditions (moisture content of seed at the time of storage, i.e. 12±0.15% and 13.5±0.18%; storage containers such as metal bin, earthen pot, Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag, and jute bag) on seed qualities of maize were assessed. The seed was collected from Chitwan, Nepal and a laboratory experiment was conducted at the central seed testing laboratory, seed quality control center (SQQC), Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur. The experiment was done using a two-factor complete randomized design in a four replicates design. Data regarding the seed qualities (seed moisture percentage, germination percentage, root and shoot length, and vigor index) just before store and also at 45, 90, 135, 180, and 240 days after storage (DAS) was performed as per the standard followed by International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). The germination percentage, root, and shoot length decreased with increasing storage duration. The seed stored in the higher moisture level had significantly higher seed moisture throughout the storage duration. Seed stored in the traditional structures (jute bag and earthen pot) had lower seed moisture at 120 and 180 DAS. The seed stored at lower moisture resulted in a higher germination percentage, long root, and shoot length. Up to six months of storage germination of maize seeds stored in the earthen pots, PICS bag, and Jute bags were statistically similar. The traditional storage structures are equally effective for the maintenance of seed quality of maize