Potato is one of the major cash crops in Nepal but farmers can't maximize profits due to the low adoption of farm machinery and technology. There is insufficient research on agricultural mechanization and its effectiveness in the study area. Therefore, the goal of this study, which was carried out in the Dadeldhura district in 2022, was to assess the problem of farmers' potato cultivation yielding less profit than they might have due to a lack of agriculture equipment and technology adoption. Purposive and simple random sampling were used to select 90 respondents from four local bodies of the Dadeldhura district. Primary data were collected from a household survey with a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and Key Informant Interview (KII). Secondary data were collected from annual PMAMP, MoALD, FAO reports, etc. MS Excel and SPSS (26.0) were used to analyze and interpret the collected data. The study divided farmers into groups based on whether they used bullocks or mini-tillers, and it found that mechanical power was mostly used during land preparation and irrigation phases. Fragmented land and lack of capital were major constraints to promoting mechanization. The study showed that mini-tiller users had a greater B: C ratio than bullock users. Similarly, the average variable cost of production per hectare was substantially lower in mini-tiller users than in bullock users. The results underlined the financial viability of mechanized potato farming and stressed the necessity of removing barriers to automation and developing regulations to support small-scale mechanization. The study concluded that mechanization might be extended beyond the stages of irrigation and field preparation to further improve cost-effectiveness and increase the profitability of potato cultivation for farmers in the Dadeldhura district. Overall, the study emphasized the necessity of strategic interventions to encourage automation and enhance the profitability of potato farming in the area.

This study investigated the morpho-physiological responses of five maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes to aluminum stress during the early seedling stage. The experiment, conducted at the Plant Physiology Laboratory in the Department of Crop Botany at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, followed a two-factor completely randomized design with aluminum concentrations (0 μM as control, 100 μM, and 200 μM) and five maize varieties (Konok, Kaveri-50, BWMRI-1, BHM-14, and BHM-16). Variety Konok exhibited superior overall performance across experimental parameters, while aluminum stress at 200 μM consistently decreased seed germination and seedling growth compared to the control at all recording stages. Variety Konok without aluminum stress demonstrated the highest values for root length (28.23 cm), shoot fresh weight (4.35 g), shoot dry weight (0.53 g), root fresh weight (8.18 g), root dry weight (1.21 g), total fresh weight (12.56 g), total dry weight (1.74 g), vigor index (5106.7). Conversely, under aluminum stress (200 μM AlCl3), the lowest values were observed in root length (14.70 cm), shoot length (15.38 cm), seedling length (31.50 cm), shoot fresh weight (1.79 g), shoot dry weight (0.20 g), root fresh weight (1.96 g), root dry weight (0.47 g), total fresh weight (3.84 g), total dry weight (0.67 g), vigor index (2592.7), and various stress tolerance indices. In summary, the study suggests that the maize variety "Konok" exhibits greater enhancement during the early seedling stage when grown without exposure to aluminum stress, emphasizing its potential for improved performance under normal conditions.

An experiment was aimed to discover the overall scenario of physico-chemical parameters along with the qualitative and quantitative analysis of plankton in two different fish culture systems as carp mixed culture and catfish (Pangus) monoculture from September 2021 to February 2022 using conventional techniques. The mean values of transparency and dissolved oxygen (DO) noted at the catfish culture pond were lower than those at the mixed carp culture pond while pH mean values were observed to be higher in the catfish culture pond than in the mixed carp culture pond. A total of 21 genera of phytoplankton were found in both ponds under the groups of euglenophyceae (4), cyanophyceae (4), bacillariophyceae (5) and chlorophyceae (8). Among zooplankton, 13 genera were identified including Rotifera (7), copepoda (2), cladocera (3) and crustacean larvae (1) were recorded in mixed culture ponds whereas in catfish culture ponds, 11 zooplankton genera were recorded including Rotifera (5), copepoda (2), cladocera (3) and crustacean larvae (1). Planktonic abundances were statistically significantly different between the different levels (phytoplankton abundance in CCP, phytoplankton abundance in MCP, zooplankton abundance in CCP, zooplankton abundance in MCP), χ2(3) = 220.46, p < 0.001. Mixed culture pond cyanophyceae, bacillariophyceae, and euglenophyceae are positively associated with water temperature and pH but negatively correlated with DO. Rotifera is negatively associated with catfish culture pond water temperature, whereas chlorophyceae and cyanophyceae are favorably. Catfish monoculture ponds had higher phytoplankton abundance, so phytoplankton grazing fish species could be included with pangus culture to maintain a better water quality.

Oyster mushroom cultivation, though cost-effective, faces constraints due to seasonality and substrate availability. An experimental study was conducted in the resource-constrained Darchula district of Nepal from February to May 2022. The aim was to identify and recommend economically sustainable alternatives to rice straw for oyster mushroom production using local substrates in regions with limited resources. Six treatments; rice straw (T1), banana leaves and pseudostem (T2), maize cob (T3), sawdust (T4), grass (Eulaliopsis sp.) (T5), and spent mushroom substrates (T6); were employed in a completely randomized design with four replications. Statistical analysis of growth and yield parameters revealed significant results (P values ranging from P>0.001 to P>0.05) across all parameters. The maize cob treatment exhibited a shorter spawn run period (20.50 days) and the earliest pinhead formation (25 days). The highest total yield (3.14 kg) across three flushes was obtained from paddy straw, followed by T2 and T5, yielding 2.05 kg and 1.43 kg, respectively. Sawdust, despite its larger stalk (1.23 cm) and pileus diameter (7.72 cm), had the lowest production (0.63 kg). Maximum biological efficiency was recorded for T1 (139.63%), followed by T2, T5, and T3, respectively. Economically, T1 resulted in the highest gross margin per 10 kg of substrate (NRs.1845.22) and the highest B:C ratio (2.51), followed by T5 and T2. These findings highlight the promise of locally abundant substrates such as banana leaves, pseudo stems, Eulaliopsis, and maize cobs as economically viable alternatives to rice straw in regions with limited straw availability or unsuitable climates for rice cultivation.

The study was conducted in the Bajhang district from February to July 2022. Its goals were to find the key actors in the potato value chain, assess their linkage, analyse marketing margins, determine the share of value-addition among each actor, evaluate the production cost, productivity, and profitability of producers, examine the producer’s share in consumer rupees, and conduct a SWOT analysis. The data collection process involved the random purposive sampling technique to select a total of 80 potato producers, 5 aggregators, 5 wholesalers, 10 retailers, 50 consumers, and 3 extension service providers. Findings revealed that, on average, potato cultivation covered 0.215 hectares (4.23 Ropani) with a productivity of 13.46 Mt/ha, which is lower than the national average. The production cost of the producer was NRs. 301,756.60/Ha (NRs. 15,356.57/Ropani) with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.37, and the producer’s share was 51.68%. The primary value chain actors included input suppliers, producers, aggregators, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. Marketing margins for producers, aggregators, wholesalers, and retailers were NRs. 359.25/quintal, NRs. 965/quintal, NRs. 945/quintal, and NRs. 1170/quintal, respectively. Value addition by potato producers accounted for 10.45%, while aggregators, wholesalers, and retailers contributed 28.05%, 27.48%, and 34.02%, respectively. The SWOT analysis highlighted opportunities like favourable policies, subsidies, processing options, rising potato demand, and potential production area expansion. To boost the profitability of the potato industry, it is imperative to address challenges such as poor seed quality, diseases-pests, drought, short shelf life, soil degradation, and fertilizer and pesticide availability while strengthening the linkage of value chain actors.

This study aims to investigate the socioeconomic status of communities living in proximity to a park and their attitudes towards conservation. The questionnaires used in this study were carefully designed to achieve the desired research objectives. The majority of people living adjacent to the park depend on agriculture and livestock farming for their livelihood. People also benefit from the forest's resources in many aspects. People’s perceptions of wildlife conservation vary widely and are influenced by various factors such as economic status, cultural background, education status, awareness level, and personal experiences. Respondents with higher education status have been found to exhibit positive attitudes towards conservation. Results have shown that 70% of respondents who live near the park claim that coexistence with wildlife is becoming increasingly problematic. While the respondents are pleased with the practical conservation strategies that have contributed to the rise in wildlife populations, they are concerned about the increasing conflicts with wildlife. Crop raiding is a serious problem in several villages located near dense forests. Livestock depredation is another major issue that has been observed in the same area. Wildlife has been known to attack and kill livestock, causing a significant loss of income for the farmers in these villages. Many people feel that the lack of effective compensation mechanisms has led to a sense of antagonism towards both authorities and conservation efforts as a whole. The importance of effective compensation mechanisms in conservation efforts cannot be overstated. Some of the respondents have noted that the development of ecotourism has the potential to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Ecotourism provides jobs, income, and other economic opportunities that help improve their socioeconomic status and, in turn, promote conservation.

A field experiment was carried out on spring rice in the rabi season of 2022 from February 3 to July 4 with an aim to identify the most suitable spring rice cultivar in Kanchanpur, Nepal. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and eight treatments. The treatments were eight spring rice genotypes: one released (Chaite-5), one local genotype (ChaineeAndi), and six pipeline varieties (IR17A2946, IR17A2796, IR17A2949, IR13F402, IR16A3838, and IR18A2066). A total of 24 experimental plots, each of 6m2 (3*2m), were set to the experimental design. The treatments were randomly assigned to the replications. Data were collected for various morphological characters such as plant height (cm), number of tillers (/plant), effective tillers (/m2), panicle length (cm), number of grains per panicle, sterility (%), thousand-grain weight (gm), grain yield (kg), straw yield (kg), biological yield (kg), and harvest index. Results revealed significance for all parameters except for the effective number of tillers per plant. ChaineeAndi took the least days to mature and had the highest effective tiller number per plant. Genotype IR17A2066 took the most days to flower and mature, and had greater plant height, thousand-grain weight, but low grain yield. Grains per panicle were higher in IR13F402 but lowest panicle length. Chaite-5 had the highest sterility percentage. Highest grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index was observed in genotypes IR16A3838, IR17A2946, Chaite-5, and IR17A2949. IR16A3838 performed superior than other genotypes in environmental conditions of Kanchanpur, Nepal.

The present research work was undertaken to study the fate of cleft grafting of five potential monkey jack genotypes during 2020-2021 at the Germplasm Center, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Bangladesh. Scions from five in situ conserved promising mother plants named as Dumki-Al-S1, Dumki-Al-S2, Dumki-Al-S3, Dumki-Al-S4 and Kalapara-Al-S5 were cleft grafted on seedling rootstock (Dumki-Al-R1) of single genotype. A pot experiment was set in two-factor (Scions and Days after grafting) RCBD with 10 replications. The time required to break bud varied significantly among the treatments and ranged from 14 to 20 days. Dumki-Al-S1 required the maximum time to bud break (20 days) followed by Dumki-Al-S3 (18 days). Dumki-Al-S2 took minimum time (14 days) for bud breaking. The maximum increased length of rootstock found in Dumki-Al-S2 which were 55.00, 55.70, 56.44 and 65.30 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 days after grafting (DAG), respectively, followed by Kalapara-Al-S5 (61.80, 54.80, 55.30, and 57.12 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, respectively). Kalapara-Al-S5 showed maximum diameter of rootstock (1.44, 1.70, 1.80 and 1.94 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, respectively) followed by Dumki-Al-S4 (1.08, 1.24, 1.34 and 1.42 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, respectively). The length and diameter of scion of Dumki-Al-S4 and Kalapara-Al-S5 were higher and statistically identical at 84 DAG. The maximum graft height was recorded in Kalapara-Al-S5 (70.60, 73.40, 76.00 and 77.10 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, which was statistically similar with Dumki-Al-S2. Kalapara-Al-S5, Dumki-Al-S3 and Dumki-Al-S4 showed maximum number of leaves per graft at 84 DAG. The maximum graft success of 40% was observed in both Dumki-Al-S1 and Dumki-Al-S3 at 84 DAG, whereas, other treatments had less than 20% graft success. Kalapara-Al-S5 and Dumki-Al-S2 showed significantly higher and identical number of sprouted shoots at 84 DAG. Dumki-Al-S1 showed the maximum lengths and diameters of shoot at 84 DAG. The overall performance of the stionic combinations indicated that Dumki-Al-S1 and Dumki-Al-S3 were found promising for further grafting trials with seedling rootstocks.

In this study, the effects of gamma radiation on the decontamination of fungus, physicochemi-cal properties, and molecular analysis of Aspergillus spp. of common spices for storage were evaluated. After being irradiated with gamma doses of 0, 2, 4, and 6 kGy and sealed in glass vials, the spices were stored at room temperature for 180 days. Among the tested spice samples, chili, turmeric, and black pepper powder showed the highest presence of fungal contamination compared to cumin, coriander, garlic, and ginger samples. Microscopy was used to identify a total of 48 isolates, of which 11 were Mucor, 25 were Penicillium, and 12 were Aspergillus. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, a total of 12 Aspergillus genera were identified among them: 5 in black pepper and 7 in red chili. The gamma radiation also reduced the number of microbes compared to the control group. The best gamma radiation doses were found to kill the organ-isms in the studied spices. These were 6 kGy for red chili, 4 kGy for turmeric and black pepper, and 2 kGy for cumin, coriander, garlic, and ginger. Measurements of the physicochemical parameters were not significantly impacted by the 180-day exposure to gamma radiation; however, the number of fungi drastically decreased. Gamma radiation has been explored as an effective method for decontaminating spices, offering a promising solution for ensuring food safety and quality.

Maize is a major staple crop in Ghana which plays a significant role in consumer diets. For some time now, the farming methods used by the farmers have been negatively affected by components such as climate, soil nutrient depletion, and constant monocropping resulting in the adoption of inorganic fertilizers. Conventional fertilizers supplied through soils are subjected to slow release of nutrients, leaching, fixation, surface runoff, erosion, and volatilization, which hinders optimal plant growth and yield. Foliar application of fertilizer offers an alternative method of fertilizer application that supplies nutrients directly to the stomata and cuticle of the leaves of maize thereby enabling rapid absorption and enhancing crop vigor. The The main objective of this paper is to review research papers which explores the potential of foliar application of vital nutrients – phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) – to improve the yield of maize crop. According to the literature gathered, foliar fertilization in combination with soil applied fertilizers emerges as a promising strategy, particularly in addressing nutrient deficiencies and stress scenarios. The efficient uptake of nutrients through leaves, as opposed to traditional soil-based approaches, holds promise for augmenting yield and enhancing protein content in maize crops. Notably, prior research highlights the efficacy of foliar-applied P, S, Zn, and Fe in significantly boosting grain yield. By understanding the complex mechanisms of nutrient absorption and the advantages of foliar application, the agricultural sector can explore innovative avenues to surmount soil-related challenges and achieve sustainable crop development.