Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Screening of Native Plant Swertia Chirayita (Roxb. Ex Fleming) Karst From Rasuwa District of Nepal

Swertia chirayita is one of the highly traded medicinal plants of Nepal. This plant was chosen for investigation as folk medicines and then collected from the diverse habitats of Rasuwa district of Nepal and specimens have been checked and identified at National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories (NHPL), Godavari, Lalitpur. The identified plant was subjected to study physiochemical and biological activity. The stem, root and leaves of the plant were dried, made powder and mixed at the ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 and then extracted using methanol solvent by cold and warm method. The percentage yield from the plant was highest in warm methanol with 3.73%, followed by cold methanol with 2.28%. Plant extract showed the presence of phytochemicals like basic alka-loids, coumarin, glycosides, steroids, quinones, flavonoid and terpenoids. The antibacterial activity of the ex-tract showed significant bioactive by inhibiting the growth of selected pathogenic microbial species for the test. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) shown by the extracts was comparable to the standard antibiotics. Similar-ly, proximate composition was also carried out. The antioxidant activity of the sample was found to be 62.54% at 500 µg/mL and 15.32% at 100 µg/mL by radical scavenging method and showed significant antioxi-dants potential

Tillage and Planting Density Affect the Performance of Maize Hybrids in Chitwan, Nepal

To find out whether the different tillage methods at different planting densities affect the performance of maize hybrids, an experiment was carried out at National Maize Research Program, Rampur during spring season of 2013 and 2014. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design with three replications having 12 treatments. The vertical factor was tillage with conservation tillage (No Tillage + residue=NT) and conventional tillage (CT) and the horizontal factor were genotypes (Rampur Hybrid-2 and RML-32/RML-17) and in split planting geometries (75cm × 25cm =53333 plants/ha, 70cm × 25cm=57142 plant/ha and 60cm ×25cm= 66666 plants/ha). In both the years, the highest number of cobs (73,177 and 67638/ha) was recorded at planting density of 66666/ha. NT had the highest no of kernel rows/cob (14.01) as against 12.12 in CT in 2014. The highest number of kernels (27.3 and 29.29) per row was recorded in NT during 2013 and 2014 respectively. Similarly, in 2014, the highest number of kernels were found in RML-32/RMl-17 (29.17/row) and planting density of 53333/ha (28.46/row). In 2013, RML-32/RML-17 produced the highest test weight of 363.94g over the Rampur hybrid-2 with 362.17g. Significantly the highest grain yield of 9240.00 kg/ha in 2013 and 7459.80 kg/ha in 2014 at planting geometry of 65cm ×25cm were recorded. No effects was found by tillage methods for grain yields of maize in 2013, but was found in 2014 (7012.18 kg in NT compared to 6037.59 kg/ha in CT). NT and wider spaced crop matured earlier in both the years; however Rampur hybrid-2 matured earlier to RML-32/RML-17 in 2013. In 2014, harvest index of 47.85 % was recorded in planting geometry of 66666/ha, the highest benefit cost ratio of 1.36 was worked out in NT and 1.46 at the density of 66666/ha. The highest value of 2.46% of soil organic matter was recorded in NT as compared to 2.43% in CT.Journal of Maize Research and Development (2015) 1(1):10-20DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3428

Simulation of Growth and Yield of Rainfed Maize Under Varied Agronomic Management and Changing Climatic Scenario in Nawalparasi, Nepal

Correction: Figure 3 was corrupted and so the PDF was replaced on 29th December 2016 with the corrected Figure 3.A field experiment and simulation modeling study in combination for different maize cultivars planted at different sowing dates were accomplished at Kawasoti-5, Nawalparasi during spring season of 2013 to assess the impact of climate change scenario as predicted by IPCC in rainfed spring maize by using CSM-CERES-Maize model. Result showed that RML-4/RML-17 produced higher kernel rows/ ear (13.77), kernel per row (30.42) and test weight (244.9 g). Significantly higher grain yield was also found for RML-4/RML-17 (6.03 t/ha) compared to Poshilo makai-1 (4.73 t/ha), Arun-2 (3.55 t/ha) and Local (2.92 t/ha). Earlier sowing date (7th April) actually produced higher kernel/row (27.97), kernel rows/ear (12.89) and 1000 grain weight (230 g). Significantly higher grain yield (5.13t/ha) was obtained in earlier sowing date (7th April). The CSM-CERES-Maize model was calibrated and found well validated with days to anthesis (RMSE= 0.426 day and D-index= 0.998), days to physiological maturity (RMSE=0.674 day and D-index= 0.999), number of grain/m2 at maturity (RMSE= 85.287 grain /m2 and D-index= 0.993), unit weight at maturity (RMSE=0.012 g/kernel and D-index= 0.854) and grain yield (RMSE=54.94 kg/ha and D-index= 1.00). The model was found sensitive to climate change parameters. The sensitivity for various climate change parameter indicated that there was severely decreased trend in simulated rainfed spring maize yield with the increment of maximum and minimum temperature, decrease in solar radiation and decrease carbondioxide concentration. Even 2°C rise in temperature can decrease around 15-20% yield of spring maize and this negative effect was even more pronounced in hybrid than other cultivars.Journal of Maize Research and Development (2015) 1(1):123-133DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3428

Phytochemicals and syneresis of osmo‐dried mulberry incorporated yoghurt

The research was aimed to study the effect of the addition of Osmo‐air‐dried mulberry (TSS 29.33%) in yoghurt on syneresis and a bioactive component of yoghurt. Two types of yoghurts, with or without Osmo‐dried mulberry, were developed using standard culture (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus), and changes at refrigerated temperature (<5°C) were studied. Fruit yoghurt showed high total soluble solids (TSSs) and low‐fat content (dry basis) (17.67% and 11.84%) compared with normal yoghurt (9.5% and 17.21%). The addition of fruits increased the ascorbic acid (0.77 to 5.96 mg/100 g yoghurt), anthocyanins content (0 to 7.9 mg/100 g yoghurt), total phenol content (TPC) (6.63 to 68.03 mg GAE/100 g yoghurt), and antioxidant activity (20.73% to 47.6% radical scavenging activity) in yoghurt. During 18 days of storage at refrigerated condition (<5°C), the acidity of all samples increased, while pH decreased. Syneresis increased with a storage period in control samples while fruit incorporated yoghurt showed decreased syneresis with time. The viability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count went on decreasing at similar rates for both with and without the Osmo‐dried mulberry incorporated yoghurt. There is an ample opportunity for utilization of Osmo‐air‐dried mulberry in yoghurt to prevent syneresis during storage with increased bioactive components

Conservation Agriculture Mitigates the Effects of Climate Change

Intensive tillage based conventional agriculture have high global warming potential. Alternative to this, conservation agriculture (CA) systems utilize soils for the production of crops by reducing excessive tillage, maintaining crop residue on the soil surface, and adoption of crop rotations. The paper attempts to review the findings of CA based experiments under different cropping systems within and outside of the country. It has been found that CA increases and sustains the crop productivities, mitigates green house gas emissions from agriculture by enhancing soil carbon sequestration, improving soil nutrient status and water use efficiencies, and reducing fuel consumption. Mainstreaming of CA systems in Nepal is hindered by its knowledge gap, inadequate farm machineries and tools, small holdings, poor infrastructures, and lack of CA friendly policy support. Therefore, there is an urgent need to test, verify and scale-out the CA based technologies by Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) across the different agro-ecologies through farmer-centered partnership among the International institutions, public and private sector of Nepal. &nbsp

Status and prospects of maize research in Nepal

Food and nutritional securities are the major threats coupled with declining factor productivity and climate change effects in Nepal. Maize being the principal food crops of the majority of the hill people and source of animal feed for ever growing livestock industries in Terai of Nepal. Despite the many efforts made to increase the maize productivity in the country, the results are not much encouraging. Many of the maize based technologies developed and recommended for the farmers to date are not fully adopted. Therefore, problem is either on technology development or on dissemination or on both. Considering the above facts, some of the innovative and modern approaches of plant breeding and crop management technologies to increase the maize yield need to be developed and disseminated. There is a need for location-specific maize production technologies, especially for lowland winter maize, marginal upland maize production system, and resource poor farmers. Research efforts can be targeted to address both yield potential and on-farm yields by reducing the impacts of abiotic and biotic constraints. Therefore, in order to streamline the future direction of maize research in Nepal, an attempt has been made in this article to highlight the present status and future prospects with few key pathways

Productivity Of The Rice-Wheat Cropping System As Influenced By Nutrient Management Under Conservation And Conventional Agriculture Practices

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the productivity of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through nitrogen management practices under conservation and conventional agriculture practices during 2012-2013 at Chitwan, Nepal. The experiment on rice was conducted in strip[1]split plot design with two establishment methods (conservation agriculture and conventional practices), two rice varieties (improved variety Sabitri and hybrid Gorakhnath 509), and four nitrogen levels (0, 60, 120, and 180 kg/ha). The experiment on wheat was conducted in a split-plot design with two establishment methods and four nitrogen levels as in rice with Gautam variety. The research result revealed that the grain yield of the rice-wheat system was higher in conservation agriculture (6.6 t/ha). Gorakhnath 509 of rice followed by Gautam variety of wheat had a higher system grain yield (6.8 t/ha) than Sabitri followed by Gautam (6.5 t/ha). The highest system grain yield was obtained from 180 N kg/ha (8.1 t/ha) which was significantly higher than 0 and 60 N kg/ha but was statistically similar to 120 N kg/ha. Thus, in Chitwan and similar niches, the rice-wheat system either Sabitri followed by Gautam or Gorakhnath 509 followed by Gautam variety under conservation agriculture practices by applying 120 N kg/ha can be successfully grown by the farmers.</jats:p

Application of Nitrogenous Fertilizer in Rice Production: A Review

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the world's most important cereal crops. Nitrogen is one of the most important plant nutrients for rice. Different forms of nitrogenous fertilizer are the major sources of nutrients in rice production. Nitrogen affects various physiological and biochemical processes in plant cells that ultimately affect the growth and development and, thereby, the grain yield of rice. Rice production can be increased by applying nitrogenous fertilizer either as organic or inorganic fertilizer at an appropriate dose, time, method, and place. Soil testing is needed to assess the nutritional status of the soil as it is affected by crop nutrient uptake and removal. Nitrogenous fertilizers should be applied in multiple split doses depending upon the nutrient status of the soil, crop demand, and sources of nutrients. To reduce the nitrogen loss from rice fields, surface runoff, denitrification, ammonium volatilization, and leaching should be managed. Sustainable and environmentally friendly fertilizer management practices enhance the sustainable soil fertility status and, thereby, crop yields. This review article examines the impact of nitrogenous fertilizers on rice growth, development, and production, along with time and doses of nitrogen applications that will help agricultural technicians, academicians, farmers, and policy makers