Effect of different nitrogen levels on yield and yield attributes of different rice varieties in DDSR condition at Kanchanpur, Nepal

An experiment on the effect of different nitrogen levels on yield and yield attributes of different rice varieties was conducted in Kanchanpur, Nepal, from March 2021 to July 2021. The experiment was laid in randomized complete block design with two factors: nitrogen levels and rice varieties, each factor having three levels (Nitrogen: 60kg/ha, 120kg/ha, and 180kg/ha and rice varieties: Hardinath 1, Hardianth 3 and Chaite 5) resulting in nine treatment combinations. Rice seeds were sown directly in experimental plots under the dry condition on March 24, 2021. The plant spacing was 20x20cm^2. Growth parameters, grain yield, and yield attributing traits of rice were recorded. The statistical results revealed significant differences between the treatments regarding agronomical parameters, yield attributing characters, and grain yield. The results indicated that the 180 kg/ha level of N application contributes to the higher plant height (74.502 cm), the number of tillers (1101.667), effective tillers (577.222), filled grain per panicle (116.490), panicle length (25.241 cm), grain yield (4.7 ton/ha) and straw yield (10.564 ton/ha). Among the varieties, Hardinath 3 produced significantly higher plant height (79.68 cm), panicle length (25.68cm), sterility percentage, and 1000 grain weight (24.60g) as compared to Hardinath 1 and Chapter 5, respectively. However, yield and yield attributing characters like grain yield, straw yield, effective tillers, and filled grains per panicle were significantly higher in Chaite 5. Therefore, a nitrogen level of 180 kg/ha and variety Chaite5 may be used for better productivity in Kanchanpur, Nepal

Effect of Rhizobium leguminosarum Inoculation and Mulching on Growth and Yield of Chinese Long Bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis)

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of Rhizobium leguminosarum inoculation and mulching on the growth and yield of Chinese long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) in Palungtar, Nepal. A split-plot design was used for the experiment, which was replicated four times. Plastic, straw, and no-mulch conditions constituted the main plot factor, while seeds with or without Rhizobium inoculation constituted the sub-plot elements. Growth parameters and yield-related traits of Chinese long beans were recorded at 15-day intervals. Transparent plastic mulching resulted in earlier flowering (46 days), while seed inoculation with Rhizobium resulted in a higher mean number of nodules (106.92) than non-inoculated treatments, with transparent plastic mulching resulting in the highest mean number of nodules (108.21). At 60 days after showing (DAS), plant height was greater in the inoculated treatment (69.23 cm), while at 30 DAS, the non-inoculated treatment had a higher number of leaves (22.28 cm). Similarly, pod length (49.98 cm), pod yield per plant (348.01 g), and total yield per hectare (16.07 t/ha) were all significantly higher with both plastic mulch and seed inoculation with Rhizobium than with the other treatments alone. A positive correlation was observed between plant height (0.81), number of branches (0.44), number of leaves (0.81), number of nodules per plant (0.6), and pod yield. This supports the potential benefits of using seed inoculation with Rhizobium in combination with mulching to improve Chinese long bean growth and increase yield as demonstrated by the results of this study

Comparative analysis of knowledge and management practices of insect pests of maize among IPM adopters and non-adopters in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a decision-based approach that involves optimizing the pest population below the economic threshold by the coordinated use of multiple tactics in an economically and environmentally sound manner. The adoption of IPM in farming practices prevents long-term pest damage by combining biological control, modification of cultural practices, habitual manipulation, and use of resistant varieties. In Nepal, mostly in hilly regions, haphazard chemical pesticide application has inevitable effects on human health, the environment, and the ecosystem. The haphazard chemical pesticide application in Sindhupalchok, Nepal originated mostly due to a knowledge gap in the identification of the stages of the lifecycle of pests, and the distinction between beneficial and harmful insects.  To compare the effectiveness of management practices between IPM adopters and non-adopters this study was framed for six months in Sangachokgadi municipality, Sindhupalchok, Nepal.  The knowledge gap among the maize growers in Sindhupalchok was assessed using both primary and secondary data collection methods. For primary data collection a comprehensive and structured questionnaire, face-to-face interview, phone call interview, and Key Informant Interview was conducted. Similarly, secondary data was collected from various articles and publications from Maize Zone, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), and National Maize Research Program (NMRP). The collected data were then analyzed (descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and indexing) by using computer software packages i.e., Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26, and Microsoft Excel 2010. The analyzed data revealed maize growers adopting IPM practices for crop management are known to have significantly better knowledge of the life cycle of pests, were able to distinguish between beneficial and harmful insects, and had knowledge of appropriate fertilizer doses.  Further, the findings revealed IPM adopters had better knowledge of chemical pesticide handling which could minimize the chemical hazards among the farmers

Challenges and opportunities in setting up a phase III vaccine clinical trial in resource limited settings: Experience from Nepal

Clinical trials are complicated, time-consuming and costly. From the initial screening, informed consent and recruitment of the participants’ to study completion, the sponsor must undertake a wide array of complex and closely monitored operations, complying with international standards for human subject research and local requirements. Conducting these studies in an underdeveloped country, with limited resources, infrastructure, and experience with regulated clinical trials adds to this complexity. The initial site selection, set up and preparatory activities for the clinical trial are crucial to minimizing the risks to both participants and to successful completion during the subsequent study execution. In this paper, we describe the experience and lessons learned of building clinical trial site capacity in terms of infrastructure and human resource development for a Phase III vaccine clinical trial. We believe that sharing the experience of setting up a clinical trial in a resource-limited country will enable other entities contemplating clinical research in these countries, to prepare and plan ahead, to minimize the impact of barriers, and to contribute to bringing more studies to the countries where people live with the burden of vaccine-preventable, poverty-associated diseases