Study of aerosol optical properties in Lumbini, Nepal

The mixture of different sized particles (fine and coarse) with air composition forms aerosols. Increased economic activities, vehicles, and rapid urbanization made Lumbini one of the heavily polluted regions in Nepal. Data are extracted from AERONET websites between 2013 to 2019 with standard deviation. We are mainly focused on understanding variations in aerosol optical properties: aerosol optical depth (AOD), angstrom parameter (α and β), visibility, single-scattering albedo (SSA), refractive index (real and imaginary), and asymmetry parameter (AP) in the Lumbini region. The maximum value of AOD (675nm) in Lumbini occurred mostly during post-monsoon season (0.61 ± 0.38) whereas, the values of AOD were found to be lower during the monsoon season (0.18 ± 0.12). Most of the AOD values  are found to be greater than 0.4, indicating the higher level of pollution in the study area. There is a positive correlation between perceptible water and AOD, maximum correlation (0.4) occurs at the lowest AOD (440nm) while the minimum (0.1) at the highest AOD (1020nm). The turbidity coefficient (β) has an adverse effect on visibility. The Visibility over Lumbini was found to be highest (20 km) during monsoon. Single-scattering albedo (SSA) accretions occur at wavelengths between 440 and 675 nm, but the pattern changes from 675 to 1020 nm. All parameters were found to be distinct and seasonal fluctuations among this station are mainly due to the different aerosols availability such as biomass burning, mixed aerosols, and anthropogenic aerosols over the Lumbini site

Adoption status of improved production technology in rice cultivation in Kanchanpur, Nepal

A study was carried out in 2020 to assess the scenario of the improved production technologies among rice growers in Kanchanpur and to identify the factors influencing the adoption of these technologies. The simple random sampling procedure was used to collect data from 90 respondents using a semi-structured interview schedule from Belauri, Bhimdutta municipality, and Beldandi rural municipality which are under the command area of the rice super zone, Kanchanpur. The information on prevailing cultural practice, production, and productivity, adoption of improved technology, problems/constraints faced by farmers in rice cultivation in the study area were collected from the farmers by interview. The data were processed, cleaned, and analyzed using software MS-excel and SPSS. The simple descriptive and inferential statistics like chi-square and binary logistic regression models were used to find the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Respondents adopted plant protection measures (chemical weed control, insects, and disease control) and seed treatment relatively less than they adopted recommended variety, Seed Replacement Rate (SRR), and storage treatment.  The majority of the respondents were affiliated with the farmers’ groups but the majority of them had not received training. Furthermore, spade, hoe, tractor, thresher, sickle, wooden plough bullock cart water pumps, tillers, reapers were used by respondents. Binary logistic regression revealed that membership of agriculture group, advice from agriculture technician, training, visit of extension workers and rice cultivated land had a positive and significant effect on the adoption of various production practices. Inadequate availability of fertilizers and inputs (0.85), Inadequate training (0.68), inadequate machinery availability (0.54) were the major constraints faced by the farmers on rice cultivation