Farmers’ Perception about Major Insect Pests of Cucurbits and Their Management

A survey was undertaken in five Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Lamjung District, Nepal from June to August 2018 to investigate major insect pests and their management practices in cucurbits. A total of ninety-five cucurbit growers were selected and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. The study revealed that the major insect pests attacking cucurbits were fruit fly, red pumpkin beetle, aphid, whitefly, epilachna beetle, cucurbit sting bug, cutworm, and blister beetle. The majority of farmers responded that fruit fly was the most prevalent insect pest, followed by aphid and red pumpkin beetle. Most of the farmers used chemical methods, that includes biological, mechanical, and cultural techniques to control the insects. For the mechanical method, they used sex-pheromone traps i.e. cue-lure. Among botanical pesticides, Neem (Azadirachta indica), Malabar Nut (Justicia adhatoda), Chinaberry (Melia azedarch), Mugwort (Artemisia spp.) were used. Commonly used insecticides by farmers were Cypermethrin, Dimethoate, Malathion, and Endosulfan. The indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides resulted in pest resistance, resurgence, and sometimes outbreak of insect pests. Majority of farmers were using chemical methods to control pests. Apart from this, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was also adopted for good agricultural practices (GAP) to prevent chemical hazards on human health and the environment. To control insect pests, trained farmers should be encouraged to follow the sanitation of fields and protection of natural enemies by avoiding the use of pesticides a long as possible

Late blight of potato and its management through the application of different fungicides and organic amendments: a review

Late the blight  of  potato is  a  devastating  and  one of  the  economic diseases  of potato  and  other plants  belonging  to family Solanaceae. Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most threatening pathogenic diseases which not only results in direct crop losses but also cause farmers to embrace huge monetary expenses for disease control and preventive measure. It was first reported during the Irish Potato Famine, leading to massive starvation in Ireland and other parts of Europe during the middle of 19th century. Phytopthora harms the foliar portion in the field and also the tuber in the storage that can result in complete crop failure in potato. The pathogen has distinct survival mechanisms and two life cycles infection processes. The development of a sexual spore known as oospore includes two types of pairs, A1 and A2. The spores are introduced to good plants by wind and rain. Different methods for prevention of crops from late blight has been developed and used worldwide. An integrated disease management strategy includes successful control of this disease. Cultural control, chemical management, and advanced disease management are the most effective interventions. Integration of late blight control in tropical regions with abundant fungal inoculants in most months of the year was also seen as one of the best choices in disease management. This paper reviews the significance of late blight of potato and controlling strategies adopted for minimizing yield losses incurred by this disease by the application of synthetic fungicides and different organic amendments

Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) decline by dieback disease, root pathogens and their management: a review

Shisham or sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) is an important multipurpose tree with great economic importance, but this tree has been infected by various root pathogens. This review article shows the works conducted on root pathogens and die back disease of Shisham and their management. Around seventy-one endophytic fungus has been found in sissoo trees in Nepal. Several fungi, including, Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus gilvus, Polypours gilvus, Rhizoctonia solani, Polyporus spongiosum, etc. cause sissoo diseases. Ganoderma Lucidum and F. Solani are two main pathogenic agents in Shisham, all of which causes root rot and vascular wilt diseases, and are the causes for the large-scale death of this tree species. Root rot ganoderma is wide spread in both natural and plant-based forests. Older trees in Shisham are usually attacked by these pathogens and cause large-scale death. However, when sissoo is grown as a re-forested pure plant without the removal of the stumps or root of the initial plant, a serious problem of root rot can develop. Field sanitation and proper management of field are necessary to control the fungal diseases of Shisham. Another deleterious disease of  Shisham is dieback disease, where sissoo plantations have been confirmed to this disease when the infected trees begin to get dry from the top. There is no suitable solution for control of dieback of Shisham. There is a need of developing resistant varieties and to improve the quality of seed. This review may be useful tool for Forest Pathologists and other persons who are working in forestry and natural conservation sectors. &nbsp

Post-harvest practices and loss assessment in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Kathmandu, Nepal

Postharvest loss is one of the major problems in tomato production. This study was conducted to assess the post-harvest practices and losses of tomato at the farmers’ fields in three districts namely Kathmandu (Kavresthali), Lalitpur (Lubhoo, and Lamatar), and Bhaktapur (Tathali and Kaushaltar). By using a simple random sampling method, the sample size of 60 respondents was chosen. A pre-tested questionnaire, group conversation, and key-informant survey were applied in this study. The results revealed that 10.3% of the respondents produced the tomato on a small scale whereas 58.8% of respondents produced on large scale. 10% of total losses were found from harvesting to marketing. In the field, during harvesting and packaging, there was a 2% loss. The tomato loss was negligible during grading and washing. 4% loss was found during the transportation of tomato and 2% of the loss during the storage of tomato. To the producer level, the insufficient knowledge about the storage, packaging, transportation, and random harvesting led to the maximum loss of tomato. In the study area, the producers played important role in reducing the postharvest loss of tomato, therefore, public awareness should be increased through mass media about the proper harvesting and storing of tomato. &nbsp

Farmers’ Perception about Major Insect Pests of Cucurbits and Their Management

A survey was undertaken in five Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Lamjung District, Nepal from June to August 2018 to investigate major insect pests and their management practices in cucurbits. A total of ninety-five cucurbit growers were selected and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. The study revealed that the major insect pests attacking cucurbits were fruit fly, red pumpkin beetle, aphid, whitefly, epilachna beetle, cucurbit sting bug, cutworm, and blister beetle. The majority of farmers responded that fruit fly was the most prevalent insect pest, followed by aphid and red pumpkin beetle. Most of the farmers used chemical methods, that includes biological, mechanical, and cultural techniques to control the insects. For the mechanical method, they used sex-pheromone traps i.e. cue-lure. Among botanical pesticides, Neem (Azadirachta indica), Malabar Nut (Justicia adhatoda), Chinaberry (Melia azedarch), Mugwort (Artemisia spp.) were used. Commonly used insecticides by farmers were Cypermethrin, Dimethoate, Malathion, and Endosulfan. The indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides resulted in pest resistance, resurgence, and sometimes outbreak of insect pests. Majority of farmers were using chemical methods to control pests. Apart from this, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was also adopted for good agricultural practices (GAP) to prevent chemical hazards on human health and the environment. To control insect pests, trained farmers should be encouraged to follow the sanitation of fields and protection of natural enemies by avoiding the use of pesticides a long as possible

Shisham (Dalbergia Sissoo) Decline by Dieback Disease, Root Pathogens and Their Management: a Review

Shisham or sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) is an important multipurpose tree with great economic importance, but this tree has been infected by various root pathogens. This review article shows the works conducted on root pathogens and die back disease of Shisham and their management. Around seventy-one endophytic fungus has been found in sissoo trees in Nepal. Several fungi, including, Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus gilvus, Polypours gilvus, Rhizoctonia solani, Polyporus spongiosum, etc. cause sissoo diseases. Ganoderma Lucidum and F. Solani are two main pathogenic agents in Shisham, all of which causes root rot and vascular wilt diseases, and are the causes for the large-scale death of this tree species. Root rot ganoderma is wide spread in both natural and plant-based forests. Older trees in Shisham are usually attacked by these pathogens and cause large-scale death. However, when sissoo is grown as a re-forested pure plant without the removal of the stumps or root of the initial plant, a serious problem of root rot can develop. Field sanitation and proper management of field are necessary to control the fungal diseases of Shisham. Another deleterious disease of  Shisham is dieback disease, where sissoo plantations have been confirmed to this disease when the infected trees begin to get dry from the top. There is no suitable solution for control of dieback of Shisham. There is a need of developing resistant varieties and to improve the quality of seed. This review may be useful tool for Forest Pathologists and other persons who are working in forestry and natural conservation sectors. &nbsp

Post-harvest Practices and Loss Assessment in Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) in Kathmandu, Nepal

Postharvest loss is one of the major problems in tomato production. This study was conducted to assess the post-harvest practices and losses of tomato at the farmers' fields in three districts namely Kathmandu (Kavresthali), Lalitpur (Lubhoo, and Lamatar), and Bhaktapur (Tathali and Kaushaltar). By using a simple random sampling method, the sample size of 60 respondents was chosen. A pre-tested questionnaire, group conversation, and key-informant survey were applied in this study. The results revealed that 10.3% of the respondents produced the tomato on a small scale whereas 58.8% of respondents produced on large scale. 10% of total losses were found from harvesting to marketing. In the field, during harvesting and packaging, there was a 2% loss. The tomato loss was negligible during grading and washing. 4% loss was found during the transportation of tomato and 2% of the loss during the storage of tomato. To the producer level, the insufficient knowledge about the storage, packaging, transportation, and random harvesting led to the maximum loss of tomato. In the study area, the producers played important role in reducing the postharvest loss of tomato, therefore, public awareness should be increased through mass media about the proper harvesting and storing of tomato. &nbsp