Maize, a major staple crop that is essential for Nepal's food security and rural livelihoods, is increasingly threatened by the invasive fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith), which causes substantial yield losses while farmers' heavy reliance on indiscriminate pesticide use and limited knowledge of sustainable management practices obstruct effective control. Field survey was carried out in six major maize-growing areas of Kathmandu valley- Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts to assess the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) incidence, severity and farmers’ management practices during maize growing season in 2024. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for farmer interview , and damage assessment in the field was recorded using a score ranging from 1 to 9 scale based on the reference damage on the scaling of the leaf lesions, scraping of leaf surfaces and visual observations of the damage symptoms. Data analysis and result interpretation were carried out using MS Excel 2016 and SPSS version 29.0.2.0. Results indicated that maize crop damage incidence and severity varied significantly (p<0.05) with p<0.001 at vegetative and p=0.005 reproductive stages. Damage severity was highest in V11 stage during vegetative stage and dough (R4) stage during reproductive stage of maize crop. Similarly, in relation to temperature, the damage was more at temperature range of 25°C to 27°C. The highest infestation (91%) was observed in Kathmandu compared to other two districts. The survey indicates that maize farmers have to focus on agro-ecological adoption approaches like chemical, cultural, physical/mechanical, IPM, biological, and botanical measures for the management of this pest.
Lalit Sah, R. B. Thapa, G. Bhandari et al.· Journal of Agriculture and E...· 0 citations
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is an important vegetable crop in Nepal; however, its productivity and profitability are considerably affected by inappropriate sowing time and insect pest infestation, particularly okra jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida). The present study was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal, from April to August 2021 to evaluate the agronomic and economic performance of different sowing dates and okra varieties. The experiment was arranged in a two-factor factorial randomized complete block design with three replications, consisting of three sowing dates (April 13, April 25, and May 8) and three varieties (Arka Anamika, NOH-05, and Venus). The results revealed that sowing date significantly influenced the growth, yield, and profitability of okra. The May 8 sowing produced the highest plant height (42.63 cm), fruit yield (11.82 mt ha⁻¹), gross return (NRs. 1,182,000 ha⁻¹), net return (NRs. 732,250 ha⁻¹), and benefit–cost ratio (2.63). Among the tested varieties, NOH-05 recorded the highest fruit yield (11.18 mt ha⁻¹) and benefit–cost ratio (2.25). Regression analysis showed a significant negative relationship between leaf damage score and fruit yield (R2=0.5885, p<0.05), suggesting that increased jassid damage substantially reduced crop productivity. The findings indicate that delayed sowing during early May, together with cultivation of the NOH-05 variety, can improve yield, reduce pest-related damage, and enhance profitability under the subtropical conditions of Nepal. The study highlights the importance of optimizing sowing time and varietal selection as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach for improving okra production. .
Saroj Bhandari, R. B. Thapa, M. Pokhrel et al.· American Journal of Interdis...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
