Baseline and need identification survey report of agro-ecological research site at Chambas of Tanahun district representing river basins in western Nepal.
Nepali M. B., Shrestha B., Subedi P. P., Pandit R., Dhakal K. N.
Author Affiliation: Lumle Agricultural Research Centre, P.O. Box No. 1, Pokhara, Kaski District, Nepal.
: 32 pp.
Abstract : A baseline and need identification survey was carried out at the title site. The participatory rural appraisal technique was used to establish benchmark information on bio-physical, socioeconomic, institutional and farming constraints, farmers' needs and researchable problems. The ethnic groups of the site were dominantly Tamang (37%) followed by Chhetries (16%) and Brahamin (13%). Most of the households belonged to food sufficient group (35%) followed by food surplus group (34%) and food deficit group (31%). Rice and maize followed by millet were commonly consumed food staples. Cereals from on-farm and service+pension from off-farm were the main source of income. Women were involved in all the farming activities except ploughing the land. Of 47.4 ha of cultivated land, Bari (rainfed agriculture) land occupied 33.2 ha with an average holding of 0.40 ha and Khetland (partially irrigated land) occupied 0.20 ha. Red soil was the most prevalent soil followed by black and dull white soil types. Rice-potato-maize, rice-wheat-maize, rice-fallow-fallow, rice-vegetable-maize and rice-fallow-summer rice were the principal cropping pattern in Khetland whereas upland rice-black gram-fallow and maize-black gram-fallow were the predominant cropping patter in Bari land. Rice, upland rice, wheat and maize were the principal cereal crops produced at the site. Black gram was the commonly grown grain legume followed by cowpea, and beans. Broadleaf mustard was the widely grown vegetables in the winter season whereas in summer season, sponge gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd, bean, tomato were commonly grown. Mango, jackfruit, guava, banana, litchi and lemon were the most commonly grown fruit. Buffalo and bullock were the most important livestock followed by goat and fowl. Rice straw, maize stalk, maize husk, maize thinning, millet straw, wheat straw, fodder and thatched grasses were the principal livestock feed besides concentrated feed used to be provided to the lactating buffaloes. Taki [Chinese cabbage] was the most commonly preferred fodder source. The general problems of the site were blast and stem borer in rice, upland rice, yellow rust, in wheat, grub in maize, stem borer and black beetle in millet, red ant in potato. Foot and mouth disease and liver fluke in small and large ruminants, infertility in buffalo, ranikhet [Newcastle disease] in fowl and scarcity of fodder during winter season. The needs of the farmers were high yielding and good taste varieties of potato, saplings of mango, lemon, infertility treatment for buffalo, buffalo breed, improved goat and saplings of fodder trees.