Catching Fire. How Cooking Made Us Human

COVID-19 impacts on agriculture and food systems in Nepal: Implications for SDGs.

Neuro-nutraceutical potential of Asparagus racemosus: A review

Because it is a staple food, sustainable production of wheat is crucial for global food security. Arid and semi-arid regions are worst affected by climate change, which has resulted in poor productivity of different crops, including wheat. To this end, this study aimed to investigate the effect of foliage-applied thiourea on the growth, yield, and nutritional-quality-related traits of bread wheat. The treatments consisted of thiourea levels (control, 500, and 1000 mg L−1) factorally combined with two diverse wheat cultivars (Gandam-1 and Galaxy-2013) at different growth stages (tillering, booting, and heading) and was repeated over two years. The analysis of the data shows that thiourea treatments and the cultivars significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected the growth, nutritional quality traits, and morphological traits, and the interaction of the two factors was also significant. Improvement in productivity and nutritional quality was observed from the application of thiourea in both cultivars. Galaxy-2013 performed best at 1000 mg L−1 thiourea application for both productivity- and nutritional-quality-related traits at the heading stage. In conclusion, exogenous application of thiourea improves the productivity and nutritional quality of wheat on sandy loam soils in semi-arid regions; however, for wider recommendations, more trials may be conducted across various agro-ecological regions.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/7/1432/pdf

Exogenous Application of Thiourea for Improving the Productivity and Nutritional Quality of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

This paper proposes an integrated approach towards rapid decision-making in the agricultural sector aimed at improvement of its resilience. Methodologically, we seek to devise a framework that is able to take the uncertainty regarding policy preferences into account. Empirically, we focus on the effects of COVID-19 on agriculture. First, we propose a multi-criteria decision-making framework following the Pugh matrix approach for group decision-making. The Monte Carlo simulation is used to check the effects of the perturbations in the criteria weights. Then, we identify the factors behind agricultural resilience and organize them into the three groups (food security, agricultural viability, decent jobs). The expert survey is carried out to elicit the ratings in regard to the expected effects of the policy measures with respect to dimensions of agricultural resilience. The case of Lithuania is considered in the empirical analysis. The existing and newly proposed agricultural policy measures are taken into account. The measures related to alleviation of the financial burden (e.g., credit payment deferral) appear to be the most effective in accordance with the expert ratings.

Policies for Rapid Mitigation of the Crisis’ Effects on Agricultural Supply Chains: A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System with Monte Carlo Simulation

The official announcement of COVID-19 as a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 by WHO, the world economy has abruptly declined, billions of people are in lockdown, maintaining self-isolation.
In this survey, 150 respondents were selected randomly and this survey intends to highlight the impact of lockdown in agriculture Students on their education along with their response towards pros and cons.
This survey shows that maximum respondent, around 52% of them found lockdown beneficial in the sense that it has helped to neutralize the gravity of viral infection and 48% of them doesn’t found it beneficial as their educational schedule has been halted. The practical education of a student is disturbed due to lockdown and now they are utilizing this period involving in online courses, training, and webinars.
Many of them couldn’t have access to the internet to catch the session, thus the government should initiate policy in education through a long term perspective so that no pandemic could interfere with the educational institution in digital world.

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Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Agriculture Education in Nepal: An Online survey

Abstract Wheat is one of the important cereal crops in Nepal as well as globally. But due to varied climatic and sowing conditions low production has been reported throughout the world including Nepal. Sowing rates are highly correlated to yield and its yield attributing characters. Yield loss has been reported 50-62% under a late sown condition which shows a heavy threat to food security problems. Vijaya is the most recommended varieties under late sown conditions due to its high yield and less threat to late sown conditions. Thus identification and release of varieties suitable under late sown conditions are of the utmost importance. Researches should be accelerated under different agro-ecological zones to study the constraints associated with late sown wheat in Nepal.

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Impacts of sowing and climatic conditions on wheat yield in Nepal

Globally, the use of pesticide is growing day by day, but the use of PPE in developing countries is still low and farmers are directly exposed to chemicals which have negative health issues Thus, this study was conducted in different places of Nepal where the use and adoption of chemical pesticide is high This study aims on assessment of pesticide handling practices and determinants of adoption of PPE where 281 respondents were interviewed by the simple random sampling technique A binary logit model was used to predict the determinants for adoption of PPE while spraying pesticides Schooling years, training, reading label, and buying pesticide by name are the determining factors in adoption of PPE at 1% level of significance in the logit model Still, the pesticide handling practices followed by farmers are not satisfactory and proper protective clothes are not used while spraying pesticides Thus, to protect from different health issues, training, seminars, and talk discussion should be scheduled regarding safe pesticide handling practices and adoption of PPE Also, the use of biopesticides should be encouraged as they are most promising and ecofriendly

/pdf/knowledge-on-pesticide-handling-practices-and-factors-4tl1m6nus9.pdf

Knowledge on Pesticide Handling Practices and Factors Affecting Adoption of Personal Protective Equipment: A Case of Farmers from Nepal

The purpose of this study was to observe the people’s response regarding rooftop farming in one of the rapidly developing area of Kavrepalanchok district, Dhulikhel, as rooftop farming is aimed in solving food security problem in urban area by providing quality materials for nutritional requirements.,The research design of this study was random sampling survey with replacement techniques as respondents without concrete roof were not selected for the study. This study was aimed at recording the people’s response in one of the most accessible way, which would be easy for interpretation and analysis.,The major finding was that all of the respondents found rooftop farming beneficial but not all could practice it because of many constraints associated with rooftop farming. Most of them have fear of roof damage, so they are not adopting it. However, the respondents who are practicing rooftop farming find it difficult to manage because of lack of proper knowledge. Planting materials include plastic bags, crates, polythene and many other non-recyclable components.,To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first ever conducted in their country. Surveys related to rooftop gardening have not been done in the authors’ country till date. This is one of the present needs to improve the urban farming status, thus survey on rooftop farming and solving its constraints is necessary.

/pdf/survey-on-people-s-attitudes-and-constraints-of-rooftop-rm2v56iyxi.pdf

Survey on people’s attitudes and constraints of rooftop gardening in Dhulikhel

Home garden, the name itself clarifies its meaning any garden that is belonging to home which can be anywhere at the front, behind, or in any fallow land. The reason why home garden and its diversity were studied is get access to the ethnobotanical study of the species and knowledge among people regarding the home garden could be more lighten up. A survey was conducted from October (2019) to January (2020). Among the surveyed fifty households, the type of home garden dominated was front type ranging from 45-700m2 whose management and diversity were changing as per the gender. Altogether of 108 species were collected in a home garden belonging to 45 families, 34 species were found to be common. The representative families Leguminosae and Asteraceae rank on top followed by Moraceae, Brassicaceae, Poaceae, and so on. Despite the result concluding the most diversified crops, the home garden of Sunsari district itself carries a wider range of diversity from fruits, vegetables, spices to economically useful species like ornamental plants and fodders. With the studies and knowledge accounted, it can be concluded that pursuing a home garden not only revalues our health and environment but also preserves a hundred ages of traditions.

Sandesh Thapa

Papers

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Agriculture Education in Nepal: An Online survey

Impacts of sowing and climatic conditions on wheat yield in Nepal

Knowledge on Pesticide Handling Practices and Factors Affecting Adoption of Personal Protective Equipment: A Case of Farmers from Nepal

Survey on people’s attitudes and constraints of rooftop gardening in Dhulikhel

Accessing the status of homegarden and its functional category in itahari sub-metropolitan municipality, nepal