Abstract
Maize is a staple summer crop grown in the hilly areas of Nepal, where the soil is fragile and fertility is declining over years due primarily to degradation of natural resource base, high rates of soil erosion, increased cropping intensity and inadequate replenishment of soil nutrients. Forum for Rural Welfare and Agricultural Reform for Development (FORWARD) with the financial support from Hill Maize Research Program (HMRP/CYMMIT) conducted eight Integrated Plant Nutrient Systems (IPNS) trials, 16 Farm Yard Manure (FYM) improvement demonstrations and 16 conservation farming demonstrations each year through two women farmer groups since 2003 in Makawanpur District in order to raise the awareness of farmers on sustainable soil management practices through better utilization of locally available and external resources. The three years' trial results revealed that the maize crop with IPNS (15 t ha-1 FYM + 60:30:30 NPK kg ha-1) was better with respect to crop vigor and grain yields compared to the control treatment (farmers' practice with FYM and urea top dressing). The Improved cultivar with IPNS practices increased the grain yield by 64% (p
Highlights
Whatsoever, it is obvious that the present rate of Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and fertilizer application doesn’t meet the nutrient requirements (80-100 Kg N, 20-50 Kg P2O5 and 20-30 Kg K2O per ha) for the maize crop as suggested by Pandey (2000)
The collaborating farmers in the aforementioned Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Makawanpur district observed the effects of Integrated Plant Nutrient Systems (IPNS) with better crop vigor and higher crop yields compared to the control plot i.e., Farmers’ practice
They have realized that both IPNS and Improved varieties are important for increased yields
Summary
Whatsoever, it is obvious that the present rate of FYM and fertilizer application doesn’t meet the nutrient requirements (80-100 Kg N, 20-50 Kg P2O5 and 20-30 Kg K2O per ha) for the maize crop as suggested by Pandey (2000). Carson (1992) calculated a nutrient loss of 300-kg organic matter; 15-kg nitrogen, 20-kg phosphorus, and 40-kg potassium by assuming soil loss of 20 t/ha from a marginalized rain fed agricultural land in the mid-hills. It was estimated that 1.8 million tones of plant nutrient are removed from soil by crop harvest and soil erosion, and only 0.3 million tones (16 percent) are replenished by organic and inorganic fertilizers (MOPE, 2001). In the past many years, recommendations have been made based on soil fertility trials in maize but the adoption of technologies by farmers is minimal and fragmented. In light of the above, this study was conducted in the mid-hill areas of Makawanpur district for four years in order to assess sustainable soil management practices for increasing soil fertility, maize productivity, and farmers’ capacity through the adoption of IPNS practices
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