Infestation Of Crops Research Articles

Impact of main tillage methods on weed infestation of crops in the winter maize, wheat, dried peas rotation

The paper presents ways of suppressing weed plants, including a complex of agricultural practices aimed at reducing their harmful effects and further distribution. Many methods to control weed vegetation are known in the field cultivation technology. They differ in terms of the amount of expired costs and labor, economic and technical efficiency. As a result of our research, the impact of some tillage methods on the effectiveness of weed suppression on the main field crops in selected Kabardino-Balkaria natural climatic conditions is identified. The goal of the research is to determine the effectiveness of main tillage methods on the Ciscaucasian carbonate chernozems in different zones of the republic. In research conducted in 2015-2018 in the Kabardino-Balkaria steppe zone in crop rotation, with an alternation of maize-winter wheat-pea crops in the suppression of weed plants, a soil treatment system is allocated when the soil treatment on 12-14cm is combined with plowing to a depth of 25-28 cm with the use of related chemical herbicides of various spectrum of actions.

Influence of the tillage method on the development of leaf diseases of winter wheat

To carry out effective plant protection measures, it is necessary to take into account all the factors affecting the quality of the crop. The aim of our research was to study the degree of development of leaf diseases of winter wheat and the rate of infestation of crops, depending on the tillage method. The studies were carried out in 2019-2020 at the experimental plots of “Kuban educational farm” in Krasnodar. For the research, four experimental plots with Steppe variety of soft winter wheat were created, where various soil cultivation systems were applied: 1 - No-Till (zero technology), 2 - moldboard-free technology, 3 - recommended, 4 - moldboard technology. The article presents data on the degree of development of diseases and the degree of infestation of winter wheat plants in the crops of test plots with various tillage systems. It was found that the most preferable is the use of the recommended type of treatment, since with it the least number of diseases develops and the degree of development of pathogens is reduced by 2-3 times in comparison with other options. The influence of the tillage method on the number and composition of phytopathogen spores was revealed.

ЗАБУР’ЯНЕНІСТЬ ПОСІВІВ ГОРОХУ ОЗИМОГО ЗА ДІЇ ГЕРБІЦИДУ, РЕГУЛЯТОРА РОСТУ РОСЛИН І МІКРОБНОГО ПРЕПАРАТУ

Weed infestation of agricultural crops in Ukraine is growing and is becoming a big threat to stable and high yields. Therefore, today, it is impossible to do without the development of science-based measures to control the level of weed infestation in crops, adaptation of herbicides to ecological farming methods and energy-optimized cultivation technologies. The analysis of the results of studies of weediness of winter pea crops at different rates of application of MaxiMox herbicide (0.8; 0.9; 1.0 and 1.1 l/ha) separately and in tank mixtures with plant growth regulator Agriflex Amino at the rate of 1.0 kg/ha on the background of seed treatment before sowing with the microbial preparation Optimize Pulse at the rate of 3.28 l/t, and without treatment is given. Spraying of vegetating plants with herbicide and their tank mixture with a plant growth regulator was carried out in the phase of 3-4 developed runners (BBCH 13–14) of the crop. Weed infestation of winter pea crops was counted on the thirtieth day after plant treatment with preparations. Weeds were counted by the quantitative weight method per 1 m2 according to the method of S. A. Tribel. Statistical processing of the data was carried out according to the generally accepted methods. It has been established that with the combined application of different rates of MaxiMox herbicide with plant growth regulator Agriflex Amino on the background of seed treatment before sowing with the microbial preparation Optimize Pulse, the technical efficiency of weed control increases, both in terms of quantity and weight. The greatest number and weight of destroyed weeds was noted in variants with the introduction of MaxiMox herbicide at the rates of 0.8; 0.9; 1.0 and 1.1 l/ha in combination with plant growth regulator Agriflex Amino at the rate of 1.0 kg/ha on the background of seed treatment with the microbial preparation Optimize Pulse at the rate of 3.28 l/t, where the percentage of destroyed weeds averaged 91–99 % quantitatively and 94–100 % in mass. The increase in the effectiveness of the studied preparations obviously occurred due to the improvement of biometric indices of winter pea plants under the direct action of the plant growth regulator and microbial preparation, which eventually increased the competitiveness of the crop to weeds.

Dynamic role of grasslands as sources of soil-dwelling insect pests: New insights from in silico experiments for pest management strategies

Sustainable pest control strategies hinge on the knowledge of movement ecology within the agricultural landscape where contrasted habitat qualities intermingle, thereby influencing arthropod dispersal. Hence, habitat manipulation in space and time can be a lever for action to control pests with regard to landscape compositional constraints. In this study, we examined the role of grassland arrangements in field colonisation by soil-dwelling pests within a dynamic agricultural landscape, and discussed the implications for pest management with a focus on wireworms. For this purpose, we proposed a framework combining (i) a spatially explicit and mechanistic model describing the pest population dynamics in both aerial and soil compartments involved along its life cycle, and (ii) spatiotemporal representations of various landscape contexts. We addressed the role of grassland in plot history, in plot neighbourhood, or in both history and neighbourhood. Our results show that species with a short life cycle are more responsive to changes in land use, and that the neighbourhood effect strongly relies on dispersal mechanisms (random vs directed movements). We also highlight how the arrangement of grassy landscape elements in space and time can mitigate crop infestation by soil-dwelling pests, thereby emphasizing the relevance of managing grassland regimes. Once informed by critical pest life traits, our approach opens avenue for the exploration of the spatiotemporal land use manipulation meant for pest management. Future research consists in the exploration of suppressive patterns in simplified but realistic agricultural landscapes, generated under agronomic constraints at the farm or landscape scales.

Segetal Diversity in Selected Legume Crops Depending on Soil Tillage

The aim of the paper was to determine weed infestation expressed by weeds number and weed weight and other index under a three different tillage system: no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT), and ploughing tillage (CT) in two legume species crops: pea and narrowed-leaved lupine. The research proved that growing legume under no-tillage conditions caused the increasing weed infestation. Weather conditions in each of the study years were shown to influence the weed infestation. The dry weight of weeds was higher in narrow-leaved lupine by 7% in flowering stage assessment and by 6% before harvest than in pea crop. The weeds number in the conventional tillage system in the flowering stage in pea and lupine crops was 24 and 26 plants·m−2, respectively, under the reduced tillage conditions it was 33 and 29% higher, while under no-tillage it was 58 and 67% higher. In all tillage systems the dominant species were Chenopodium album L., Viola arvensis L., Anthemis arvensis L., and Cirsium arvense L. The results prove that soil tillage system affect weed infestation of legume crops.

The influence of direct sowing methods on the growth and productivity of spring barley in the conditions of the north-eastern part of Ukraine

The article presents the results of studies to determine the efficiency of growing spring barley depending on the methods of direct sowing in technology, which is based on the use of combined machines. It is proved that due to the use of a direct sowing seeder, the sections of which consist of modules for local loosening of the soil, in front of the openers of which wavy discs are installed, the grain yield increases on average by 20 % compared to the control. Moving at high speed, the wavy discs loosen relatively narrow soil strips into which the seeds are laid by the openers, this makes it possible to more efficiently retain moisture, which subsequently significantly affects the dynamics of seedlings and the yield level of spring barley grain. The smallest weed infestation of crops was in the case of sowing with a seeder with combined cutting-type working bodies and disc coulter systems with support-press wheels. Weeds were counted after the emergence of barley seedlings. The greatest soil hardness was observed when using a seeder with disc working bodies, the sections of which consist of modules for local loosening of the soil. Statistical processing of the data indicates that depth has the greatest effect on soil hardness, its influence accounted for 96 %. The force of impact on soil hardness of sowing methods was 0.76 %. The density of the soil in the zone of development of the root system of plants in all variants of the experiment did not go beyond the optimum. Before harvesting, the moisture content of the upper soil layers in variants with direct sowing was 3–5 % higher, and the moisture content of the lower layers was less by 1–2 % than in the control (the reliability of the data was determined using Fisher's criterion and was 95 %, and the difference between experimental options was significant). Key words: yield of barley, sowing, method, technologies, seeders, quality, local loosening.

Species composition and density of weeds in a grain maize crop depending of soil tillage

Abstract. The study was carried out during 2014-2016 on slightly leached chernozem soil type. The species composition and density of weeds were studied in grain maize grown after previous crop wheat under the following main soil tillage types: ploughing at 24-26 cm, chisel plough at 24-26 cm and no-tillage (direct sowing). The additional tilths of the areas with ploughed and loosened soil included single disking in autumn and double pre-sowing harrowing in spring. A total herbicide was applied for control of the emerging weeds in the variant with direct sowing. The weed control was done according to the standard technology for growing of the crop in this region – treatment with herbicides at stage 3rd-5th leaf of the plants. Weed infestation was read in spring prior to the pre-sowing tillage, immediately before the vegetation treatment with herbicides, and after harvesting. The type of main soil tillage had a statistically significant effect on the species composition and the density of weeds in the grain maize crops grown after previous crop wheat. The use of ploughing, in parallel with the use of chemicals for weed control, decreased the weed infestation in the maize crops. The lower density of weeds under this main soil tillage type was related to changes in the composition and the relative percentage of the respective species in the total infestation. The use of tilths without turning the surface layer and no-tillage in the crop rotation, in spite of the application of herbicides, contributed to the increase of the amount of weeds. The reason for this was the higher variability of weed species typical for shallow tillage types.

Продуктивность сорго зернового в зависимости от применения гербицидов

Abstract. The purpose of the work is to establish the effectiveness of weed in control in crops of grain sorghum with herbicides of soil and leaf action. Scientific novelty. For the first time in sorghum crops for weed control, effective combinations of soil and leaf herbicides have been identified. Methods. Experiments were carried out on the black soils of steppe zone Ukraine. Research methods are generally accepted. The control options were herbicide-free and weed-free. Results. At tillering stage the number of weeds in sorghum crops reached 141 pieces/m2 and their air-dry weight was 218 g/m2. Green amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus), fat hen (Chenopodium album), field mustard (Sinapis arvensis), ragweed ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), bristlegrass (Setaria viridis) were dominant in the crops. The use of foliar-applied herbicides such as Agritox (1 l/ha), Ballerina (0.4 l/ha), Dialen Super (0.7 l/ha) in the stage of three-five leaves and a pre sowing soil-applied herbicide Primextra Gold (3 l/ha) ensured the maximum reduction of weed infestation of grain sorghum crops. The number of weeds with the use of these herbicides decreased by 10.4–19.7 times, and their weight decreased by 4.1–4.8 times in comparison with the options without the use of weed control measures. The conditions for plant growth and development were improved due to the reduction of weed infestation of grain sorghum crops. The growing period of the crop reduced from 125 to 114 days, the height of plants increased by 19–21 cm and their weight increased by 2.7–2.8 times. The sorghum grain yield reached 6.32–6.34 t/ha, which was higher than with the options without the use of weed control measures by 4.01–4.30 t/ha or 3.0–3.1 times. The same results were obtained in production conditions.

The Granulate Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Biological Parameters Under Controlled Conditions, Host Plants, and Distribution in the Americas.

Feltia subterranea (Fabricius), commonly known as the granulate cutworm, is a common species of owlet moths (Noctuidae) of major agricultural importance, widely distributed in Nearctic and Neotropical regions. This study was conducted to determine the species biological parameters, gather information about its larval host plants, and assess the agricultural significance of this species in the Americas. The viability of the egg, larval, pupal stages, and prepupal period was 98, 98, and 100%, respectively, under laboratory conditions. The average duration of the egg, larval, pupal stages, and prepupal period was 3, 17, 4, and 13 d, respectively. All laboratory-reared larvae developed through five instars. The growth ratio was 1.93 for females and 1.85 for males. The duration of the larval stage was significantly longer in females than in males from the fourth instar. The duration of the pupal stage was significantly shorter in females than in males. When larval and pupal stage durations were combined, there were no significant differences in total development time as a function of sex. In total, 159 botanical taxa belonging to 41 families were recorded as host species for F. subterranea. The families with the greatest number of host species were Fabaceae (22), Poaceae (19), Asteraceae (16), Brassicaceae (13), Solanaceae (12), Amaranthaceae (7), Cucurbitaceae (7), and Malvaceae (5). It is noteworthy that the large number of native weeds used by F. subterranea as host plants could represent a significant source of infestation of crops in the agricultural landscape.

Влияние севооборота с люпином и способов основной обработки почвы на засоренность посевов в условиях Брянской области

Tests have been done on gray forest soil in the South-West of the Non-Chernozem zone of Bryansk re-gion in the stationary experiment in the All-Russian Lupin Research Institute in 2015–2018. The aim of the test was to evaluate the effect of the intensity of the basic soil cultivation on crop weed infestation in lupin crop rotation. The experiment has been done during a rotation of the field crop rotation (winter wheat – bare oats – winter triticale – lupin) turned in time and space in the fields of white lupin and win-ter wheat where lupin has been cultivated as a predecessor. During the test years 7 weeds species have been fixed at tillering phase of winter wheat, its number made 9.4–15.4 units/m2. The number of the main weeds decreased to 11 species at the end of the vegetation season (at ripeness stage) and made 9.7–15.9 units/m2. There have been noticed 8 weeds species in white lupin crops, the number made 33.6–55.8 units/m2. The deep non-moldboard soil cultivation decreased weeds number in crop rotation. At dif-ferent basic soil cultivation 8 weeds species occurred in crops. The others were either in the deep non-moldboard soil cultivation or in the surface one. The number and ratio of weeds species changed when the grass component increased to the final field of crop rotation. The annual dicotyledonous species made 45.0–60.5% decreasing at the surface cultivation. Perennial weeds made 38.5–55.0% of the total weeds coenosis. Their number decreased in the case of deep cultivation. Crop infestation degree and as a result the weeds twice during the rotation at the surface soil cultivation.

First record of Chilomima clarkei (Amsel) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae) in Amapá state, Brazil

The present study reports Chilomima clarkei (Amsel) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) infesting stems of Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae) in Amapá state, Brazil, for the first time. Considering the importance of this species as a pest, it is necessary to publicize its occurrence and provide information about the main symptoms of the attacked plants and morphological characters of development stages to identify it quickly in crops. As there are no registered products for this pest's control, producers are advised to pay attention to any sign of infestation. To avoid it from spreading, they are also recommended to remove and burn all the infested parts detected in the plantations, in addition to selecting healthy manivas (stem cuttings) at the time of replanting, preventing the infestation of new crops.

WEED CONTROL BY SOLARIZATION AND MULCHING IN COWPEA DEVELOPMENT

Weeds are a serious threat to agriculture because they compete with crops, thereby interfering in production. As such, this study aimed to assess weed control using soil solarization and mulching on the growth and yield of cowpea. A completely randomized design was used, with eight treatments and four repetitions. The treatments consisted of a combination of two management practices, namely soil solarization (with and without) and three mulches (castor bean, rattlepod and spontaneous vegetation), as well as no mulching. Non-solarized soil and without mulch increased the number and dry weight of weeds, while the main stem length of the cowpea plants decreased. Mulching increased the pod length and number of seeds per pod regardless of solarization, as well as shoot dry weight and moisture content. By contrast, root dry weight increased in the absence of mulching, particularly in non-solarized soil. Soil solarization reduces weed infestation in cowpea crops, especially when associated with mulching.

Влияние способов обработки почвы на засорённость и продуктивность озимой пшеницы

В сухостепной зоне светло-каштановых почв Нижнего Поволжья в 2016 – 2018 гг. изучено влияние 7 вариантов способов основной обработки почвы и весенне-летнего ухода за чёрным паром на засорённость и продуктивность озимой пшеницы. Наибольшее количество как однолетних, так и многолетних сорняков наблюдалось в посевах озимой пшеницы в варианте весенней мелкой дисковой обработки + традиционный весенне-летний уход. Засорённость посевов однолетними сорняками составляла в среднем 6,7 шт./м2, многолетними сорняками — в среднем 2,4 шт./м2. Осенняя обработка стойкой «Ранчо» на 0,40 м + обработка стойкой «Ранчо» на 0,40 м 1 июня уменьшала засорённость озимой пшеницы на 1,5 шт./м2 или 22,5 г/м2 однолетних сорняков и на 0,6 шт./м2 или 22,8 г/м2 многолетних сорняков. В результате в данном варианте обработки почвы формировалась и наибольшая урожайность озимой пшеницы — в среднем 3,24 т/га.

Weed infestation of soft spring wheat crops depending on the soil tillage system

The paper presents the results of the study on the influence of various tillage systems on the weed infestation of soft spring wheat of the Siberian Alliance variety. The study was carried out in a long-term stationary experiment (20152019) preceded by bare and green-manured fallow (rapeseed, melilot) in Kemerovo region. The soil of the experimental plot is classified as leached, medium-textured, medium-humus, heavy-loam chernozem. The following soil tillage systems were studied: deep moldboard, deep combined, minimum combined and minimum moldboard. Weather conditions during the research period were varied. Insufficient water supply during the first vegetation period of soft spring wheat (seedlings – leaf-tube formation) was noted in 2015-2017, with HTC (hydrothermal coefficient) being from 0.37 to 0.56. Excessive water content was observed in 2018 (HTC = 2.41) and moderate hydration – in 2019 (HTC = 1.12). Weed infestation was different in the conditions of each year. The impact of the soil tillage system on the number of weeds during the growing season of common spring wheat accounted for 21.6-90.4%, and their share in the total aboveground mass of the phytocenosis was 39.9-68.3%. The segetal flora in soft spring wheat crops is represented by monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species with all the studied tillage systems. The highest density of weed vegetation during the tillering phase of soft spring wheat was recorded with deep moldboard soil tillage system (control). A reduction in weed infestation by 2.3 times compared to the control was noted with minimum moldboard soil tillage system preceded by bare fallow, 1.6 times – preceded by green-manured fallow with rapeseed, and 1.7 times – preceded by green-manured fallow with melilot. The same trend was observed in the proportion of weeds in the total aboveground mass of the phytocenosis during the wax ripeness phase of soft spring wheat with deep moldboard tillage system (4.3%), deep combined (3.9), minimum combined (4.1), minimum moldboard (2.6%).

Pseudoinverse learning autoencoder with DCGAN for plant diseases classification

Pest infestation of crops and plants impacts agricultural development. Generally, farmers or specialist observe the plants with the naked eye to recognise and diagnose ailments. However, this technique can be time-consuming, costly and inexact. In contrast, auto-detection using image processing methods gives fast and precise results. This paper introduces a new plant disease identification model predicated on leaf image classification that employs a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) along with a classifier identified by multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks trained with a pseudoinverse learning autoencoder (PILAE) algorithm. The DCGAN performes two tasks: (1) synthesis of the minor class images to overcome the issue of imbalance in the dataset and (2) extracting deep features of all images within the dataset. The PILAE training procedure is not required to identify the learning control variables or indicate the number of hidden layers. Consequently, the PILAE classifier can fulfil exceptional execution with regard to training efficiency and reliability. Empirical results from PlantVillage dataset possess demonstrated how the presented method yields positive results with other models and reasonably minimal complexly.

REVIEW : PENGARUH PEMANASAN GLOBAL TERHADAP INTENSITAS SERANGAN KUTU KEBUL (Bemisia tabbaci Genn ) DAN CARA PENGENDALIANNYA PADA TANAMAN KEDELAI

Global warming has changed global, regional and local climate conditions. Global climate change is caused, among others, by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) due to various activities that drive the increase in the earth's temperature. Given that climate is a key element in the metabolic system, plant physiology and crop ecosystems, global climate change will adversely affect the sustainability of agricultural development. The impact of global climate change is the increasing population of pests on agricultural crops. One of the soybean pests whose population is increasing due to the increase in air temperature is the Bemisia tabbaci infestation. Increased pest populations of Bemesia tabbaci infestation in soybean crops cause dwarf leaves of dwarf plants and threatens to increase soybean production. Efforts to overcome the impact of global warming is mainly due to increased pest populations, it is necessary to think and seek breakthroughs to anticipate the explosion of pest populations in soybean crops, among others by: the optimization of natural control, physical and mechanical control and cultivation techniques. The combination of techniques or tactics of the optimal component of soybean pest control technology is established on the basis of appropriate information knowledge about soybean pest, ecosystem and socio-economic based on IPM approach.

Soybean moth Leguminivora glycinivorella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): harmfulness in the conditions of the south of the Amur region

The research paper presents data on the particularities of the spreading Leguminivora glycinivorella within the field, the degree of damage to various soybean varieties of Russian selection by this pest, as well as calculations of the economic threshold of harmfulness based on current data. Pest infestation of crops occurs from the near edge part; maximum density is achieved in a zone of 10-20 m from the edge of the field. The most susceptible to pest infestation are pods of varieties with a growing season of up to 102 days, and varieties with a growing season of more than 122 days are the least vulnerable. L. glycinivorella reaches the economic threshold of harmfulness at 10.5-13.4% of infected pods, provided that a seed soybean yield is obtained, as well as when obtaining vegetable soybean that is used for food in pods. The use of insecticides in the cultivation of soybean, intended for processing, is inadvisable at any level of reproduction of the pest.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ГЕРБИЦИДОВ И МИНЕРАЛЬНЫХ УДОБРЕНИЙ НА УРОЖАЙНОСТЬ И КАЧЕСТВО ЗЕРНА ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ В СТЕПНОЙ ЗОНЕ РЕСПУБЛИКИ СЕВЕРНАЯ ОСЕТИЯ – АЛАНИЯ

In winter wheat crops, the fight against weeds, together with the use of mineral fertilizers, which increase the yield and quality of the crop by reducing the removal of nutrients from the soil, is an urgent production task. The purpose of the research is to develop methods for increasing the yield of winter wheat with the combined use of herbicides and mineral fertilizers. Field experiments were carried out in the steppe zone of the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania in 2017–2019. The soil of the plot is chestnut calcareous. Weather conditions during the years of the research were favorable. The object of research is the high-yielding winter wheat variety Utrish. Mineral fertilizers stimulate the vital activity of soil microorganisms and enhance the cycle of biological transformation of plant nutrients, and herbicides have an inhibitory effect on cellulose-decomposing microorganisms, which ultimately reduces the rate of cellulose decomposition. Cellulose decomposed most intensively on backgrounds where mineral fertilizers were used. In control variant 3, the determination period, cellulose decomposed by 29.8%, against an average background (N60P60K60) by 40.2%, and against an increased background (N90P90K90) – 43.6%. Herbicide Grench at a dose of 10 g/ha on backgrounds without fertilizers and with fertilizers in different doses ensured the death of weeds during the growing season by 76.6 ... 89.2%. The herbicide Luvaram (1.6 l/ha) also provided high weed death – 56.4–62.6%. The application of a tank mixture (Grench 5 g/ha + Luvaram 0.8 l/ha) reduced weed infestation of winter wheat crops by 85.3–89.2% on different backgrounds of fertilization. The highest yield and profitability in the experiment were noted in the variant of the combined use of mineral fertilizers and herbicides. The level of profitability against the background of medium doses of mineral fertilizers (N60P60K60) was 130–150%, and against an increased background (N90P90K90) – 149–169%.

Sexual Behavior of the Sugarcane Hairy Borer, Hyponeuma taltula (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): Evidence for a Female-Released Sex Pheromone.

The sugarcane hairy borer, Hyponeuma taltula (Schaus, 1904), attacks the base of sugarcane and causes the death of the apical bud, a symptom known as "dead heart." In recent years, there has been significant infestation in Brazilian sugarcane crops. With the purpose of finding methods for controlling and/or monitoring the pest for the sustainable cultivation of sugarcane, we characterized the mating behavior of H. taltula and confirmed the release of a sex pheromone by this insect. Sexual activity was observed between the second and ninth hour of scotophase, during which female calling caused the onset of male courtship behaviors and increased their frequency. An ethogram was built showing that males perform seven observable steps: (1) wing flapping, (2) walking with wing flapping, (3) flying, (4) flying towards the female, (5) landing near the female and walking around her, (6) attempting copulation, and (7) copulation (mating). Female sex gland extracts also triggered attraction and male courtship behaviors. These results thus confirm that the female abdominal gland produces a sex pheromone and that the presence of this pheromone in the air is needed to initiate the male courtship sequence. The sexual behavior of H. taltula is compatible with control and/or monitoring methods using female sex pheromones.

The Commercialization of Smallholder Farming—A Case Study from the Rural Western Middle Hills of Nepal

A vast majority of farmers in the rural middle hills of Nepal are smallholders who often use family labor and follow traditional agricultural and water management practices. This study examines a range of perspectives (from rural farmers to development experts) on the limited commercialization of rural agriculture in this region of Nepal and the potential approaches to promoting agricultural growth and commercialization among small landholders. An analysis of household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions in three wards of Kaski, Syangja, and Palpa districts of Nepal revealed that nearly one-third of farmers left their agricultural lands barren or only partly cultivated, and more than one-third were not motivated to engage in agricultural activities. This lack of motivation was found to be connected with limited or no access to irrigation water, poor production systems, a lack of access to markets, a low return on investment in agriculture, the low social status of farm-work, the incidence of crop infestations, and fear of production risks due to extreme climatic factors (such as low/high rainfall, droughts, etc.). Remittances related to outmigration were also found to be important factors limiting a farmer’s involvement in agriculture, which also creates labor shortages. This research confirms that, for agricultural production to be profitable and commercial, households need to receive qualified technical support to introduce new technologies, engage in markets, access input suppliers and service providers, and adopt high-value production crops and related techniques. Households that receive an income from government jobs, private sources, and remittances reported agriculture being a laborious and difficult task. Addressing these mediating factors along with the provision of effective crop insurance and subsides for the lower-income segments of the population, has the potential to (re)engage rural households in farming activities. Such an approach could provide a way to realize the government’s plans to commercialize smallholder farming.