Terai Region Of Nepal Research Articles

Determination of Indigenous Nutrient Supplying Capacity of Soil through Omission Plot Technique in Wheat at Bhairahawa

The rapidly expanding intensive cropping systems in the Terai region of Nepal, combined with imbalanced fertilization, are leading to significant nutrient depletion in agricultural soils, raising concerns about the sustainability of wheat production. To address this issue, a field experiment was conducted at the National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, during 2018-19 to evaluate the soil’s nutrient-supplying capacity and its impact on wheat grain yield. The treatments included five different nutrient levels: N- omission (75:75:5:1 P2O5:K2O:Zn:B kg ha-1), P-omission (150:75:5:1 N:K2O:Zn:B kg ha-1), K-omission (150:75:5:1 N:P2O5:Zn:B kg ha-1), adequate NPK (150:75:75, N:P2O5:K2O kg ha-1), and adequate NPK+Zn+B (150:75:75:5:1 N:P2O5:K2O:Zn:B kg ha-1). The trial was laid out in a randomized complete block design with five replications, planted in five different blocks of the National Wheat Research Program (NWRP), Bhairahawa, with each block treated as a replication. Data on growth, yield attributes, grain yield, and nutrient uptake were analyzed using the Genstat statistical package. The results showed that plant height, dry matter production, spike length, grains per spike, biological yield, and grain yield variables were significant (P< 0.05), while 1000 grain weight and harvest index were not significant (P>0.05). Total N, P, and K uptake were significant (P<0.05) in different treatments, with adequate NPK showing higher NPK uptake and significantly lower in N- omission treatment. Grain yield was higher in fully fertilized treatment than in nutrient omission treatments, with significantly lower grain yield in N- omission followed by P- omission treatments. Among the major nutrients, nitrogen was found to be the most limiting factor, followed by phosphorus and potassium for wheat. Based on these results, it can be concluded that a balanced amount of NPK nutrients should be supplied to enhance the indigenous nutrient-supplying capacity of the soil and improve wheat productivity in Bhairahawa.

Empowering youth as Changemakers for gender-transformative action: a play-based participatory approach in South-East Nepal.

This study explored how youth participatory action research (YPAR) methods, specifically play-based activities integrated with cricket, can engage adolescent girls in Nepal's Terai region to identify and address gender-related health challenges. It aimed to assess how these methods contribute to empowering girls, developing research capacities, and promoting gender equity through sports. Three interactive workshops were held with adolescent girls forming 'Cricket Changemakers' teams. Through a combination of cricket-based activities, participatory games, and discussions, the workshops aimed to build research skills and explore gender issues in their communities. Qualitative data were gathered through observations, reflective notes, and outputs from play-based tasks. Data were analysed using framework analysis to evaluate the contribution of these activities to key YPAR processes such as power sharing, communication, and strategic thinking. The play-based methods improved collaboration, networking, and communication among participants. The cricket activities fostered collective power and provided opportunities for girls to reflect on and challenge local gender norms. Participants identified issues including restrictions on mobility, societal expectations, and the unequal distribution of household chores. The workshops facilitated the development of research action plans focused on increasing girls' participation in cricket and shifting community perceptions of girls' roles. The integration of play-based YPAR methods shows promise for fostering gender-transformative change among adolescent girls in Nepal. These methods created a space for girls to express challenges and co-develop strategies for social change. Findings suggest that sports-based participatory research can be a valuable tool in public health interventions for gender equity, though more work is needed to address methodological challenges and ensure meaningful participation.

Integrating solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence with traditional remote sensing and environmental variables for enhanced rice yield prediction in Nepal using machine learning

Rice is a vital cereal crop providing essential food for Nepal. To mitigate climate risks and ensure food security, especially with climate change and increasing extreme weather events, it is imperative and a prerequisite to have timely and reliable rice yield prediction. While traditional vegetation indices (VIs) and environmental variables are commonly used in rice yield prediction, the potential of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), despite its greater sensitivity, has been explored in limited studies. Furthermore, integrating SIF with other remote sensing and environmental data for regional crop yield modeling still needs to be explored. This study aims to address these gaps by incorporating SIF to enhance rice yield prediction in Nepal, offering a novel approach to improving model accuracy. This study uses multi-source data and machine learning algorithms to study 22 major rice-growing districts in the Terai region of Nepal. Random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVR), gradient boosting regressor (GBR), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithms were employed to predict crop yield using various combinations of input features. Machine learning models were trained and tested over four different time windows within the growing period of rice, using 15 years of rice yield data from 2003 to 2017. Our analysis reveals that GBR out-performed other machine learning algorithms when using input features from July to September, achieving root mean square error (RMSE) and the ratio of RMSE (RRMSE) to observed mean values of 250 kg/ha and 8.6%, respectively. The findings also reveal that incorporating SIF alongside traditional remote sensing and environmental variables significantly enhances the model's prediction accuracy. These findings are valuable for ensuring food security, optimizing agricultural resource management, and supporting decision-making for farmers, policymakers, and supply chain stakeholders.

Phenotypic Correlation, Path Analysis, and Quantitative Trait-Based Selection of Elite Wheat Genotypes Under Heat Stress Conditions in The Terai Region of Nepal

Phenotypic Correlation, Path Analysis, and Quantitative Trait-Based Selection of Elite Wheat Genotypes Under Heat Stress Conditions in The Terai Region of Nepal

The Sociological Perspective on Maghi Festival as the New Year of the Tharu Community

The Tharu are an indigenous community living in the Terai and inner Terai regions of Nepal, which is known for its diverse caste, ethnicity, language, social structures, culture, and religions. Maghi is the main festival of the Tharu community. The present research paper clarifies the relevance of Maghi festivals. In this paper customs, procedures and celebration of Maghi are examined. The present study uses a combination of exploratory and descriptive research designs and is based on interviews with elders, ritual performers, and educated members of the Tharu community. Tharu people celebrate Maghi as the New Year, marked by the government has declared holidays. The festival, lasting seven days, involves cleaning, refurbishing houses, and cultural activities. Rituals include holy baths, prayers for children, and offering to deities. It fosters community bonds, while its culinary traditions highlight cultural significance. Economic, social, and cultural factors have contributed to the dynamic nature of Maghi practices, A sociological study by concentrating on the Maghi festival as Tharu new year of study area Birendranagar Municipality-9, Patalganga village, Surkhet. It offers particular insights into Maghi festival's importance, practices and gradually changing to reflect qualities that are inconsistent with modern morals.

Media impact on perceptions in postwar societies: Insights from Nepal

Can media have a lasting impact on attitudes in postwar countries? A lingering impact of media could substantially shape peace and security in postwar societies. Our quasi-experimental research design and original survey data utilize variation in the reception of an anti-government radio station in Nepal's Terai region, which was shut down after violent clashes. Our results show that individuals with access to anti-government broadcasts were less optimistic about peace, police and civic activism three years after the closure of the station. The study has implications for understanding the longer-term role of media for post-conflict attitudes and state-building.

Effect of the irregular shelterwood system on soil organic carbon stock and soil quality of Shorea robusta Gaertn. f. forest in Nepal

The effective management of forests relies on the crucial role played bysilvicultural systems. However there exist a significant knowledge gap regarding impact of these systems in Nepalese forests. Therefore, this research was conducted to assess the effects of the forest management activities under irregular shelterwood system on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and the overall soil quality of Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.) forests in Terai region of Nepal. Stratified random sampling method with 1.67 % sampling intensity was adopted in this study where management of stands was used as basis of strata. A total of 30 composite soil samples (15 each from managed and unmanaged forest stands) were collected from a depth of 0–30 cm, taken from the four corners and the center of each plot. Soil quality index (SQI) method was used for soil quality assessment using indicators on the basis of prior studies conducted in Nepal. Our study found significant difference in soil parameters except organic carbon, pH, silt, and clay among the managed and unmanaged forest stands (p < 0.05). SOC stock of unmanaged forest stands (48.87 ± 1.34 ton ha−1) was significantly greater than managed forest stands (27.76 ± 1.27 ton ha−1). Similarly, unmanaged forest stands demonstrated better soil quality with higher SQI value (0.66) than managed forest stands (0.50). This negative impact of irregular shelterwood silviculture system highlights the necessity for management interventions to enhance SOC stock and overall soil quality. To establish a robust conclusion, further replication of similar studies at different soil depths and in other management regimes, along with longitudinal studies, is essential.

Performance of Biofortified Spring Wheat Genotypes for Grain Zinc and Iron Concentrations, Grain Yield and Associated Traits in Terai/plains of Nepal

Breeding for nutrient-rich high yielding wheat varieties is one of the most economical and feasible ways to improve micronutrient deficiency ad hoc building better consumer health among the rural people of South Asia. To identify the Zinc (Zn) and Iron (Fe) enriched high yielding wheat genotypes, 7th Harvest Plus Yield Trial (7th HPYT) and 8th Harvest Plus Yield Trial (8th HPYT) both composed of 50 genotypes (including two CIMMYT checks " Kachu#1" and "Baj#1" and one Local Check "Gautam") were evaluated in alpha lattice design with 2 replications under timely sown irrigated condition at NWRP, Bhairahawa during 2016/17 and 2017/18. The grain Zn concentration and Fe concentration varies among genotypes from 23.8 to 42.4 ppm and 20.6 to 60.6 ppm, respectively. The highly significant positive correlation was found between grain zinc and iron concentration (r = 0.74** in 7th HPYT and r=0.67** in 8th HPYT). This highly positive significant relation between grain Zn and grain Fe indicates that it is feasible to simultaneously improve both micronutrients. In addition, this study reveals that thousand grains weight (TGW) has shown highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.3) with grain zinc and (r=0.4) with grain iron in 7th HPYT to non-significant negative correlation (r = -0.1) with grain zinc and (r=-0.1) with grain iron in 8th HPYT. As Nepali farmers major trait of interest second to grain yield is TGW, this showed that Zn and Fe enriched wheat varieties with higher TGW (bold grain) is feasible. The 9 genotypes in 7th HPYT and 48 genotypes in 8th HPYT showed higher grain yield than local check variety "GAUTAM" which indicates that bio-fortified genotypes are capable of producing higher grain yield with added micronutrient supplements in them. This study recommended 17 genotypes from the 7th HPYT and 38 genotypes from the 8thHPYT based on higher grain yield, grain Zn and Fe concentration and these lines were included in national yield trial for further evaluation in different agro-ecological domain of Nepal. The genotypes with higher grain Zn and Fe concentration viz., 7HPYT409, 7HPYT410, 8HPYT417, 8HPYT404 and 7HPYT442 could be used as donor parents in national wheat breeding program and high yielding genotypes 7HPYT448, 7HPYT418, 7HPYT426, 7HPYT413, 8HPYT415, 8HPYT431, 8HPYT429, 8HPYT407 and 8HPYT405 would be further evaluated throughout the Terai region of Nepal, and outstanding genotype could be recommended as variety for Terai/plains of Nepal.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Child Marriage Among Madhesi Women in Nepal's Terai Region.

Child marriage is a detrimental practice with negative consequences for girls' health and well-being. This study aims to identify the prevalence of child marriage and associated risk factors within the Madhesi community. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sub-metropolitan city of Lumbini Province, Nepal, in 2023. A total of 352 married women were randomly selected using simple random sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire between March 28th and April 17th. Descriptive categorical variables were expressed as proportions. Risk factors associated with child marriage were measured using the Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26. The majority of respondents (36.1%) were in the age group 21-25, with a mean age of 25.90 years ± 4.6 years. Most respondents (48.9%) received only basic-level education, with the majority (72.4%) reporting their parents as having no formal education. The primary family occupation was farming (40.1%). The prevalence of child marriage was high (77.0%), with a median marriage age of 18 years. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant risk factors including lower education levels of respondents and their parents, husband's occupation, lack of awareness about the legal marriage age, limited decision-making power regarding marriage, belief in the dowry system, discussions with friends about child marriage, and occurrence of child marriage among friends. Despite legal prohibition, child marriage remains prevalent in the Madhesi community. Educational interventions targeting women and parents, empowering women with decision-making authority, and addressing the dowry system are crucial for reducing this harmful practice.

Climate Change-induced Livelihood Insecurity in Narayani-Gandak Basin of Nepal

Nepal is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate risks and disasters. It ranks 4th, 11th, and 13th in terms of vulnerability to climate change, earthquake, and flood risks, respectively. Due to intensive, concentrated, and erratic precipitation, climate change-induced disasters such as 'too much water and too little water' are rapidly increasing in Nepal and the ‘too much water’ has been affecting riverine communities, significantly, in the Terai region of Nepal. The communities of the Narayani basin have been forced to encounter floods every year due to the perennial Narayani and Rapti including other local seasonal rivers. While these rivers seem to b e providing services for irrigation to nurture agricultural products, to some extent, the riparian communities have also been forced to encounter extensive amounts of losses and damages to lives, livestock, crops, and property, which have resulted in losses of livelihoods, and generated serious concerns for communities due to surmounting risks of flood like natural hazards turning into disasters. Employing a mixed-method research approach, we investigated how climate change-induced hazards such as floods turning into disasters have affected the livelihoods of people living in the riverine communities of Chitwan. The two research objectives we explored were i) to examine the impacts of climate change and floods on agriculture and the livelihoods of community people, and ii) to investigate the adaptive methods adopted by local communities to combat climate change-induced flooding for building climate/flood resilient communities. The findings of the research demonstrated that climatic changes have interacted with socio-economic and agricultural practices and significantly affecting livelihood of the communities in Chitwan. In response to changing climatic conditions and unanticipated weather patterns, people in the communities are gradually adjusting their agricultural practices, covering the losses and damages through insurance policies and diversifying the income generating sources.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Pasturelands in Terai Region of Nepal

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Pasturelands in Terai Region of Nepal

Community Forestry and Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Churia Region of Nepal

The author contends that the prevailing community forestry policy and legislations can be implemented to solve problems of Terai forest management. Based on on-going experiences in the Chure and inner Terai region in easternNepal, he puts forward an approach that integrates community forestry with natural resource management involving various stakeholder groups. The conclusion is that before attempting any change in legislation, more experiences may be gained by sincere efforts to implement community forestry in the Terai region of Nepal.

Driving Factors and Spatial Distribution of Aboveground Biomass in the Managed Forest in the Terai Region of Nepal

Above-ground biomass (AGB) is affected by numerous factors, including topography, climate, land use, or tree/forest attributes. Investigating the distribution and driving factors of AGB within the managed forests in Nepal is crucial for developing effective strategies for climate change mitigation, and sustainable forest management and conservation. A total of 110 field plots (circular 0.02 ha plots with a 9 m radius), and airborne laser scanning (ALS)-light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data were collected in 2021. The random forest (RF) model was employed to predict the AGB at a 30 m × 30 m resolution based on 32 LiDAR metrics derived from ALS returns. The study assessed the relationships between the AGB distribution and nine independent variables using statistical techniques like the random forest model and partial dependence plots. Results showed that the mean value of the estimated AGB was 120 tons/ha, ranging from 0 to 446.42 tons/ha. AGB showed higher values in the northeast and southeast regions, gradually decreasing towards the northwest. Land use land cover, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation were identified as the primary factors influencing the variability in AGB distribution, accounting for 64% of the variability. Elevation, slope, and distance from rivers were positively correlated with AGB, while proximity to roads had a negative correlation. The increase in precipitation and temperature contributed to the initial rise in AGB, but beyond a certain lag, these variables led to a decline in AGB. This study showed the efficiency of the random forest model and partial dependence plots in examining the relationship between the AGB and its driving factors within managed forests. The study highlights the importance of understanding the AGB driving factors and utilizing LiDAR data for informed decisions regarding the region’s sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation efforts.

Agro-morphological analysis of yield and yield attributing traits of wheat under heat stress condition

Wheat is the most important cereal crop worldwide and ranks third in Nepal. Improvements in wheat yield can be done effectively by selection for yield attributing traits. In this experiment, twenty wheat genotypes were evaluated in the terai region of Nepal at Paklihawa, Rupandehi in Alpha lattice design under heat stress conditions. The characters were evaluated to find their correlation and direct and indirect effects on yield. Positive significant correlation of grain yield with No. of spikes m-2 (0.405) and harvest index (0.647) were found whereas Spike weight (-0.322) showed a significant negative correlation with grain yield. Similarly, Path analysis showed that the Harvest index (0.5511) and No. of spikelets per spike (0.3365) had a high direct effect, whereas Thousand kernel weight, Spike m-2, and Plant height showed a lower positive direct effect on grain yield. Ten spikes weight, spike length, and No. of grains per spike showed low negative direct effects. The conclusions drawn from this analysis can be useful for breeding programs under heat stress by providing information on which characteristics significantly affect the yield. However, multi-locations and multi-year trials need to be done for further verifications on the selection of such traits for improving yield.

Case-Marking System in Saptariya Tharu: A Typological Perspective

This paper explores the system of case marking in the Saptariya Tharu spoken in various districts of Nepal. Saptariya Tharu is identified as a nominative and accusative language, and studies are conducted to explore its case markers and postpositions. The paper discusses nominative case, accusative-dative case, locative case, genitive case, ablative case, instrumental case, and comitative case and highlights their use and examples. In addition, the paper compares the Sapataria Tharu case marking system with other Indo-Aryan languages spoken in Nepal's Terai region. It points out that most languages in this region also have nomenclature-accusation patterns. Furthermore, this article notes the similarities between these languages, emphasizing the absence of ergative case markers and the differences between instrumental, genitive, dative, and locative markers. The research concludes that it reveals a rich case-marking system of Saptariya Tharu in a broader context of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken in Nepal's terai region, highlighting its unique linguistic characteristics and typological similarities with neighboring languages.

Variation of financial benefits from provisioning ecosystem services between nearby and distant users in Partnership Forest Management in Nepal

Partnership Forest Management (PFM) in Nepal was initiated to balance the supply of forest products between nearby and distant users' communities in the Terai region of Nepal. This study in Buddha Shanti Partnership forest analyzed the financial benefits of provisioning services and identified the socio-economic attributes influencing such benefits. A financial analysis of provisioning services was carried out using user prices outlined in the Operational Plan of the forest and on market-price-based approaches. This shows that timber provided more benefits to distant users, while nearby users have reaped more financial gains from fuelwood and fodder. Analysis revealed that home-to-forest distance, along with landholdings and livestock unit are the major factors impacting the overall financial benefits. This shows that the inclusion of distant users in PFM has provided financial benefits from provisioning services to those users.

Effect of Different culture media, temperature and pH for growth of Rhizoctonia solani causing Sheath Blight Disease in Rice Mat Nursery

Over the last decade Sheath Blight of Rice as a major constant in rice mat nursery production has been identified globally and integrated disease resistance strategy for Sheath Blight of Rice has been primary focus in south east Asia particularly in the kharif and rabi rice growing areas like Bangladesh, Eastern India, Terai region of Nepal and Pakistan. Rhizoctonia solani (Kuhn.) is the causal agent of Sheath Blight Disease in Rice Mat Nursery. It is a soil inhabiting fungal pathogen which favors hot and humid temperature. Keeping in view the consequentiality of the disease due to transmute in climatic conditions, studies were conducted on the cultural and morphological diversity of the pathogen in different media, pH and temperature conditions. This research was conducted at Department of Plant Pathology in Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya. The fungus Rhizoctonia solani gives highest mycelial growth on PDA (Potato dextrose Agar) media which is 60.78 mm and it is followed by Glucose peptone Agar media (55.33 mm) and V-8 juice Agar media (51.11 mm) whereas the lowest growth was observed in Czapek Dox Agar media (19.66 mm) followed by Oat meal Agar media (26.66 mm). In different pH, maximum mycelial growth was observed at pH 7 i.e., at neutral pH (62.33 mm) while they showed less growth in too acidic pH i.e., at 4 and at too high pH i.e., at pH 10. In different temperature, the highest mycelial growth was observed at 26⁰C (62.91 mm) to 28⁰C (62.05 mm) i.e., they prefer normal temperature for their growth.

What Determines the Adoption of Agroforestry Practices in Farmlands and Public Lands? A Case Study from the Terai Region in Nepal

While agroforestry has been well acknowledged for its influential role and benefits in integrated resource management in the global south, its adoption in forest-rich countries with existing community conflict situations is under-explored. Through structured questionnaire surveys and focus group discussions, this study explored the context and factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry practices on farmlands and public lands in the Terai region of southern Nepal. Results from logistic regression models revealed that adoption of agroforestry practices on both farmland and public land could contribute to mitigating conflicts between northern and southern communities. In addition, the adoption of agroforestry practices can be explained by socio-demographic and economic factors such as education, ethnicity, well-being, and gender. Strong cooperation between agroforestry initiatives and local institutions such as forest user groups and local governments in educating and empowering local people from lower socio-economic backgrounds is critical for widespread adoption of agroforestry practices in similar resource-use conflict regions.

Growth and Productivity of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) in Response to Seed Priming and Different Levels of Phosphorus

Acidic soil generally has lower availability of phosphorus. Grain legumes respond positively to higher levels of phosphorus in acidic soil. Seed priming also enhances growth of the crops by activating various metabolic processes in plants. A field experiment was carried out to determine the influence of seed priming and phosphorus levels on growth and productivity of cowpea at Bhojad, Chitwan, Nepal. The experiment plot was laid out in two factorial randomized complete block design with three replications and the planting was done in spring season of 2022. The treatment consisted of two levels of seed priming (no priming and priming with 0.2 % Ca (NO3)2 for 24 hours) and four levels of P2O5 (20,30,40 and 60 kg ha-1). The variations in different parameters of cowpea due to seed priming were significant (P &lt; 0.05). Primed seed produced the highest grain yield (1.25 t ha-1), which was followed by non-primed seeds (1.16 t ha-1). Similar significant (p&lt;0.001) differences in yield and yield-attributing (no. of grains/pods, test weight, biological yield, grain yield and harvest index) traits were found at different levels of P2O5, with the highest grain yield (1.44 t ha-1) was obtained when applied with 40 kg P2O5 ha-1. Significant (p&lt;0.001) variations in grain yield were found as a result of the interaction between priming and P2O5 levels. The combination of priming and 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 produced the highest grain yield (1.51 t ha-1). The results showed that the use of primed seed with 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 would be beneficial for the farmers in the Terai region of Nepal.

Ways for the Prosperity of Farmers in Western Hills and Terai, Nepal

The Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) under Tribhuvan University (TU) has launched the internship programme me for their final semester students studying under-graduate level since 2014/15 in its all constituent and affiliated campuses. About 106 UPA mini-theses accomplished by 221 B.Sc. Ag. graduates from the Prithu Technical College (PTC) libraries were systematically arranged and categorized in chronological order based on the disciplinary subjects and thematic areas, and the technologies have been recommended to scale-out for the prosperity of the farmers in the western Tertian mid-hill agro-ecology of Lumbini and adjoining provinces in Nepal. The review revealed that the researches at PTC were concentrated majorly on major food grain crops with five major themes viz. varietal evaluation, crop management, soil nutrient, weed and insect pest management. The review further revealed that the adequate number of researches were in the vegetable crops specially in production packages and value-chain analysis followed by the control of insect pests and diseases both in on-farm and storage structures, suggesting to follow the integrated pest management (IPM) approach. Varietal testing in major field and vegetable crops, and economic survey of chamomile, marigold, honeybees, broiler chicken, cardamom and ginger and oyster mushroom cultivation practices are the newly defined arena to be adopted for harnessing the prosperity of the farmers of the western hills and Terai region in Nepal and its adjoining congenial agro-climatic environment. Future collaboration with the various agriculture related national and international organizations as adopted by PTC on these recent years has to be continued and strengthened further to extrapolate the UPA research innovations obtained from the graduate student’s mini-thesis works.