Nepali, M. B., B. Shrestha, R. P. Bari and K. N. Dhakal (1998). Baseline and Need Identification Survey of Agro-Ecological Research Site at Maduwa, Syangja Representing Low Hills in Western Nepal. LARC Working Paper 98/33. Kaski, Nepal: Lumle Agricultural Research Centre.
A baseline and need identification survey was carried out at agro-ecological research (AER) site representing low hill environments of Lumle Agricultural Research Centre (LARC) located at Maduwa in Syangja district, from 1-5 March 1998. The Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique was used to establish benchmark information on bio-physical, socio-economic, institutional and farming constraints, farmers' needs and researchable problems, which are required to carry out agricultural research on more representative problems, monitoring regular changes and evaluating the impacts of research activities.Almost 83% of annual rainfall used to occur from May through September and maximum hailstone used to occur in June followed by May, November and April. The total population of the site was 696 with dominance of Brahmins (37%) followed by occupational castes, Chhetris and Gurungs. Most of the households belonged to food sufficient group (40%) followed by food deficit group (38%) and surplus group (22%). Rice and maize followed by millet were commonly consumed food staples. Cereals from on-farm, and service and pension from off-farm were the main source of income. Relatively, women were involved in all the farming activities except ploughing the land. Of 100 ha of cultivated, Bari land occupied 57 ha with an average holding of 0.73 ha and Khetland occupied 43 ha with an average holding equal to 0.55 ha. Red soil was the most prevalent soil followed by black and dull white soil types. Rice-wheat-fallow was the principal cropping pattern in Khetland whereas maize-miller-fallow was the predominant cropping pattern in Bariland. Rice, wheat, maize and barley were the principal cereal crops produced at the site. Soybean was the commonly grown grain legume followed by cowpea, blackgram 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. Orange was 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 thinings, millet straw, wheat straw, fodder and thatched grasses were the principal livestock feed besides concentrated feed used to be provided to the lactating buffaloes. Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) was the most commonly preferred fodder source. The general problems of the site were blast and stem borer in rice, yellow rust, Phalaris minor wee in wheat grub in maize, stern borer and black beetle in millet, red ant in potato, FMD and liverfluke in small and large ruminants, infertility in buffalo, ranikhet 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, orange and lemon, infertility treatment for buffalo, buffalo breed, rabbit rearing and samplings of fodder trees like Badahar, Kutmiro, etc.
A baseline and need identification survey was carried out at agro-ecological research (AER) site representing low hill environments of Lumle Agricultural Research Centre (LARC) located at Maduwa in Syangja district, from 1-5 March 1998. The Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique was used to establish benchmark information on bio-physical, socio-economic, institutional and farming constraints, farmers' needs and researchable problems, which are required to carry out agricultural research on more representative problems, monitoring regular changes and evaluating the impacts of research activities.Almost 83% of annual rainfall used to occur from May through September and maximum hailstone used to occur in June followed by May, November and April. The total population of the site was 696 with dominance of Brahmins (37%) followed by occupational castes, Chhetris and Gurungs. Most of the households belonged to food sufficient group (40%) followed by food deficit group (38%) and surplus group (22%). Rice and maize followed by millet were commonly consumed food staples. Cereals from on-farm, and service and pension from off-farm were the main source of income. Relatively, women were involved in all the farming activities except ploughing the land. Of 100 ha of cultivated, Bari land occupied 57 ha with an average holding of 0.73 ha and Khetland occupied 43 ha with an average holding equal to 0.55 ha. Red soil was the most prevalent soil followed by black and dull white soil types. Rice-wheat-fallow was the principal cropping pattern in Khetland whereas maize-miller-fallow was the predominant cropping pattern in Bariland. Rice, wheat, maize and barley were the principal cereal crops produced at the site. Soybean was the commonly grown grain legume followed by cowpea, blackgram 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. Orange was 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 thinings, millet straw, wheat straw, fodder and thatched grasses were the principal livestock feed besides concentrated feed used to be provided to the lactating buffaloes. Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) was the most commonly preferred fodder source. The general problems of the site were blast and stem borer in rice, yellow rust, Phalaris minor wee in wheat grub in maize, stern borer and black beetle in millet, red ant in potato, FMD and liverfluke in small and large ruminants, infertility in buffalo, ranikhet 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, orange and lemon, infertility treatment for buffalo, buffalo breed, rabbit rearing and samplings of fodder trees like Badahar, Kutmiro, etc.
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