Neglected, underutilized, and future smart crop species in Nepal

Socio Economy and Policy Studies (SEPS), 2021

Globally, more than 30,000 plant species are edible. Out of them only 150 to 200 plant species are used by human beings and three of them are only rice ,wheat and maize (FAO 2011). About 84% of human diet and nutrition come from plants but human beings are more continuously consuming only a few different crops. Nepal ranks 49 th in world for biodiversity richness. Among 577 cultivated species 484 are indigenous and 93 are introduced. About 85% of these cultivated crops are neglected and underutilized (Joshi et al., 2019). More than 83% of total cultivated area of Nepal is covered by just three crops i.e rice ,wheat and maize. In Nepal NUS are those crops species that are cultivated long time before but now being neglected and are not included in formal research and development. Such crops are Millet species such as Foxtail millet (Kaaguno) Proso millet (Chino), Taro (Pindaau), Sorghum (Junelo) etc. These crops are known for their high adaptability to changing climate, can be grown in marginal soil and harsh climatic condition. Beside their tolerance to abiotic stress these crops are nutritionally rich and play major role in combacting vitamin and micronutrient deficiency. The main aim of this paper is to review some of the important but neglected and underutilized crops species which have very important role in food and nutrition security.

2003

Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research, 2014

2021

The Northern upland of Himalayan, southern plain lowland, with the hill in the arid, make Nepal a potential area for farming different crops. Agriculture in Nepal is largely based on subsistence farming for the majority of the population and can never be underestimated. Agricultural growth in Nepal has been low and highly vulnerable in recent decades. The farming system has changed, management practices have updated, modern technologies have been adopted, the budget allocation has changed, effective programs and strategies are launched, and many agricultural reformations are made. Yet, the pace of agricultural development has not caught the speed as expected. The production has increased, but not at an anticipated rate. Despite having outstanding production potential, farmers in the country are continually facing tremendous challenges. Technological constraints, resource constraints, and capital constraints are still major problems. Poverty, land degradation, low agricultural produc...

2018

A decline in land and water productivity, increase in the cost of cultivation, and labor-intensive practices are affecting the cereal-based farming system in Nepal, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been found to be the climate-, energy-, and labor-smart and sustainable agricultural production technologies. Sustainable and Resilient Farming System Intensification (SRFSI) has been working since 2014 in response to the sustainability of the cereal-based (rice–wheat and rice–maize) farming in Sunsari and Dhanusha districts of Nepal. This study was conducted to assess the adoption and scaling up of CA in addition to input usage, production, net profit, benefit to cost (B:C) ratio, and labor use of CA practice on average scale land holdings in Sunsari district. The study employed structured questionnaires and key informant surveys as the main data collection tools and project reports were used as secondary data. Results revealed ...

EDITORIAL Nepalese agriculture in the pretext of climate change and sustainability- Bidur P.

Agriculture

Malnutrition, hunger, and rural poverty in Nepal are prevalent issues that have been exacerbated by the negative impacts of climate change on crop production. To create a more sustainable and resilient food system, it is crucial to explore alternative options beyond the small number of input-intensive crops that the country currently relies on. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of six underutilized food crops—amaranth, buckwheat, finger millet, foxtail millet, naked barley, and proso millet—in four mountainous districts of the Karnali province, Nepal. Using several approaches that included a literature review, key informant surveys, focus group discussions, and direct observations, we explored the production and utilization aspects of these crops, as well as their potential for improving nutrition and food security. Our findings indicate that these underutilized crops continue to be a vital element of the diets of people residing in Karnali and play an import...

1995

This study focuses on intervention processes that support sustainable agriculture. It argues that we know very little about how to intervene for sustainable agriculture, particularly for those areas where the Green Revolution has passed almost unnoticed and where degradation of natural resources is the normal practices, rather than the exception. As sustainability is a constructed, contextual and complicated concept, it is far from clear what sustainability is, how it comes about, and what it is actually for, although it has been at the top of the agenda for nearly a decade. No substantial biological or socialinstitutional breakthroughs or innovations have yet emerged, despite the considerable efforts that have been devoted so far to sustainable agriculture. Impressively, the word "sustainability" is such a powerful symbol that the very thought of an unsustainable agriculture immediately conjures up images of massive human deprivation and suffering and, ultimately, mass st...

2016

LI-BIRD (Pokhara, Nepal; http://www.libird.org) Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1995 to reduce poverty and promote social justice by empowering rural poor and marginalized smallholder farmers, especially women, who depend primarily on agriculture, biodiversity, and natural resources for their livelihoods. To achieve these goals, LI-BIRD is committed to capitalizing on local initiatives, synergy, and partnerships for sustainable management of renewable natural resources. Through development-oriented research in agriculture and natural resource management, LI-BIRD contributes to several innovative methods and approaches, aiming to achieve a positive impact on the livelihoods of rural poor and marginalized farmers through appropriate technological, social, and policy changes. LI-BIRD plays an instrumental role in institutionalizing these approaches in national systems. NARC (Singhadarbar Plaza, Kathmandu, Nepal; http://narc.gov.np) The Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), established in 1991 as an autonomous organization,is an apex body for agricultural research in Nepal. It includes many commodity programs, research stations located across the country, and disciplinary divisions as well as a national gene bank in Khumaltar. NARC carries out research on various aspects of agriculture, identifies solutions to existing problems in agriculture,and assists the government in formulating agricultural policies and strategies. MoAD (Singhadarbar, Kathmandu, Nepal; http://www.moad.gov.np) The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) is the central body of the Government of Nepal responsible for agriculture and allied fields. The ministry consists of five divisions, two centres, one research and development fund, two departments, five projects, and autonomous bodies, consisting of a research council, a corporation, two development boards, two companies, and several development committees. The Honorable Minister for Agricultural Development is in charge of the ministry; the secretary is the administrative head and chief advisor to the minister on policy, planning, and administration. Bioversity International (Rome, Italy; https://www.bioversityinternational.org) Bioversity International is a member of the CGIAR consortium. Its vision is that agricultural biodiversity nourishes people and sustains the planet. Bioversity International produces scientific evidence and develops management practices and policy options to safeguard agricultural and tree biodiversity and attain sustainable global food and nutrition security.

2019

Traditional crops cultivated and consumed over generations are important components of agrobiodiversity and support dietary diversity, productivity and livelihoods of marginalized populations in Nepal. This paper outlines the value of traditional nutrient dense crops to promote nutrition sensitive agriculture by exploiting rich biodiversity of these crops through nutrition sensitive value chain development. Use of traditional crop biodiversity for nutrition sensitive value chain development can play positive role by taking into consideration not only how diverse nutrient-dense foods are produced but also how they are processed, distributed, marketed and consumed to supply nutrient value for household nutrition security. However, presently value chains of biodiversity of traditional crops are weak, fragmented and not properly connected among sub-components of production, processing, marketing and consumption system. Considering this, focus of biodiversity-based value chain upgrading ...