Improved agronomy: Option for raising the interest of finger millet farmers in Nepal

Presented at the International Food Security Dialogue 2014

“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional Security in a Changing World.”

Sponsored By: Hosted By:

Kamal Khadka, Asis Shrestha, Pashupati Chaudhary

Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), Nepal

Correspondence: PO Box 324, Pokhara, Nepal, Email: kkhadka@libird.org

• Finger millet is the fourth most important cereal crop of Nepal in terms of area and production

• Despite having tremendous potential for food and nutrition security finger millet is neglected by the National

• Interest among farmers on finger millet cultivation is declining due to agronomic, social and cultural factors

• Realizing the value of the crop, through IDRC and DFATD funded initiative “RESMISA”, we tried to identify the constraints and potential of finger millet cultivation in Nepal

Background

• A survey named as “Sustainable Agriculture Kit survey” revealed that raising nursery, transplanting, weeding and harvesting were highly labour consuming

• The study also showed that women contributed to the majority of work involved in finger millet cultivation

• We tested different on-farm experiments to identify the labourreducing and women friendly agronomic interventions and also tested different machineries

Background…

• Finger millet is relayed with Maize in high hills and as mono-crop in the foot hills. We considered maize in the agronomic interventions since the testing sites fall under maize-finger millet relay cropping system.

• Varieties: Finger millet- Kabre Kodo 1, Maize- Manakamana 3

Experiments

• Direct seeding of finger millet

• Line sowing of maize and line sowing of finger millet

• Line sowing of maize and line transplanting of finger millet

• Line sowing of maize, line transplanting of finger millet and intercropping of legume in finger millet

Methodology

• All the experiments were single replicated i.e one farmer as one replication

• Each experiment had a single block with two plots i.e. one test plot and the other control

• Maize spacing (75 cm x 25 cm) and finger millet (15cm x 10 cm)

• Farmers’ feedback collected through group discussions and survey

Testing small machines/hand tools

• Auto-seeder tested in trials and a few farmers’ plots

Methodology

Study sites

Banke

Kapilbastu

RupandehiNawalparasi

ParsaChitwan

Bardiya

Bara

Rautahat

Sarlahi

Mahottari

Dhanusa

Si

raha Sunsari

Kailalai

Dang

Kanchanpur

Jhapa

Saptari

Morang

Palpa Dolaka

Sindhupalchok

Rasuwa

Rhamechtap

Sindhuli

Taplejung

Dhading

Makwanpur

Manang

Mustang

Gorkha

Myagdi

Baglung

Gulmi

Arghakhanchi

Dolpa

Lamjung

Tanahu

KaskiParbat

Syangja

Kavrepalanchok

Bhaktapur

Lalitpur

Kathmandu

Nuwakot

Mugu

Humla

JumlaKalikot

Rukum

Sankhuwasabha

Solukhumbu

Panchthar

Ilam

Terhathum

DhankutaBhojpur

KhotangOkhaldhunga

Udayapur

Rolpa

Pyuthan

Salyan

JajarkotDailekh

Surkhet

Bajura

Bajhang

Darchula

AchhamDoti

Baitadi

Dadeldhura

Dhading district

Kaski district

• We expected direct seeding to reduce the labour requirement and drudgery faced in raising finger millet nursery

Results of direct seeding experiments

• Yield of direct seeding of finger millet as relay crop in maize with traditional method of maize finger millet relay cropping (N=15)

Direct seeding in finger millet, 2012

SN Treatment/practice Mean yield (kg/ha)

Test statistic

1 Direct seeding of finger millet in line as relay crop with maize

853.3 t = -5.14 on 14 d.f.;

Probability < 0.001

2 Traditional method of transplanting of finger millet as relay crop with maize

2,113.3

• Direct seeding as mono-crop was compared with direct seeding as relay crop (N=7)

Testing direct seeding in finger millet, 2012

SN Treatment/practice Mean yield (kg/ha)

Test statistic

1 Direct seeding as mono-cropping

2026.2 t = 4.35 on 6 d.f.;

Probability = 0.005

2 Direct seeding as relaycrop with maize

996.6

• Yield of direct seeded finger millet in line as relay crop with maize was compared with traditional method of transplanting of finger millet as a relay crop with maize (N=15)

Direct seeding in finger millet, 2013

SN Treatment/practice Mean yield (kg/ha)

Test statistic

1 Direct seeded finger millet in line as relay crop with maize

665.4 t = -10.26 on 14 d.f.;

Probability < 0.001

2 Transplanted finger millet in traditional method as relay crop with maize

2,110.3

• Difficult to maintain uniformity while seeding

• Backache while seeding

• Not acceptable unless any machine is available

• The result clearly indicated that direct seeding is not appropriate for maize millet relay cropping

Farmers’ perception on direct seeding, 2013

• We expected line transplanting of finger millet seedlings to reduce the labour requirement and drudgery faced in weeding

Results of line transplanting of finger millet

Line transplanting of finger millet, 2013

SN Treatment/practice Mean yield (kg/ha)

Test statistics

1 Line transplanting of finger millet

1,174.2 t = 5.50 on 14 d.f.;

Probability < 0.001

2 Traditional practice of transplanting finger millet

1,949.4

Note: N= 15

• Nationally recommended spacing in finger millet not appropriate in farmers’ condition since weed was one of the biggest problems

Plant population in test and control plots, 2013

SN Treatment/practice Mean plantpopulation/m2

Test statistics

1 Line transplanting of finger millet

60.8 t = -19.60 on 4 d.f.

Probability < 0.001

2 Traditional practice of transplanting finger millet

190.6

• Plant population in the test plots was less than 3 times lower than the farmers’ practice leading to low yield (N= 5)

Group discussions and survey study showed that

• Line transplanting makes weeding easy and requires less

• Maintenance of proper spacing important to increase yield

• 45% women and 61% men showed interest to try line transplanting in the following year

Farmers response on line transplanting

• We intended to demonstrate benefits of finger millet legume inter crop over no intercrop

Results of finger millet legume intercropping

• Cow pea was grown as inter crop just before the harvest of maize

• 44% more economic benefit was observed

• Cowpea not preferred as intercrop due to its growth habit

Intercropping legume in finger millet, 2012

SN Treatment/practice Mean gross benefit (NRs)

Test statistic

1 Gross benefit from maize and millet only

104,678.4 t = -8.33 on 4 d.f.

Probability = 0.001

2 Gross benefit from maize,millet and legume

150,683.5

• Black gram and soybean were intercropped

• 15% more economic benefit was observed

• farmers are willing to test in larger plots in the following year

Intercropping legume in finger millet, 2013

SN Treatment/practice Mean gross benefit (NRs)

Test statistic

1 Gross benefit from maize and millet only

170,174 t = 2.47 on 15 d.f.

Probability = 0.0262 Gross benefit from maize, millet and legume

195,745

• Maize auto-seeder was tested in 2013 to demonstrate line transplanting in maize to facilitate line sowing and line transplanting of finger millet

Results of testing maize auto-seeder

Perception of farmers on auto-seeder

• In 2014, More than 70 farmers have tried auto-seeder in their plots ranging from almost from 300 m2 to 1500 m2.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Useful Not useful Will adopt it Not sure about adoption

No

of

farm

ers

Perception

(Male=12, Female=13)

Male

Female

• It reduces the cost of labourand draft power

• It can be handled by women and children very easily

• Maize can be sown in line with this machine

• The machine can be adjusted and can be used for other cereals

General feedback of farmers on auto-seeder

• Direct seeding method in finger millet is appropriate in mono-cropping conditions but not in relay crop with maize

• Line transplanting of finger millet seedlings as a relay crop to maize appears more promising than traditional method of transplanting

• Economic benefits clearly demonstrated benefit of intercropping legumes in finger millet

• Maize auto-seeder helps line sowing of maize which in turn facilitate line transplanting in finger millet leading to reduced drudgery and efficiency in weeding

Conclusion

Thank You