Himalayan Biodiversity 5: 24-31, 2017Prithvi, Vol 6: , July 2013 ISSN :2382-5200 SURVEY OF CULTIVATED VEGETABLE CROPS IN RUPANDEHI DISTRICT, NEPAL Chandra Bahadur Thapa Butwal Multiple Campus, Butwal [email protected] ABSTRACT Vegetable is very nutritious food and is considered to be protective food since it contains high amount of vitamins and minerals and also possesses medicinal value. In the present study, documentation of farmer’s knowledge on cultivated vegetable crops was carried out in Rupandehi district during the year 2016. The objective of this paper is to identify, enumerate and to know the status of vegetable crops in this district. It was carried out by conducting semi-structured interview with the vegetable growing farmers, local people, members of Community Based Organizations with the help of standard questionnaire, checklist, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and key informant interview. Altogether 50 plant species have been found to be cultivated in commercial scale as vegetable crops in Rupandehi district. Out of 50 plant spp.; 2 families, 4 genera and 5 spp. were monocots; and 9 families, 30 genera and 45 spp. were dicots. It is also found that fruit (55%) is the widely used part of plant as vegetable. Other parts like leaf (21%), inflorescence (4%), root (8%), tuber (2%), corm (6%), and bulb (4%) are also used as vegetable. Most of the vegetable growing farmers (91%) are economically benefited by the cultivation and selling of vegetable than other crops due to easily available seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in market; good facility of irrigation and accessible market in the study area. Key words: Herbarium; off seasonal vegetable; Rupandehi, vegetable growing farmers, vegetable growing pocket area. INTRODUCTION requires establishing markets and trading Richness in genetic diversity of plants in Nepal centers with adequate storage facilities close to is evident from the fact that more than 7000 farmer’s production centers. species of flowering plants are estimated to be Nepal is an agricultural country where almost growing in the country and 79% of them have 65 percent people are involved directly and been collected, identified and preserved in the indirectly in agriculture (CBS, 2012). Agro- National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories, ecological variation in our country is high from Godawari (NAA. 1995). Out of 7000 species, Terai to high hills where many of the vegetables 400 comprise of food and horticultural crops, can be grown successfully. Production and and of them, 200 species are in vegetable productivity of the agricultural commodities category (NAA. 1995). Vegetables are less in our country is still low as compared to risky, fast growing and best sources of income other countries in spite of 65% people engaged in in comparison to other cereal crops. Due to agriculture. According to the Central Bureau of the market access and increasing demand of Statistics (2009-10) and Ministry of Agriculture vegetables, area for cultivation and productivity and Cooperatives (MoAC), vegetable crops of vegetables is also increasing over the years. are cultivated in only 7.3 percent of the total Commercialization of vegetable cultivation cultivable land in Nepal. Survey of Cultivated Vegetable... 25 The history of development of vegetables in district. Nepal dates back in early forties; however, its MATERIALS AND METHODS rapid development was started from 1972 when Study Area Vegetable Development Directorate (VDD) was established in the Department of Agriculture The study area Rupandehi District (latitudes: O ’ O (Awasthi, 2003). Introduction and domestication 27 20 00’’ N to 28 47’25’’ N, longitudes: O O of vegetables is an integral part of Nepalese 83 12’16’’ E to 83 38’16’’ E), lies in Lumbini agricultural systems. Both indigenous and exotic Zone, Western Development Region of Nepal. It vegetables were cultivated in gardens of Ranas borders India in South, and Palpa, Nawalparasi during the mid-19th century. At present, there and Kapilvastu district in the North, East and are more than 247 cultivated vegetable crops West respectively. The altitude ranges from 100 throughout the world and more than fifty species m to 1229 m above sea level. The district covers of vegetables have already been domesticated an area of 1,360 sq. km. The district is divided in Nepal. Different forms of vegetables e.g. into fifty two village development committees annual, biennial, perennial, herbs, shrubs, trees (VDCs), five municipalities and one sub- and climbers exist in Nepal. Due to wide range metropolitan city. Geographically, it is divided of climatic conditions ranging from tropical to into Chure region (14.5%); Bhabar region alpine zone, it is possible to grow almost all (0.6%) and Terai region (84.9%). types of vegetables in Nepal. Low hill farmers It has lower tropical (below 300 m), upper cultivate about 85% of the total local vegetables tropical (300- 1000 m) and sub-tropical (1000- and mid hills farmers about 11%. The cultivation 2000 m) climate with maximum temperature 0 of local vegetables is the lowest (32%) in the about 43.7 C during summer (May- June) 0 high hills. High hill farmers mostly rely on wild and about 8.75 C during winter (December- vegetables (Buthathowki et al, 1993). January) and annual rainfall is about 1808 mm. Different vegetables related organizations Pre-monsoon precipitation of 274.15 mm on an working in different parts of Nepal enhance the average is received in June and the maximum vegetables cultivation practices, collection and rainfall received for the observed period is diversity maintenance of vegetables. Some of 1034.5 mm. Similarly, post monsoon month many indigenous vegetables have originated September is comparatively wet month that from Nepal. Intensive cultivation of vegetables receives an average of 283.56 mm rainfall. is generally linked to availability of market. Due Rupandehi is agriculturally important south to the market facility in Terai different types of western district of Nepal. More than half of the vegetables are being cultivated. Rupandehi is land in the district (58.45 per cent or 82,622 ha) one of the Terai districts in Nepal where people is under cultivation and 70 per cent (98,956) of cultivate different types of vegetable crops since population are engaged in agriculture (Census, ancient time. But no intensive research has 2011). Major cereal crops produced in the district been carried out to identify and enumerate the are paddy, wheat, corn, and finger millet; pulses cultivated vegetable crops as well as to know are kidney bean, black gram, and soybean; the status of vegetable growing farmers in this and oilseed crops are mustard, sunflower, and district. So, this papers aims to identify the status peanuts. Among horticultural crops, the major of cultivated vegetable crops in Rupandehi fruits are mango, banana, litchi, jackfruit, and guava and the major vegetables are onion, 26 Thapa potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, radish, (Lawrence 1967). The unidentified specimens cucumber, ole, bottle gourds, and pumpkin. In were later confirmed by consulting books and addition to that, some spices and condiments are other standard taxonomic literatures (Hara et al. grown in the district such as turmeric, chili, and 1978, 1979, 1982; Polunin and Stainton 1984; garlic. Stainton 1988) and comparing with specimens deposited at Tribhuvan University Central Herbarium (TUCH) and National Herbarium (KATH). The prepared herbarium specimens were submitted to Department of Botany, Butwal Multiple Campus, Butwal. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Data Collection Both primary and secondary sources of information were used. The primary data were collected by extensive four time field survey of field visits of about one week each during the Altogether 50 plant species were found to be year 2016. Semi-structured questionnaires and cultivated in commercial scale as vegetable checklist were applied for community survey. crops in Rupandehi district. Out of 50 plant spp.; Personal interview, Focus Group Discussion 2 families, 4 genera and 5 spp. were monocots; (FGD) and key informant interview were also and 9 families, 30 genera and 45 spp. were dicots conducted with vegetable growing farmers, (Table: 1). Among them 90% species were dicots local people, elder people and the members of and 10% species were monocots. Some of the the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) monocot spp. are Allium cepa L.(Onion), Allium to collect the different aspects of vegetable sativum L.(Garlic), Alocasia macrorrhizos cultivation data in the study area. (L.)G. Don (Giant Taro), Amorphophallus Plant Collection, Herbarium Preparation paeonifolius (Demst) Nicolson (Elephant Foot and Identification Yam), and Colocasia antiquorum Schott. Var. Most of the important vegetable species esculenta L.(Yam). Major dicot vegetable available in the study area were identified with crops are Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench the help of farmers and local people. Other (Lady’s finger), Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis unidentified plant specimens were collected for L. (Cauliflower), Brassica oleraceae var. future reference. Collected plant samples were capitata L. (Cabbage), Brassica oleraceae var. tagged, dried and mounted as voucher herbarium italica L. (Broccoli), Brassica rapa L. (Turnip), specimens following the standard technique Cucumis sativus L. (Cucumber), Cucurbita Survey of Cultivated Vegetable... 27 maxima D. Don. (Pumpkin), Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (Bottle gourd), Daucas carrota L. var. sativa DC.