For Environment, Democracy and Livelihoods
ForestAction Nepal’s agriculture team has recently completed their visit to Dhusa and Kalikhola, Ichhakamana Rural Municipality, where they are working with local farmers and the palika to promote agroecology. One of the approaches is field action research, where they are conducting trials and experiments to address the major challenges farmers face in their fields.
One of the significant challenge observed in both villages was the high reliance on chemical pesticides for pest management. To promote sustainable/agroecological practices and technologies, the team demonstrated the use of simple yet effective tools, yellow and blue sticky traps and Cue-Lure, to monitor and trap insect pest in cucumbers and beans, the major crops grown this season.
These tools weren’t new to the farmers, but they had been underutilised in managing insect pests in the fields. This intervention will be followed up with further support to ensure the effective use of these tools and continued learning for the farmers. By demonstrating the benefits of agroecological practices/technologies, we aim to boost farmers’ confidence in adopting these methods, leading to a gradual shift towards more sustainable farming practices.
Additionally, the preparation of an Effective Microorganism (EM) solution was demonstrated, and oriented to farmers about its uses and benefits. EM offers multiple benefits, including accelerating the decomposition of manure and increasing the population of beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
During this visit, the team also conducted a pilot survey with a few farmers to understand the factors influencing the adoption of organic and agroecological practices. The team further aims to reach at least 100 farmers from various parts of Nepal to explore these factors more comprehensively.
