Eye on agriculture

Many countries are already developed both in terms of their economy and society, while others are rapidly striving to catch up. But here in Nepal, we seem to be tip-toeing towards a so-called developed and “New Nepal”. While our wants are growing, even our basic needs are not met.  An example is the general neglect that agriculture has faced in a context of a growing desire for material wealth. 

Cultivable lands in urban areas and suburbs are rapidly being split-up and plotted to raise concrete structures on them. The rural population is migrating to the cities while the youth is flockto foreign lands in search of manual labour, leaving the villages’ youth-less. Once cultivated green fields of paddy, now lie barren. Little knowledge is evidently dangerous. At the same time, ample knowledge is also causing the youth to leave their villages in search of skilled labour. An educated person shouldn’t work on the fields, they say. Meanwhile, the ever-changing governments are too busy shuffling about their papers to notice what is going on. There is a fuel crisis. There is a gas crisis. There is a water crisis. The whole country it seems is in a state of perpetual crisis. Forget catching up in the race to prosperity, we are steadily decelerating.  

How could biochar change the fate of marginal soil in Nepal

Biochar is a carbon rich product that is produced by pyrolysis (heating in incomplete or partial absence of oxygen) of biomass at relatively low temperature (<700°C). Normally, a forest fire exceeds 800°C and a simple visible fire is already nearly 600°C. Biochar is very light carbon product. Biochar has been called Bio-Char, Charcoal (अंगार) or biomass derived black carbon, Agri-Char etc according to purpose of use. However, biochar is different from other because of the intention to incorporate in soil for agricultural and environmental benefits. Thus during the production of biochar special care are taken to optimize plant beneficial properties. It is also important to use the word ‘biochar’ in the scientific world to have consistency in research work and standardize the product.

कृषि विश्वविद्यालय र चुनौती

चार-चार वर्षसम्म रामपुरको कृषि क्याम्पस पढेको कृषि विद्यार्थीलाई भारतीय तथा अरु देशका मकैका जातहरु कन्ठ गर्न बाध्य पारिन्छ तर करिब १०० मिटर दूरीमा रहेको राष्ट्रिय मकै बाली अनुसन्धान केन्द्रमा भइरहेका अनुसन्धानात्मक कृयाकलापहरुको बारेमा जानकारी दिइँदैन। अनुसन्धान केन्द्रहरुमा अनुसन्धानकर्ताहरु सरकारले अनुसन्धानको लागि पैसा उपलब्ध नगराएको निहुँमा घाम तापेर बस्ने परम्पराको अन्त हुन जरुरी छ। त्यसैगरी क्याम्पसमा पनि अध्यापनको साथ साथै प्राध्यापकहरुको लागि खोजमूलक कार्यमा लाग्नै पर्ने नियम बनाउन जरुरी छ। कृषि क्याम्पसले अहिलेसम्म राज्य प्रमुखदेखि देश विदेशमा प्रतिस्पर्धा गर्नसक्ने धेरै प्राविधिकहरु जन्माइसकेको छ, तर हामीलाई नेपाली माटोसँग खेल्नसक्ने, गरीब कृषकका समस्यासँग आफ्नो अनुसन्धानमुलक समाधान साट्नसक्ने र नेपाली कृषकका खेतबारीलाई आफ्नो अध्ययन तथा अनुसन्धानको कर्मथलो बनाउने जनशक्ति चाहिएको छ।