ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9822-2581
Current Organisation
Agriculture Research and Development Centre, Yusipang
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
Publisher: Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
Date: 2013
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-02-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU14042339
Abstract: Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an indispensable commodity, mainly cultivated by high-altitude mountain households, that sustains and supports the livelihood of an overwhelming 51% of the Bhutanese population. The popularity of potato cultivation among Bhutanese farmers can be attributed to the crop’s adaptability to a wide range of agroclimatic conditions such as a rainfed crop, high productivity, an assured market, and a reliable source of income for the farming families. We hypothesize that the changing climate would make the livelihood associated with potato cultivation in Bhutan more vulnerable. We tested this hypothesis to identify the sources of vulnerability of smallholder farming households using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and LVI-IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) approaches in six potato growing districts of Bhutan: Bumthang, Chukha, Gasa, Mongar, Tashigang, and Wangdue. Primary data were generated through a semi structured s le survey of 240 households on the seven major livelihood components of sociodemographic profiles, livelihood strategies, social networks, health, food, water, natural disasters, and climate variability. The results showed that the LVI (range 0.302 to 0.375) and LVI-IPCC (range −0.005 to 0.030) differed significantly (p 0.001) across the districts. The districts of Tashigang and Mongar were less vulnerable than the other four districts by the LVI approach, whereas Bumthang was also revealed to be less vulnerable using the LVI-IPCC approach. The degree of vulnerability in a district differed according to their level of exposure and adaptive capacity to the climate change impacts of the potato farming household. The results are expected to serve as empirical evidence for designing a future course of actions to mitigate the negative impacts.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 12-08-2013
DOI: 10.1017/S1742170513000264
Abstract: Conventional soil management systems (SMS) use synthetic inputs to maximize crop productivity, which leads to environmental degradation. Organic SMS is an alternative that is claimed to prevent or mitigate such negative environmental impacts. Vegetable production systems rely on frequent tillage to prepare beds and manage weeds, and are also characterized by little crop residue input. The use of crop residues and organic fertilizers may counteract the negative impacts of intensive vegetable production. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the effect of sweet corn ( Zea mays L. var. rugosa ) residue incorporation in a corn–cabbage ( Brassica oleracea L.) rotation on crop yields, nutrient uptake, weed biomass and soil nutrients for organic and conventional SMS in two contrasting soil types (a Chromosol and a Vertosol). Yields of corn and cabbage under the organic SMS were not lower than the conventional SMS, possibly due to the equivalent N, P and K nutrients applied. Macro-nutrient uptake between the organic and conventional SMS did not differ for cabbage heads. Corn residue incorporation reduced the average in-crop weed biomass in cabbage crops by 22% in 2010 and by 47% in 2011. Corn residue-induced inhibitions on weed biomass may be exploited as a supplementary tool to mechanical weed control for the organic SMS, potentially reducing the negative impacts of cultivation on soil organic carbon. Residue incorporation and the organic SMS increased the average total soil N by 7 and 4% compared with the treatments without residue and the conventional SMS, respectively, indicating the longer-term fertility gains of these treatments. Exchangeable K, but not Colwell P, in the soil was significantly increased by residue incorporation. The clayey Vertosol conserved higher levels of nutrients than the sandy Chromosol. Yields under organic SMS can match that of conventional SMS. Residue incorporation in soil improved soil nutrients and reduced weed biomass.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-11-2021
Publisher: International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
Date: 2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-02-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-12-2022
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-10-2023
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SR13295
Abstract: Vegetable production systems rely on frequent tillage to prepare beds and manage weeds, thereby accelerating losses of soil organic carbon (SOC). They are also characterised by scant crop residue input. Residue incorporation and organic fertiliser application could counteract SOC loss due to tillage. We tested this hypothesis in a Chromosol and a Vertosol in northern NSW, Australia, where the effects of incorporating sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. rugosa) residue in soil in a corn–cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) rotation under either organic or conventional system on soil C fractions were studied during two rotation cycles (2 years). A laboratory experiment was conducted to isolate the effect of tillage on the soil organic matter (SOM) fractions, because both the residue-incorporated and without-residue treatments for organic systems received tillage for weed control in the field, whereas conventional systems did not. Residue incorporation increased particulate OC (POC) by 32% in the field experiment and 48% in the laboratory experiment, whereas dissolved OC was increased only in the organic system. Concentrations of mineral-associated OC (MOC) and total OC (TOC) were increased by residue incorporation in both field and laboratory experiments. Simulated tillage had a limited effect on POC, MOC and TOC, suggesting that cultivation for weed control may have only a minor effect on short-term SOM mineralisation rates. In both experiments, MOC accounted for ≥83% in the Vertosol and ≥73% in the Chromosol. Due to frequent tillage in vegetable production systems, physicochemical stabilisation of C predominates over protection through aggregation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2015
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1017/S0021859620000350
Abstract: The current research investigated the present and future projected distribution of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) based on climatic suitability under three representative concentration pathways (RCPs) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modelling. The MaxEnt models predict that rice distribution in Bhutan will undergo major changes in terms of spatial range shift of varying magnitudes by 2060. Under the anthropogenic radiative forcing of RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, ecological space of rice is predicted to change between 1 and 43%. Major changes are likely to take place in major rice-growing ecological zones of the country. This is likely to have a negative impact on the livelihood and food security of the people as crop production might start declining due to unfavourable climatic factors. Therefore, the findings of this study could prove beneficial for forecasting focus sites requiring interventions, including future climate research, planning, policy formulation and conservation of natural resources.
Publisher: Bangladesh Journals Online (JOL)
Date: 25-01-2015
Abstract: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the main staple crops of Bhutan and is grown in all 20 districts of the country. Due to its key role in national food security, a number of development interventions like promotion of modern rice varieties is carried out. To assess the impact of such development interventions, this study investigated whether the farmers in two main rice growing districts, Punakha and Wangdue, have adopted the promoted rice varieties. Within a district, ten main rice growing geogs (administrative units) were chosen for the study. Representing the study area a questionnaire farming-household survey of 580 was carried out in 2014. The study found that the farming household level variety adoption rate was 68% and 62% in Wangdue and Punakha, respectively. The main modern varieties adopted by the surveyed farming households were IR-64, Khangma Maap, Bajo Maap, Bajo Kaap, No. 11 and IR- 20913. In terms of area coverage, 54.50% of the area in Wangdue was covered by improved varieties and that in Punakha was 56.71%. Among the adopted varieties, the most widely grown variety in both the districts was IR-64 that accounts for about 55% adoption. However, the least adopted variety was IR-20913 which stood at just 0.2% in Wangdue and 2% in Punakha. Yield increase due to improved varieties over local ones, 80% of households in Wangdue and 91% of households in Punakha reported achieving 25% and 33% increases together. In Wangdue 80% of the households reported yield increase and in Punakha it was 91%, which corresponded to 25% and 33% increases, respectively. This surveyed finding can be validated by crop-cut yield data which was greater than or equal to 26% yield increase, on an average, by improved varieties over local ones. In terms of farmers adoption rate of modern rice varieties and area covered by the modern varieties, the findings showed that there is a major impact of rice development interventions in Punakha-Wangdue valley to support food security of the farming households as well as for adding to the national food basket.SAARC J. Agri., 13(2): 34-49 (2015)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 11-11-2015
DOI: 10.1201/B17775-3
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-06-2014
DOI: 10.1111/SUM.12130
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-04-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-06-2021
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 25-05-2020
DOI: 10.3390/SU12104319
Abstract: Being a country in the Himalayas, Bhutan is highly prone to the vagaries of weather events that affect agricultural production and the subsequent livelihood of the people. To identify the main issues that affect crop production and the decisions of farmers, a survey was conducted in three different agro-ecosystems in Bhutan. Our key findings indicate that farming and the decisions of farmers were largely affected by different climatic and non-climatic factors. These were in descending order of importance: irrigation availability farm labour crop seasonality crop damage (climatic) land holding crop damage (wildlife) crop damage (diseases and pests). The most important consequences of climate change impacts were the drying of irrigation sources (4.35) and crop losses due to weather events (4.10), whereas land fallowing, the occurrence of flood and soil erosion, weed pressure and changes in cropping pattern (with mean ratings of 2.53–3.03) experienced lesser consequences. The extreme weather events, such as untimely rains, drought and windstorms, were rated as the ‘most common’ to ‘common’ occurrences, thus inflicting a crop loss of 1–19%. These confirm our hearsay knowledge that extreme weather events have major consequences on irrigation water, which is said to be either drying or getting smaller in comparison to the past. Therefore, Bhutan must step up its on-ground farmer-support system towards improving the country’s food production, whilst embracing climate smart farm technologies for adapting to the impacts of change.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: Bhutan
No related grants have been discovered for Yadunath Bajgai.