| Author | Neupane, Ramji Prasad |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. AE-95-46 |
| Subject(s) | Agroforestry--Nepal
|
| Note | A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The traditionally managed agroforestry based farming system of the study area is operating
in a self-sufficiency level. Local people have conserved land, managed livestock and sustained the
livelihood with least dependency on forest through their indigenous knowledge system. Such
findings are based on the evidence of exploratory field research conducted in Kathajor of
Ramechhap district, Nepal.
The main findings related to the socio economic factors reveal that the area composed of
mixed ethnic population dependent on agriculture and farming was largely sustained by the
integration of tree-livestock and crops. The livestock herd size depended upon the amount of trees
on the farm which inturn depended on the size of land holdings. Ethnic group played a
determinant role in size of land holding, livestock number and type, household income and
number of trees grown.
A large number of trees and shrubs are incorporated on farms for multiple usage of food,
fuelwood, fodder, medicine, support for terraces and protection of environment. The analysis on
household fodder and fuel wood situation shows that more than two third (72%) of the household
fodder and fuelwood (75%) requirement was met by the farm sources, while forest sources
supplied only 28% and 25% respectively. The findings show the seasonal variation in fodder and
fuelwood consumption and minimum dependency on forest.
Farmers had positive attitude towards agroforestry system, with majority of the respondents
reporting that tree and shrubs do not hamper crop yield. Farmers were found well aware of the
interactive effect between different components of the farming system and they reconciled the
negative interactions of integrating perennial trees with crops in appreciation of numerous positive
benefits. The household income was dependent on farm fodder trees. Correlation analysis on farm
size and production of different crops shows the positive relationship in all major crops cultivated
in the area.
The study emphasizes that the key issues of the traditional agroforestry system in the study
area are not the replacement by new improved system, but the improvement on the existing
system through technological intervention into its different subsystems on which the village
economy depends |
| Year | 1995 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Agricultural and Food Engineering (AE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Upasena, S. H. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Boonjit Titapiwatanakun;Salokhe, V. M. |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | DAAD, Germany |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1995 |