Technologies

Legume integration [Nepal]

Creation: 06/07/2011 12:23 p.m.
Update: 06/03/2019 4:43 p.m.
Compiler: Richard Allen
Editor: –
Reviewers: David Streiff, Alexandra Gavilano

Bali pranali ma kosebali samabesh

technologies_1753 - Nepal

View sections

Expand all

Completeness: 63%

1. General information

1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Key resource person(s)

SLM specialist:

Richard Allen

SLM specialist:

Director

Soil Management Directorate, Department of Agriculture

Nepal

SLM specialist:

Team Leader

Sustainable Soil Management Programme

Nepal

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Sustainable Soil Management Programme, Nepal (SSMP) {'additional_translations': {}, 'value': 682, 'label': 'Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)', 'text': 'HELVETAS (Swiss Intercooperation)', 'template': 'raw'} {'additional_translations': {}, 'value': 682, 'label': 'Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)', 'text': 'HELVETAS (Swiss Intercooperation)', 'template': 'raw'}

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches (documented using WOCAT)

Farmer field schools on integrated plant nutrient systems [Nepal]

Participatory and collaborative learning through the farmer field school approach

Compiler: Richard Allen
01/19/2009 midnight

Farmer-led experimentation [Nepal]

Participatory technology testing and adaptation through farmer-led experiments

Compiler: Richard Allen
02/19/2009 midnight

Farmer-to-farmer diffusion [Nepal]

Wider diffusion of sustainable soil management technologies through a demand responsive farmer-to-farmer diffusion approach

Compiler: Richard Allen
01/19/2009 midnight

2. Description of the SLM Technology

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Integration of leguminous crops as intercrops on terrace risers or as relay crops

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Legumes are widely grown across the hills of Nepal, with the most common being soybean, lentils, black gram, cow pea, beans, horse gram, field peas, and rice bean. They are mostly intercropped or relay cropped with cereals such as maize, millet, and rice. They are also planted on the edges of terraces and rice paddy bunds. Depending on the species, they may be grown in rain-fed or irrigated fields during the winter or summer seasons.
The majority of the legumes grown by farmers are used for food or as a cash crop. The planting of fodder legumes has become more popular with the expansion of stall-feeding and the development of a dairy industry. The planting of legumes, with the main objective of improving soil fertility is a more recent development in Nepal’s hills.
Nitrogen is the main plant nutrient element and is usually applied through commercial fertiliser where available. Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen through bacterial nodules on their roots, then nitrogen subsequently becomes available to the following crops. It is important, therefore, not to uproot the legume crop during harvesting - it should be harvested by cutting the above ground parts leaving the roots (and the nodules) in the soil. The crop residues can be fed to livestock, used as animal bedding, applied as green manure directly to fields, or incorporated in compost. In this way most of the nitrogen that was fixed by the legume crop is returned to the soil.
Details about the different legume species and their different characteristics and uses are described in detail in SSMP, PARDYP and SSD-NARC (2000).

2.3 Photos of the Technology

Media Gallery

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

Country:

Nepal

Further specification of location:

Midhills districts of Nepal

Specify the spread of the Technology:

evenly spread over an area

3. Classification of the SLM Technology

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

improve soil fertility

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Cropland

Annual cropping

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Intensifying cultivation practices with either 1) inadequate application of fertilisers leading to a decline in soil fertility and the mining of soil nutrients or 2) the application of too much fertiliser causing environmental problems through excessive leaching, losses of fertiliser in surface runoff, and consequent eutrophication or nitrification of streams, ponds, or groundwater.

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

integrated soil fertility management
improved plant varieties/ animal breeds

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

agronomic measures

A2: Organic matter/ soil fertility

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

chemical soil deterioration

Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content (not caused by erosion)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

reduce land degradation

4. Technical specifications, implementation activities, inputs, and costs

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

{'additional_translations': {}, 'content_type': 'image/jpeg', 'preview_image': '/media/6e/5/6e5ff877-e06f-404b-bb6d-bad0b6b0a4d0.jpg', 'key': 'Technical drawing', 'value': '/media/3b/1/3b1dea6d-b67a-4fc3-ba63-94d4dfd46535.jpg', 'template': 'raw'}

Technical specifications (related to technical drawing):

A number of species are presented
in the legume integration decision
support guide (SSMP, PARDYP, SSDNARC 2000). Here only a selection of useful legume species are presented (from top left corner to lower right corner):
- red clover (Trifolium pratense)
- hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)
- Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus)
- rice bean (Vigna umbellata)
- velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens)
- tephrosia (Tephrosia spp.

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: low

Technical knowledge required for land users: low

Main technical functions: increase in soil fertility (nitrogen in particular), increase in soil productivity & decrease in soil erosionon terrace bunds, nutritius and high value crops

Secondary technical functions: fodder and green manure availability & income

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

per Technology unit

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

Indicate average wage cost of hired labour per day:

2.00

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input
Labour	Labour	Persons/day	2.5	2.0	5.0
Plant material	Seeds	unit	1.0	1.5	1.5
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					6.5
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					6.5

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Depending on the type of farm niche - broadcast, line sow, or spot

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

Comments:

Cost as in January 2007

5. Natural and human environment

5.1 Climate

Annual rainfall

< 250 mm
251-500 mm
501-750 mm
751-1,000 mm
1,001-1,500 mm
1,501-2,000 mm
2,001-3,000 mm
3,001-4,000 mm
> 4,000 mm

Specifications/ comments on rainfall:

Annual rainfall: Also 2000-3000 mm

Agro-climatic zone

humid

Thermal climate class: subtropics

5.2 Topography

Slopes on average:

flat (0-2%)
gentle (3-5%)
moderate (6-10%)
rolling (11-15%)
hilly (16-30%)
steep (31-60%)
very steep (>60%)

Landforms:

plateau/plains
ridges
mountain slopes
hill slopes
footslopes
valley floors

Altitudinal zone:

0-100 m a.s.l.
101-500 m a.s.l.
501-1,000 m a.s.l.
1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
> 4,000 m a.s.l.

Comments and further specifications on topography:

Slopes on average:Also moderate (6-10%), rolling (11-15%) and hilly (16-30%)

Landforms: Also footslopes

Altitudinal zone: Also 1000-1500 m a.s.l., 1500-2000 m a.s.l. and 2000-2500 m a.s.l.

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Market orientation of production system:

subsistence (self-supply)
commercial/ market

Individuals or groups:

individual/ household

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Off-farm income specification: In most farm households, off-farm income plays at least a minor and increasingly a major role. Occasional opportunities for off-farm income present themselves in the form of daily labour wages. Some households’ members receive regular salaries whilst an increasing number of Nepalis are working in India, the Middle East, Malaysia and elsewhere and sending remittance incomes home.

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

< 0.5 ha
0.5-1 ha
1-2 ha
2-5 ha
5-15 ha
15-50 ha
50-100 ha
100-500 ha
500-1,000 ha
1,000-10,000 ha
> 10,000 ha

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

individual, not titled
individual, titled

Land use rights:

leased
individual

Comments:

sharecropping between owner and tenant

6. Impacts and concluding statements

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Income and costs

expenses on agricultural inputs

increased

decreased

Comments/ specify:

Reduced expenses for nitrogen fertilizers

Other socio-economic impacts

Livestock fodder nutritiousness

reduced

improved

Value and nutritiousness of crops

reduced

improved

Crop in terms of main yield

risky

save

Ecological impacts

Soil

soil loss

increased

decreased

soil organic matter/ below ground C

decreased

increased

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

pest/ disease control

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Highly susceptible to diseases and pests

Other ecological impacts

Application of fertilizer

increased

decreased

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

groundwater/ river pollution

increased

reduced

Comments/ specify:

Reduced nutrient flux into water bodies

Dependence on outside

improved

reduced

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

Short-term returns:

positive

Long-term returns:

positive

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Short-term returns:

positive

Long-term returns:

positive

Comments:

On average a benefi t of US$ 40 to 50 per ropani can be expected from the production of legume species

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

Comments:

Comments on spontaneous adoption: About 80% of participating farmers used/had adopted the technolog. It has also been adopted by farmers who have not directly participated in SSMP activities.

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Cost effective in terms of inputs and management practices in comparison with other commodities
Needs less agronomic practices and care (i.e. can be cultivated in zero or reduced tillage)
Has multiple uses: food crop, feed crop, fodder, soil building
Can be integrated in varying niches on farms and therefore does not need additional land
Rich indigenous knowledge exists

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Highly vulnerable to diseases and pests	Skip planting time (i.e. preponing planting of crops to get around life cycle of pests) , use location specifi c species, resistant varieties
Very susceptible to waterlogging	Only plant in well-drained soils
In high fertility conditions, nitrogen fixing rhizobium does not work leading to less nitrogen fixation	For very specifi c and new species, the soil needs to be inoculated with the correct strain of bacteria
Legumes generally do not respond to nitrogen fertiliser	Do not apply nitrogen fertiliser to legumes