Mohan Siwakoti

Wild Vegetable Species in Makawanpur District, Central Nepal: Developing a Priority Setting Approach for Domestication to Improve Food Security

Wild Vegetable Species in Makawanpur District, Central Nepal: Developing a Priority Setting Approach for Domestication to Improve Food Security. Makawanpur district in Central Nepal is considered a biodiversity hotspot of the country. Numerous wild plant species are traditionally used as vegetables and contribute to nutrition and food security of local communities. However, abundance and use of many of these wild vegetables have been decreasing, which calls for domestication and cultivation of priority species. This study aimed at documenting wild vegetable species and their use to develop a priority list for future domestication efforts. Wild vegetables were surveyed in three agro–climatic zones (500–2,200 masl) of the Makawanpur district in natural forest, homegardens, farmer’s fields, fallow land, and markets. Information about local names, plant parts used, seasonal availability, mode of consumption, primary consumers, and preference ranking for consumption and sale was gathered during forest/field walks and by semi–structured interviews of 144 respondents (including men, women, and children) of three ethnic groups. Priority setting was based on nine variables related to priorities for taste and sale, species’ occurrence in homegardens, wide use among ethnic groups, broad altitude range, harvest season, level of threat as perceived by respondents, children’s preference for consumption, and possibility for processing. A total of 89 vegetable species were identified. Forests and fallows were most important for collecting wild vegetables, which were mainly used for home consumption. Only 26 species were also sold in markets. Ethnic group, respondent’s age, and altitude of the location had a significant influence on the respondents’ knowledge of wild vegetables, while gender had no influence. The following six species were rated highest in the priority setting: Bauhinia variegata L., Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees & Arn. ex Munro, Bambusa tulda Roxb., Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw., Dryopteris cochleata (Ham. ex D. Don) C. Chr., and Tectaria gemmifera (Fée) Alston. The developed priority setting approach was considered suitable, but it should also include further variables such as nutritional value and market potential of the species before it being recommended for further testing.

Community perception and prioritization of invasive alien plants in Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape, Nepal

The management of invasive species is a complex, yet an essential component of biodiversity conservation and environmental management for sustainable futures. Despite a well-established linkage between biological invasions and human activities, the social dimension of invasive species management is less explored as compared to the ecological aspects. In recent years, the active participation of local communities, such as assessing levels of awareness and the selection of targeted species prioritized by communities, has been considered as a crucial element for managing invasive species. We conducted 32 focus group discussions (FGDs) including 218 participants in Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (ChAL) of central Nepal, to assess knowledge and perceptions of agrarian and forest-dependent communities about invasive alien plants (IAPs), document the efforts of the community management of IAPs and prioritize IAPs for management. In the prioritization exercise, participants of each FGD were asked to rank three IAPs using scoring methods and to express their experience about the effects of the selected IAPs on humans and the environment. We found that communities had a living memory of the arrival of some of the IAPs in their locality without knowing the exotic nature of IAPs. Biodiversity loss, livestock poisoning, reduced agricultural production and forage supply, and negative impact on forest regeneration were reported as major negative impacts of IAPs. Communities also reportedly utilized IAPs for medicinal purposes, making compost by using biomass, and controlling floods and landslides. None of the government and non-governmental organizations working in the sectors of biodiversity conservation and environmental management has informed local forest-dependent agrarian communities about the consequences of biological invasions and management of IAPs. However, local communities had already started controlling the spread of some IAPs through manual uprooting. They were able to spot, identify and prioritize IAPs for management and some of the prioritized species were among the worlds worst invasive species. Ageratum houstonianum was the top-ranked worst invasive species in agroecosystems while Chromolaena odorata and Ageratina adenophora were the top-ranked worst species in natural ecosystems. Our findings will be useful for guiding community education programs as well as the management of IAPs through formal policy and management plans, such as Nepals National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Demand, End-Uses, and Conservation of Alpine Medicinal Plant Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Pennell) D. Y. Hong in Central Himalaya

Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Pennell) D. Y. Hong of Scrophulariaceae family (hereinafter referred to as Neopicrorhiza) has medicinally important rhizomes with high levels of trade. What factors drive demand for Neopicrorhiza in Central Himalaya is unknown. In this context, a nationwide comprehensive survey was conducted from September 2016 to March 2017 to assess demand, end-uses, and conservation of dry Neopicrorhiza rhizomes in Nepal. A total of 2313 herbal products were surveyed for Neopicrorhiza as an ingredient in 38 retailer shops. Processing industries of Neopicrorhiza in Nepal were interviewed using structured questionnaire. There were 23 herbal industries manufacturing 45 types of ayurvedic medicines as end-products containing Neopicrorhiza. The volume and value of annual demand for dry rhizomes of Neopicrorhiza in Nepal were found as 6076 kg and NRs 8573236 (USD 83235.30), respectively, in 2015/016 with average 264.17 kg/industry and NRs 1410.87 (USD 13.69) per kg. The major uses of ayurvedic medicines containing Neopicrorhiza were to treat a number of disease categories: cardiovascular system/liver (17), cardiovascular system/blood (6), nervous system (6), dermatological system (4), musculoskeletal system (3), digestive system (2), respiratory system (2), genitourinal system (4), and others (1). Despite changing legal regulation, trade and consumption of Neopicrorhiza exist in Nepal. It can be concluded that domestic consumption is not the major cause of resource depletion of Neopicrorhiza in Nepal.

An Overview: Distribution, Production, and Diversity of Local Landraces of Buckwheat in Nepal

Buckwheat is a sixth staple food crop after rice, wheat, maize, finger millet, and barley in Nepal. It is considered as an alternate cereal and poor man’s crop, representing an important food supply in remote places of Himalayas. It is the best crop in higher altitude in terms of adaptation to different climatic variables and easily fitted to different cropping patterns due to short duration. It is cultivated on marginal land in 61 out of 75 districts of Nepal from some 60 m to 4500 m asl, especially hilly and mountain districts like Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Dolpa, Humla, Jumla, Kalikot, Kavre, Dolakha, and Okhaldhunga. Sweet buckwheat varieties are generally grown in midhill and Terai but Tartary buckwheat varieties are grown in higher altitude. There are altogether 19 local landraces of sweat buckwheat and 37 for Tartary buckwheat listed from Nepal. The largest producers are China, USA, and Russia and Japan is principal user of global buckwheat grown in the world. In Nepal, it is cultivated in 10510 ha area with production of 10355 t/yr and yield of 0.983 t/ha. It has also medicinal value used in different forms including all its parts so the demand of buckwheat is increasing.