The Embeddedness of Collective Action in Nepalese Community Forestry

Collective action by local communities has been recognised as crucial for effective management of natural resources, particularly the management of forests in rural settings in developing countries. However, the processes and outcomes of collective action in forest management are often analysed through a narrow rational choice model, ignoring the impacts of wider social, political and economic processes in conditioning peoples’ decisions to act (or not to act) collectively. Optimistic assumptions are made for collective action being instrumental to enhance both social and ecological outcomes, but there is a paucity of empirical evidence on how and why the condition of forests has improved (or deteriorated) under collective action, and what impacts the change in forest condition has on various groups within local communities. This study critically examines the emergence, evolution and outcomes of collective action in a case of community forestry in Nepal. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methods has been used to collect primary data from the forest, households, key informants and focus groups. The emergence and outcomes of collective action is found to be embedded in social, economic and political relationships, where powerful actors control the use of forests in order to ensure conservation, thereby resulting in the underutilisation of forest products. Poor users, who depend heavily on forests, are found to be worse off economically under community forestry, but still engage in collective action for a variety of socio-political reasons. This contradicts the conventional wisdom which assumes that people only cooperate when they benefit from cooperation. It is concluded that a deeper understanding of the embeddedness of community forestry is needed in order to achieve the potential of collective action.

The role of potassium in sustaining yields in a long-term rice-wheat experiment in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Nepal

A long-term soil fertility experiment (1988-1999) at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bhairhawa, Nepal, was analysed to determine: (1) how long the yields of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be sustained without K but with N and N+P (NP) applied with or without farmyard manure (FYM) and green manure, and (2) the impact of K application on yields. Starting from the 1995 wheat season, the experiment was modified to accommodate K at 0, 42, and 84 kg ha^-1 in plots receiving NP to study the response of rice and wheat to K. Both rice and wheat responded to K application but the response of wheat was substantially higher, indicating that the availability of native K may have been lower in wheat. Rice yields were lower in treatments without P than with P, and yields declined significantly (0.11-0.20 Mg ha^-1 year^-1) in all the treatments except in NP and NP+FYM. Wheat yield was more adversely affected than rice yield when P and K were not applied. In addition, wheat yields were low (average 0.5-2.1 Mg ha^-1 in various treatments). Wheat yields declined (0.08-0.12 Mg ha^-1 year^-1) in all but FYM treatments indicating the role of FYM in sustaining yields. The interaction of K deficiency with Helminthosporium leaf blight (spot blotch and tan spot) is also suggested as one of the factors limiting wheat yields. The estimated K balance in soil was highly negative. Results suggest that farmers should apply adequate amount of K for higher and sustainable rice and wheat yields.     

Occurrence of Fusarium species and mycotoxins in nepalese maize and wheat and the effect of traditional processing methods on mycotoxin levels

Maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) collected in the foothills of the Nepal Himalaya Mountains were analyzed for Fusarium species and mycotoxins: fumonisins, nivalenol (NIV), and deoxynivalenol (DON). Predominant species were Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (F. moniliforme) in maize and F. graminearum in maize and wheat; G. fujikuroi mating population D (F. proliferatum), F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. chlamydosporum, F. equiseti, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, and F. torulosum were also present. Strains of G. fujikuroi mating population A produced fumonisins, and strains of F. graminearum produced NIV or DON. By immunoassay or high-performance liquid chromatography, fumonisins were >1000 ng/g in 22% of 74 maize samples. By immunoassay or fluorometry, NIV and DON were >1000 ng/g in 16% of maize samples but were not detected in wheat. Fumonisins and DON were not eliminated by traditional fermentation for producing maize beer, but Nepalese rural and urban women were able to detoxify contaminated maize by hand-sorting visibly diseased kernels.     

Development of the Regional Policy Process for Air Pollution in South Asia,Southern Africa and Latin America

Projections indicate that large increases in emissions may occur in developing countries during the next twenty to fifty years if current development patterns persist. This paper describes the development of co-operation regarding air pollution issues in three sub-regions of three continents. Experiences gained through activities within a programme on Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries are used to illustrate progress. The sub-regional process in South Asia developed through a series of meetings that led to the Malé Declaration. In southern Africa a policy dialogue led to the Harare Resolution targeted towards progress in the SADC region. A policy dialogue in Buenos Aires concentrated on issues related to regional harmonisation of legal frameworks in the Mercosur region. In all regions the link between scientific information required to support decision making has been emphasised. The sub-regional policy processes are analysed in relation to availability of required scientific information and compared to the process that led to protocol development in Europe.     

Genetic analyses of piglet survival and individual birth weight on first generation data of a selection experiment for piglet survival under outdoor conditions

Genetic parameters of piglet survival traits and birth weight were estimated on the first generation data of a selection experiment aimed at improving piglet survival using a multiple trait linear and threshold model. Data on 5293 piglets for survival at birth, at day one after birth and during the entire nursing period, as well as individual birth weight and litter size, were recorded in an outdoor production system. Genetic effects of piglet survival traits and birth weight were estimated based on threshold and Gaussian models, respectively, using a Bayesian approach. The statistical model included as fixed effects selection group, parity, gender, fostering, gestation length and month of farrowing and, alternatively, an adjustment for litter size. Direct genetic effects (i.e. the piglet's genetic potential) for piglet survival and birth weight were estimated separately, whereas maternal genetic and environmental effects could only be estimated for the given data structure in a combined litter effect. Posterior means of heritabilities for direct genetic effects of survival at birth, at first day after birth and the entire nursing period, as well as birth weight, were 0.08, 0.07, 0.08 and 0.20, respectively. Genetic correlations among survival traits were in the range of 0.29 to 0.40 and indicate that these traits were mainly attributable to different genetic effects. Genetic correlations between direct effects of survival traits and birth weight ranged between 0.18 and 0.23 and were reduced when weights of stillborn piglets were omitted in the analysis or the traits were adjusted for litter size. The magnitudes of direct genetic effects of survival traits are substantially higher than estimates in the literature, which may indicate that these traits have a higher genetic influence under outdoor conditions. The use of birth weight in the multiple trait estimation provided important information for the estimation of survival traits due to its favourable genetic correlations with survival, its high heritability and its high information content as a continuously measured trait.     

Yield response of sugar beets to water stress under Western European conditions

The average yield of sugar beet has almost doubled within the last 30 years. With the raise in average yields and the increase in sensitivity to water stress of sugar beets, the yield response factor (Ky) derived by Doorenbos and Kassam (1979) needs an update. In this article, the soil water balance model BUDGET (Raes et al., 2006) was calibrated and validated to obtain correct estimations of the evapotranspiration deficit (1 − ETa/ETc, where ETa = actual crop evapotranspiration and ETc = maximum crop evapotranspiration under standard conditions) of sugar beets in two locations in France. Datasets of observed soil water contents of several years and different irrigation treatments were used. The simulated evapotranspiration deficits and observed yields were used to derive a seasonal Ky. The obtained linear and polynomial yield response relation between observed yield decline and evapotranspiration deficit showed a high goodness-of-fit. The coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.83, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (EF) = 0.79, the relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) = 0.26 for linear; the coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.85, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (EF) = 0.79, the relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) = 0.25 for polynomial). The results suggested a more pronounced response of sugar beet to water stress in Europe as compared to the values previously reported by Doorenbos and Kassam (1979). The comparison between the observed and simulated yields (with the updated Ky) for another site in France confirmed the findings.     

Effects of transition season management on soil N dynamics and system N balances in rice–wheat rotations of Nepal

In the low-input rice–wheat production systems of Nepal, the N nutrition of both crops is largely based on the supply from soil pools. Declining yield trends call for management interventions aiming at the avoidance of native soil N losses. A field study was conducted at two sites in the lowland and the upper mid-hills of Nepal with contrasting temperature regimes and durations of the dry-to-wet season transition period between the harvest of wheat and the transplanting of lowland rice. Technical options included the return of the straw of the preceding wheat crop, the cultivation of short-cycled crops during the transition season, and combinations of both. Dynamics of soil N_min, nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide emissions, and crop N uptake were studied throughout the year between 2004 and 2005 and partial N balances of the cropping systems were established. In the traditional system (bare fallow between wheat and rice) a large accumulation of soil nitrate N and its subsequent disappearance upon soil saturation occurred during the transition season. This nitrate loss was associated with nitrate leaching (6.3 and 12.8 kg ha⁻¹ at the low and high altitude sites, respectively) and peaks of nitrous oxide emissions (120 and 480 mg m⁻² h⁻¹ at the low and high altitude sites, respectively). Incorporation of wheat straw at 3 Mg ha⁻¹ and/or cultivation of a nitrate catch crop during the transition season significantly reduced the build up of soil nitrate and subsequent N losses at the low altitude site. At the high altitude site, cumulative grain yields increased from 2.35 Mg ha⁻¹ with bare fallow during the transition season to 3.44 Mg ha⁻¹ when wheat straw was incorporated. At the low altitude site, the cumulative yield significantly increased from 2.85 Mg ha⁻¹ (bare fallow) to between 3.63 and 6.63 Mg ha⁻¹, depending on the transition season option applied. Irrespective of the site and the land use option applied during the transition season, systems N balances remained largely negative, ranging from −37 to −84 kg N ha⁻¹. We conclude that despite reduced N losses and increased grain yields the proposed options need to be complemented with additional N inputs to sustain long-term productivity.     

Effect of transpiration on iron uptake and translocation in lowland rice

We evaluated six lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes with contrasting responses to increasing Fe²⁺ concentrations under conditions of both low (0.3 kPa) and high (2.4 kPa) vapor pressure deficit. Dry atmospheric conditions generally enhanced transpiration with concomitant increases in Fe uptake and leaf bronzing. Some resistant genotypes were able to limit the water loss by transpiration under higher Fe concentrations thus attenuating negative effects associated with increased Fe²⁺ translocation at high vapor pressure deficit.