1. A proposal on :
ENHANCEMENT OF ECONOMIC STATUS OF MAIZE FARMER
UNDER CROP ROTATION OF LENTIL AND MAIZE WITH
CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT
Researcher:
Shree Krishna Adhikari
Tribhuvan University
Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science
Rampur Campus
Rampur, Chitwan
Project duration:
October, 2013 to June, 2014
Budget:
Rs. 129,950.00
Research site:
4 VDCs in Chitwan
Nepal

2. Proposal outline:
• Introduction
• Justification of the study
• Problem tree analysis
• Objective
• Hypothesis
• Research methodology
• Expected outcomes
• Logical framework
• Time line
• Budget
• Reference

3. Introduction:
• Maize is the second important crop of Nepal after rice in terms of area
grown and production (Sah and Zamora, 2007). According to MOAC
(2011) maize is cultivated in 906 thousand ha. of land and production is
2067000 mt. that is almost 24 % of the total cereal production.
• Maize contribution towards national GDP is 3.6% and to AGDP it is 9.3%
(Thakur et al., 2006).
• In Nepal, the productivity of maize is almost stagnant but the demand of it
is expected to be 4 to 6% per year over next 20 years (Poudel et al., 2001).
That is why the productivity of the maize should be increased.
• Manures and fertilizers have the major role in the high productivity of
maize. Chemical fertilizer application is not the sustainable solution for
increasing productivity.

4. Introduction contd….
• Due to deterioration of soils and high cost of chemical
fertilizer, there is the need of escape differently.
• Growing the concern about the declining the organic matter in
soil as well as nutrient imbalance and increasing the cost of
chemical fertilizer have led to the interest of legume as the
solution of these problems (www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca).

5. Justification of the study
• In Nepal there is no any self –conducted agro-fertilizer company that will
satisfy the need of fertilizer.
• Source of fertilizer should be depending upon the neighbor country India.
• There is the lack of timely accessible to the fertilizer too.
• Almost of the people in Nepal are very poor and don’t have access to the
fertilizer and they have to depend upon the existing soil fertility solely.
• The people who are involved in the agriculture are of toothless generation
and they do have lack of knowledge of modern farming techniques and
dose of fertilizer application.
• Nitrogen fixing plants like legume can enhance the soil fertility with low of
cost.
• Crop residue management will enhance the soil fertility and structure.

6. Problem Tree Analysis:

7. Objective:
Major objective:
• To enhance the livelihood of the farmers by increasing the productivity of
the maize under the crop rotation of maize and lentil with crop residue
management.
Specific objective:
- To minimize the use of chemical fertilizer in maize farming
- To improve the soil fertility and organic matter content
- To reduce the cost of production

8. Hypothesis:
• H0: There will be no difference in the cost of production of maize under
crop rotation of maize and lentil with crop residue management.
• H1: There will be cost effective in the production of maize under crop
rotation of maize and lentil with crop residue management.

9. Literature Review:
* Organic matter is an important part of the soil (crop residue such maize
stalks, bean residue, grasses etc.) that includes living microorganisms, control
both the chemical composition and the physical structure of the soil
(www.organicfarmermagazine.org) .
* If chemical fertilizers are used year after year, the nutrients balance in the
soil is interfered with, leading to a situation where more of one nutrient that
blocks the others from being taken up by plants (Subedi et al., 1995).
* It is the more cost effective to buy the rhizobium inoculated seed of lentil to
use than use of chemical fertilizer (www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca, 2012).
* Lentil fixes about 60–110 kg nitrogen per ha per year (Griffiths, 2009) .

10. Research methodology:
Selection of the study area
• The study will be conducted in 4 VDCs (Mangalpur, Shardanagar, Bhimnagar and
Shivanagar)in Chitwan district.
• 2 VDCs (Mangalpur and Shardanagar) will be of beneficiary group where crop rotation of
lentil and maize with crop residue management practices are being adopted and 2 VDCs
(Bhimnagar and Shivanagar) will be non-beneficiary group where this practices are not being
adopted.
Selection of sample and sampling procedure
• A representative sample of 60 respondents from two VDCs among the crop rotation of lentil
and maize with crop residue management using farmers and 60 from non-beneficiary VDCs
will be selected purposively.
Preliminary Survey:
• It will be done in the first week of October to find the agricultural condition and nature of the
respondents.
Final survey
• A survey will be done in December and April among the sampled respondent.

11. Research methodology contd…
Data analysis
• Descriptive statistics like frequency and percent analysis will be used to analyse cropping intensity,
crop yield and farmers income.
• The regression analysis will also be used to assess the contribution of crop rotation of maize and
lentil with crop residue management to the production and to farm income as well.
• Y= a0 +a1 X1 +a2X2+a3X3+a4X4+a5X5
Where,
Y= production (qt)
X1= landholding (ha)
X2= cropping intensity (%)
X3=amount of soil nutrient contributed by lentil and crop residue
management(kg/ha)
X4= amount of chemical fertilizer (kg/ha)
X5= economically active family members (no.)
a0= intercept
aj= regression coefficients(i=1,2,3,4,5)
X1X2X3X4X5-= explanatory variables

12. Research methodology contd…

13. Expected outcomes:
• By 2015, 10 % more farmer will follow the new farming technique of the
maize production
• By 2015, the cost of production in the maize will be decrease by 20%
• Soil fertility will be improved.
• Cost effective in production will be assessed and it will be more cost
effective when maize is cultivated under crop rotation of lentil and maize
with crop residue management.

14. Logical framework:
Narrative Summary Objectively Verifiable Indicators (OVI) Means of Verification (MOV) Assumptions
Goal
To enhance the livelihood of the maize
farmer
By 2017, 25% of the maize farmers
increases in income by 15%
Annual reports of MOAC and
NPC
Climatological condition
remain favorable
Purpose
To decrease the cost of fertilizer in
production of maize by crop rotation of
maize and lentil and crop residue
management
By 2015, the cost of production in the maize
will be decrease by 20%
Annual reports of DADO. DDC,
MOAC, NARC
Farmers adopt the technology
Output
Suitable technique establishes for maize
production in low cost.
Improvement of the soil organic matter
content.
Increase of the interest of farmer in maize
farming in new technique.
By 2014, this technique will establish for the
maize production in low cost.
By 2014, improvement of organic matter
content in soil will be achieved
By 2015, 10 % more farmer will follow the
new farming technique of the maize
production
Survey of the respective area
Lab analysis of the soil report
Budget released in time.
Timely available of the inputs
Irrigation facility is well
maintained
Electricity is available all the
time
Activities
1. Site selection
2. Soil testing before lentil cultivation
3. Cultivation of the lentil
4. Data collection about lentil
5. Soil testing before maize cultivation
6. Residue management
7. Cultivation of maize
8. Data collection about maize
9. Data analysis
10. Report writing
11. Presentation and publication
Input budget:
Total NRs.: 55,200 only

15. Timeline :
SN Activities Month
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May Jun
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
1. Literature review
2. Site selection
3. Preparation of
questionnaire
4. Preliminary survey
5. Soil testing
6. Lentil cultivation
7. Data collection about
lentil
8. Crop residue
management
9. Soil testing
10. Maize cultivation
11. Data collection about
maize
12. Data analysis and report
writing

16. Budget:
S.N. Particulars Amount (NRs.)
1 Preliminary field survey 10000.00
2 Stationery Materials 4000.00
3 Interview schedule preparation and pre-testing 12000.00
4 Travel expenses 10000.00
5 Expenses during data collection 25000.00
6 Validation and data entry 9000.00
7 Literature collection, communication 6000.00
8 Analysis of data 12000.00
9 Farmer convenience for the participation 25000.00
Subtotal 113000.00
Contingency (5%) 5650.00
Over head (10%) 11300.00
Grand total 129950.00