Purpose The purpose of this study was to observe the people’s response regarding rooftop farming in one of the rapidly developing area of Kavrepalanchok district, Dhulikhel, as rooftop farming is aimed in solving food security problem in urban area by providing quality materials for nutritional requirements. Design/methodology/approach The research design of this study was random sampling survey with replacement techniques as respondents without concrete roof were not selected for the study. This study was aimed at recording the people’s response in one of the most accessible way, which would be easy for interpretation and analysis. Findings The major finding was that all of the respondents found rooftop farming beneficial but not all could practice it because of many constraints associated with rooftop farming. Most of them have fear of roof damage, so they are not adopting it. However, the respondents who are practicing rooftop farming find it difficult to manage because of lack of proper knowledge. Planting materials include plastic bags, crates, polythene and many other non-recyclable components. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first ever conducted in their country. Surveys related to rooftop gardening have not been done in the authors’ country till date. This is one of the present needs to improve the urban farming status, thus survey on rooftop farming and solving its constraints is necessary.

Rooftop gardening is one of the present needs for urban settlement for solving food security problems and promoting sustainable agriculture. To highlight the present status of rooftop gardening in Kathmandu a key informant survey was conducted where 52 respondents were selected where the majority of the rooftop garden maintainers were females (52.8%). All of the respondents have a positive response regarding rooftop gardening and was significant with a year of farming in roofs (χ²= 45, df= 9, P-value=0.000) and the area covered by rooftop farms range from 5-13%. There was a significant monetary value of the soft benefit from rooftop garden as food production ($3456.86), air quality ($11-19), stormwater retention ($20609), and carbon sequestration ($6-7) benefits. However, the traditional method was employed to maintain rooftop gardens with planting materials such as plastic bags, pots, and styrofoam carats. Since constraints were recorded in the study area regarding rooftop farming establishment and also is continuing, thus, there should be proper training for the individuals interested in rooftop gardening which enables them to manage and continue their farms more efficiently. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(2): 241-246

Rooftop garden is growing in popularity and can be seen as a green roof for the local production of crops in urban buildings. This study focuses on the nutritionally important plants grown in the rooftop garden and their diversity index and evenness in urban roofs. A total of 103 respondents were selected randomly and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire from the 12th of February to 23rd of May 2020. The findings suggest that the average area under rooftop gardening is 13.52% in Dhulikhel and 7.32% in Kathmandu and all of the respondents have a positive response regarding its continuation because of its multiple benefits from rooftop gardens. The plant species used for edible purposes were 43 species among the reported 91 species. The Shannon diversity index of Kathmandu was 3.58 and of Dhulikhel was 3.04. Due to lack of technical knowledge and fear of heavy load, rooftop garden in Nepal is suffering. Still, the respondents had problems regarding its management and further extension. Thus, this paper recommends the management of proper training to the growers regarding rooftop gardening, its management, and further extension and continuation. Also, much more research is necessary for developing a good crop calendar for rooftop farming.

This paper focuses on the significance and method of priming which is of present and essential need. The need for following seed priming is due to their multiple benefits in agriculture and crop production like rapid germination, good seed vigor, drought, and heat tolerant, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance behavior are seen in primed crops. However, the method of priming for optimum yield differs from crops to crops which are discussed in detail in findings. For sustainable and eco-friendly farming seed priming is also one of the determinants and influencing factors.

Pesticides are applied to protect crops from insects, weeds, and bacterial or fungal diseases during the growth. There would be a 78 percent loss of fruit output, a 54 percent loss of vegetable production, and a 32 percent loss of cereal production if pesticides were not used. When pesticides are applied to a target plant, they have the potential to enter the environment where they can affect non target organisms. Concerns have also been raised about pesticide currently uses and its impact on the environment with the possibility for hazardous or carcinogenic residues. This review paper provides basic information about the general types of pesticide in use and the role of pesticides in agriculture with its impact in environmental components. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 10(2): 75-83.