Introduction: Substance use including tobacco and alcohol is the most important cause of preventable morbidity, disability, and premature mortality. The study aims to specify the prevalence and the pattern of use of different substance. Methods: A cross sectional study was performed amongst first year and final year students in four medical colleges in Kathmandu using self administered anonymous questionnaire.Data collectedfrom 446 students were analyzed. Results: Prevalence of substance use was found to be 60.3% among the medical students. Alcohol (57.6%) was the substance most prevalently used followed by tobacco (27.58%) and cannabis (12.8%). Mean age of first exposure was 17.94 (Confidence interval: 17.91-17.97). There was significant difference in the useof tobacco and cannabis amongst final year students than first year students. Male and female differed significantly in use of every substance except for benzodiazepine. Medical college, college and school were place of first exposure in 17.26%, 15.92% and 13.23% of the cases respectively. Family history was associated with substance use in medical students and was statistically significant (P<0.0001).Experimentation was the major reason for the use of most of the substances. Conclusions: Substance use is prevalent in male medical students of both first and final year. Hence steps should be initiated early in school, college and medical college to prevent substance use. Keywords: alcohol, medical students, substance use, tobacco.

Evaluation of the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance of traits is an essential task in any plant improvement program. Twenty maize genotypes were replicated twice in a randomized complete block design on a research plot of Prithu Technical College, Deukhuri Dang of Nepal from June 2017 to September 2017 to determine genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for different agronomic traits. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in the traits tassel length, ear height, days to fifty percent tasseling, days to fifty percent silking, kernels’ rows ear-1, kernels row-1 and grain yield. The highest GCV (31.53%) and PCV (39.20%) were recorded on grain yield. Grain yield and ear height recorded high heritability along with high genetic advance as a percent of mean (GAM). Tassel length and kernels row-1 showed high heritability integrated with moderate GAM and moderate heritability integrated with moderate GAM respectively. Further, grain yield showed a significant and positive correlation with plant height, tassel length, ear height, cob length, cob diameter, kernels’ rows ear-1, and kernels row-1. Thus the selection of ear height, tassel length and kernels row-1 is suggested as they performed better in terms of both heritability and GAM than other traits and they also recorded a significant and positive correlation with yield.

Proper pinching practice and the optimum rate of nitrogen (N) enhance the production of marigold. An experiment was conducted at a farmer’s field in Gadawa-4, Gangaparaspur, Dang, Nepal from July 2018 to November 2018 to investigate the effects of different rates of nitrogen and pinching on yield and yield attributes of African marigold (cv. Kolkata Local). Two factorial experiment was laid in the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were eight treatments, consist of four rates of nitrogen (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha) and two levels of pinching (pinching and non-pinching). The maximum plant height (89.70 cm), the diameter of flower (4.29 cm) and the fresh weight per flower (4.32 g) and early days to 50% flowering (61.58) were obtained at non- pinching. The highest number of flowers (60.66), yield per plant (237.49 g) and yield per hectare (9.89 t/ha) were obtained with pinching. The highest plant height (92.20 cm) was recorded at 150 kg/ha of N but the highest yield per plant (238.18 g) and yield per ha (9.91 t/ha) was obtained at 50 kg/ha of nitrogen application. No significant effect was noted on the days to 50% flowering, number of flowers per plant, fresh weight per flower and diameter of flowers by different rates of nitrogen. The interaction of pinching and different rates of nitrogen showed non- significant effect on yield per plant and yield per ha. But, the combination of pinching and nitrogen rates at 50 kg/ha recorded the maximum yield per plant (249.20 g) and yield per ha (10.36 t/ha). Hence it is suggested to use pinching practice with optimum application of nitrogen @ 50 kg/ha to obtain high yield of marigold.

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) is necessary to enhance sustainable yield in an eco-friendly way. A field experiment was conducted in the research field of Midwest Academy and Research Institute College of Live Sciences, Tulsipur, Dang from November 2018 to January 2019 to investigate the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of radish. Mino Early variety was used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out on Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications and 5 treatments. Nitrogen (N) was supplied through different sources. The treatment combinations were: control (T1), 100% recommended N through chemical fertilizer (T2), 50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through farmyard manure (FYM) (T3), 50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through poultry manure (T4) and 50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% vermicompost (T5). Significant effect was noted on leaf numbers, root length, root diameter and yield per ha but no significant effect was noted on the germination percentage and plant height. The highest germination percentage  (77.00 %), plant height (13.27 cm), root length (16.94 cm), root diameter (3.01 cm), and yield per ha (16.55 t/ha) was recorded at T4 (50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through poultry manure). T5 (50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% vermicompost) recorded the highest leaf numbers (10.40). In our experiment, T4 (50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through poultry manure) was found to be superior, so in inner terai places like Tulsipur, Dang it is suggested to apply 50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through poultry manure to obtain a high yield of radish.

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Although Nepal produces a large amount of mandarin it faces huge postharvest losses due to improper postharvest practices. Treating fruits with different edible coatings can minimize postharvest losses. The experiment was carried out in the horticulture lab of Prithu Technical College, Dang, Nepal to evaluate the effects of different edible coating materials on the postharvest quality of mandarin. The experiment was laid in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and seven treatments  in each replication. Mandarins were coated with different edible coating materials i.e. paraffin wax (100%, 75% and 50%), mustard oil, Aloe vera, turmeric paste and control (non-coated). After coating with different edible materials, mandarins were kept at ambient room conditions (18±2℃ and 52.41±14.35%). The lowest physiological loss in weight at 7, 14and 21 days was recorded in mandarin coated with 75% paraffin wax which was 3.10%, 4.83% and 10.33%, respectively. The highest titratable acidity (0.68%), juice content (46.33%) and marketable fruit percentage (81.73%) were recorded in 75% paraffin wax. The highest total soluble solid (14.00 ˚Brix) was recorded in control. Based on the result obtained from our research, it is suggested to use 75% paraffin wax for the storage of mandarin at ambient room conditions (18±2℃ and 52.41±14.35% RH) as it gives a high percentage of marketable fruits and juice content and also minimizes the physiological loss in weight.

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