Globally, the use of pesticide is growing day by day, but the use of PPE in developing countries is still low and farmers are directly exposed to chemicals which have negative health issues. Thus, this study was conducted in different places of Nepal where the use and adoption of chemical pesticide is high. This study aims on assessment of pesticide handling practices and determinants of adoption of PPE where 281 respondents were interviewed by the simple random sampling technique. A binary logit model was used to predict the determinants for adoption of PPE while spraying pesticides. Schooling years, training, reading label, and buying pesticide by name are the determining factors in adoption of PPE at 1% level of significance in the logit model. Still, the pesticide handling practices followed by farmers are not satisfactory and proper protective clothes are not used while spraying pesticides. Thus, to protect from different health issues, training, seminars, and talk discussion should be scheduled regarding safe pesticide handling practices and adoption of PPE. Also, the use of biopesticides should be encouraged as they are most promising and ecofriendly.

Heat resilient maize hybrids are an important input in maize cultivated area coupled with high temperature during the flowering period, with a specific focus on the Terai region of Nepal. The research was conducted in the Dhangadhi district from April 2020 to August 2020 in an alpha-lattice design with 26 genotypes and two replications. Analysis of variance suggests that genotypes were significantly different for all traits except plant height and plant population. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all traits. High PCV and GCV values were found in the anthesis silking interval, ear aspect and grain yield and low values in the anthesis days and silking days. Highly heritable traits were days to 50% tasseling (0.74), days to 50% silking (0.74), ear aspect (0.69), number of rows per cob (0.84), number of grains per row (0.61), cob diameter (0.87), and cob length (0.86). Genetic advance ranged from the lowest in plant height to the highest in anthesis silking interval. Correlation studies revealed that grain yield showed a negative and significant correlation with reproductive traits, while a positive and significant correlation between ear height and number of ears per hectare was observed. Cluster analysis grouped 26 genotypes into 5 major clusters, and the intracluster distance ranged from 4034.3 to 34960.3. Thus, traits having high variation can be used as selection indices for indirect selection for the improvement of maize productivity and suggest genotype like ZH182079, ZH1767, and KH15486 with high yield for commercialization and distribution to farmers.

This study aims to analyze the status of climate change and determinants of people’s awareness of climate change in Sarlahi district, Nepal. A total of 102 respondents were selected randomly from the study area and interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire from May 12, 2021, to May 23, 2021. Along with the determinants, this survey emphasized finding climate-smart alternatives favoring not only the population or sectors like agriculture but also the climate itself. The chi-square test was conducted to measure the relationship between the operational variables, which revealed that there was no significant relationship between gender and knowledge of climate change, occupation and knowledge of climate change, land ownership and knowledge of climate change, guardian and knowledge of climate change, and decision role and knowledge on climate change. However, education, family size, and age had a significant effect on the knowledge of climate change. The binary logit model reported that age, years of schooling, training related to climate change, and involvement with cooperatives were found to have a significant effect on people’s awareness of climate change. Thus, improving people’s adoption of climate-smart agriculture in the education system of the study area and training the people in the study area should be a prime concern.

An Ethnomedicinal survey study was conducted to get information about the usage of medicinal plants and the diversity of species found around the village. The main objective of the study was to document the plants for their medicinal and other uses. Ethnomedicinal plants are locally available used by tribal communities and local inhabitants for various medicinal purposes. Random sampling survey was conducted by selecting 50 households to access the medicinal plants and document their usage in Gokuleshwor, Baitadi. A total of 33 species of medicinal plants to treat 40 ailments was reported with their multipurpose use. During the survey, an equal proportion of males and females aged 14 to 78 were selected randomly. The literacy rate of the study area was 80% and 94% of the people were found to be involved in the collection of medicinal plants. The majority of the respondents (92%) used medicinal plants for minor diseases like cuts, wounds whereas few were found to use the medicinal plant for a long time to treat major diseases like cancer, tumor. The use of medicinal plants for skin infections, cuts and wounds, fever was found to be high followed by diarrhea, common cold, ulcer, asthma, jaundice, burns, piles, and eye inflammation. Most of the plants were found to be used for more than one disease. The conservation of Indigenous knowledge on the Ethnomedicinal plant should be promoted as most of the respondents were unaware of the conservation of medicinal plants.

Home garden, the name itself clarifies its meaning any garden that is belonging to home which can be anywhere at the front, behind, or in any fallow land. The reason why home garden and its diversity were studied is get access to the ethnobotanical study of the species and knowledge among people regarding the home garden could be more lighten up. A survey was conducted from October (2019) to January (2020). Among the surveyed fifty households, the type of home garden dominated was front type ranging from 45-700m2 whose management and diversity were changing as per the gender. Altogether of 108 species were collected in a home garden belonging to 45 families, 34 species were found to be common. The representative families Leguminosae and Asteraceae rank on top followed by Moraceae, Brassicaceae, Poaceae, and so on. Despite the result concluding the most diversified crops, the home garden of Sunsari district itself carries a wider range of diversity from fruits, vegetables, spices to economically useful species like ornamental plants and fodders. With the studies and knowledge accounted, it can be concluded that pursuing a home garden not only revalues our health and environment but also preserves a hundred ages of traditions.