Subsistence Bhutanese farmers spread across different agro-ecological zones maintain large species and varietal diversity of different crops in their farm. However, no studies have been undertaken yet to assess why farmers conserve and maintain large agro-biodiversity, the extent of agro-ecological richness, species richness, estimated loss of traditional varieties and threats to the loss of on-farm agro-biodiversity. Information on the number of varieties cultivated by the farmers for six important staple crops were collected from nine districts and twenty sub-districts spread across six different agro-ecological zones of the country to understand farmers reasons for maintaining on-farm crop diversity, estimate OPEN ACCESSAgriculture 2015, 5 3 agro-ecological richness, species richness and the overall loss of traditional varieties, to know the famers' level of awareness on climate change and the different threats to crop diversity. The results from this study indicated that an overwhelming 93% of the respondents manage and use agro-biodiversity for household food security and livelihood. The average agro-ecological richness ranged from 1.17 to 2.26 while the average species richness ranged from 0.50 to 2.66. The average agro-ecological richness indicates a large agro-ecological heterogeneity in terms of the different species of staple crops cultivated. The average species richness on the other hand shows that agro-ecological heterogeneity determines the type and extent of the cultivation of the six different staple cereals under consideration. The overall loss of traditional varieties in a time period of 20 years stands at 28.57%. On climate change, 94% of the farmers recognize that local climate is changing while 86% responded that they are aware of the potential impacts of climate change on their livelihoods. Climate change and associated factors was considered the most imminent threat to the management and loss of on-farm agro-biodiversity. The results from this study indicate that on-farm agro-biodiversity conservation, development and utilization programs have to be more specific to the different agro-ecological zones considering the agro-ecological heterogeneity. Attention has to be given to individual crops that have low average species richness and high percentage of loss of traditional varieties. The impact of climate change could offset the traditional seed system which primarily supports the persistence of on-farm agro-biodiversity in several ways.
Bhutan represents typical mountain agriculture farming systems with unique challenges. The agriculture production systems under environmental constraints are typical of smallscale agricultural subsistence systems related to family farming in the Himalayan Mountains with very low level of mechanization, numerous abiotic stresses influenced by climate and other socio-economic constraints. Quinoa was first introduced in 2015 through FAO's support to Bhutan as a new crop to enhance the food and nutritional security of the Bhutanese people. The main objective was to adapt this versatile crop to the local mountain agriculture conditions as a climate resilient crop for diversifying the farmer's traditional potato and maize based cropping systems. Ten quinoa varieties were evaluated at two different sites representing contrasted mountain agroecologies in Bhutan and were tested during the two agricultural campaigns 2016 and 2017. Yusipang (2600 masl) represents the cool temperate agroecological zone, and Lingmethang (640 masl) the dry subtropical agroecological zone. The sowing time differed depending on the growing season and elevation of the sites. Results indicate that quinoa can be successfully grown in Bhutan for the two different agroecological zones. The grain yields varied from 0.61 to 2.68 t.ha -1 in the high altitude areas where quinoa was seeded in spring and harvested in autumn season. The grain yield in the lower elevation ranged from 1.59 to 2.98 t.ha -1 where the crop was sown in autumn and harvested in winter season. Depending on genotypes' characteristics and agroecological zones, crop maturity significantly varied from 92 to 197 days with all genotypes maturing much earlier in the lower elevations where mean minimum and maximum temperatures during the growing season were higher. Quinoa is rapidly promoted across different agroecological contexts in the country as a new climate resilient and nutrient dense pseudo cereal to diversify the traditional existing cropping system with some necessary adjustments in sowing time, suitable varieties and crop management practices. To fast track the rapid promotion of this new crop in Bhutan, four varieties have been released in 2018. In just over three years, the cultivation of quinoa as a new cereal has been demonstrated and partially adapted to the maize and potato based traditional cropping systems under the Himalayan mountain agriculture. Quinoa is also being adapted to the rice based cropping system and rapidly promoted as an alternative food security crop in the current 12 th Five Year national development plan of Bhutan. To rapidly promote quinoa cultivation, the Royal Government PLOS ONE | https://doi.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an indispensable commodity, mainly cultivated by high-altitude mountain households, that sustains and supports the livelihood of an overwhelming 51% of the Bhutanese population. The popularity of potato cultivation among Bhutanese farmers can be attributed to the crop’s adaptability to a wide range of agroclimatic conditions such as a rainfed crop, high productivity, an assured market, and a reliable source of income for the farming families. We hypothesize that the changing climate would make the livelihood associated with potato cultivation in Bhutan more vulnerable. We tested this hypothesis to identify the sources of vulnerability of smallholder farming households using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and LVI-IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) approaches in six potato growing districts of Bhutan: Bumthang, Chukha, Gasa, Mongar, Tashigang, and Wangdue. Primary data were generated through a semi structured sample survey of 240 households on the seven major livelihood components of sociodemographic profiles, livelihood strategies, social networks, health, food, water, natural disasters, and climate variability. The results showed that the LVI (range 0.302 to 0.375) and LVI-IPCC (range −0.005 to 0.030) differed significantly (p < 0.001) across the districts. The districts of Tashigang and Mongar were less vulnerable than the other four districts by the LVI approach, whereas Bumthang was also revealed to be less vulnerable using the LVI-IPCC approach. The degree of vulnerability in a district differed according to their level of exposure and adaptive capacity to the climate change impacts of the potato farming household. The results are expected to serve as empirical evidence for designing a future course of actions to mitigate the negative impacts.
Bhutan represents typical mountain agriculture farming systems with unique challenges. The topography, agriculture production systems and environmental constraints are typical of small-scale agricultural subsistence systems related to family farming in the Himalayan Mountains with very low level of mechanization, numerous abiotic stresses influenced by climate and other socio-economic constraints. Quinoa was first introduced in 2015 through FAO's support to Bhutan as a new crop with the objectives to adapt this versatile crop to the local mountain agriculture conditions as a climate resilient crop for diversifying the farmer's traditional potato, maize, and based cropping systems, and to enhance the food and nutritional security of the Bhutanese people.Ten quinoa varieties were evaluated at two different sites representing contrasted mountain agro-ecologies in Bhutan and were tested during the two agricultural campaigns 2016 and 2017. Yusipang (2600 m asl) represents the cool temperate agroecological zone, and Lingmethang (640 m asl) the dry subtropical agroecological zone.The sowing time differed depending on the growing season and elevation of the sites. Results indicate that quinoa can be successfully grown in Bhutan for the two different agro-ecological zones. The grain yields varied from 0.61 to 2.68 t ha -1 in the high altitude areas where quinoa was seeded in spring and harvested in autumn season. The grain yield in the lower elevation ranged from 1.59 to 2.98 t ha -1 where the crop was sown in autumn and harvested in winter season. Depending on genotypes' characteristics, agro-ecology and elevation of the sites and variety; crop maturity significantly varied from 92 to 197 days with all genotypes maturing much earlier in the lower elevations where mean minimum and maximum temperatures during the growing season were higher. Quinoa is rapidly promoted across different agro-ecological contexts in the country as a new climate resilient and nutrient dense pseudo cereal to diversify the traditional existing cropping system with some necessary adjustments in sowing time, suitable varieties and crop management practices. To fast track the rapid promotion of this new crop, four varieties have also been released in 2018. In just over three years, the cultivation of quinoa as a new cereal has been demonstrated and partially adapted to the maize-potato traditional cropping systems under the Himalayan mountain agriculture environment. Quinoa is also being adapted to the rice based cropping system and rapidly promoted as an alternative food security crop in the current 12 th Five Year national development plan of Bhutan.
Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis Willd.) is a native legume that is cultivated by subsistence Bhutanese farmers as one of the many other pulses for household food security. Several scientific literatures have revealed that many Bhutanese Adzuki bean germplasm has been assessed for genetic variability confirming that Adzuki bean is native to Bhutan. The cultivation of Adzuki bean currently is confined to small areas as a marginal crop for household consumption. The drive towards a certified organic production system in Bhutan has called for an urgent need to adapt, release and promote organic technologies, particularly on organic pests and diseases, and sustainable soil fertility management. Adaptation of high-yielding Adzuki bean varieties and their commercialization as a health food, high-value crop for export, and a good source of nitrogen for sustainable soil fertility management was studied. One new Japanese variety Erimo was rapidly evaluated in the researcher-managed and farmer-managed trials under the organic production system at different locations. The seed yield in the researcher-managed trial was significantly different over locations (P<0.05) and ranged from 540 to 1215 kg ac-1 with a mean yield of 907.50 kg ac-1. Under the farmer-managed trials in the 2020 season, seed yield ranged from 150 to1080 kg ac-1 with a mean of 431.40 kg ac-1. The days to crop maturity ranged from 104 to 126 days which fits well into the farmers’ existing cropping system. The 23rd Variety Release Committee (VRC) of the DoA endorsed the release of this variety Erimo with the local name Yusi-Adzuki. This variety will be promoted for commercial cultivation for export to Japan, and as a sustainable soil fertility management technology in the organic production system.
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