Declining interest on maize cultivation

Declining interest on maize cultivation

In Nepal, maize is considered as third important cereal crops after rice and wheat. In hilly and Himalayan region of Nepal it is considered as major staple foods. Maize are consumed as maize flour, roasted maize, baby corn etc. for human and also used for livestock consumption as animal feed. Maize ration consists of high amount of carbohydrate which provide instant energy to livestock. Many feed industries of Nepal are maize based so maize is taken as major cereal for livestock industry.

Recent year, farmer of Nepal is losing interest toward maize cultivation. Maize doesn’t require high irrigation and high fertilizer as those to main cereal crop of Nepal i.e. rice though farmer is losing interest. The main reason for this is newly introduced American fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). This pest is highly destructive as compared to other major pest of maize such as chilo partellus(maize stem borer) and Mythimna separata (armyworm). Nepalese farmers are tired of controlling these pests. Being polyphagous in nature, it can feed on more than 80 plants species which make these pests even more difficult to control.

Its adults are moth having nocturnal habit. It lays egg mainly on leaf surface which hatch within a week in favorable environment condition. Larva are more destructive in nature and are voracious feeder. Its feeding habit is multiple time more than that of another pest. One larva can destroy large amount of plants. Though fall armyworm feed on rice, cotton, sorghum and other vegetable crops but damage is some significant in maize. It bore inside main stem of maize and eat pulp present inside it. This make plant unable to grow further and unable to bear tassel and cob.

Farmers are trying to control this pest but they are losing hope. Every farmer steps are encouraging pests to multiply. Farmers spent more amount of money and time but they are getting no positive results on controlling pests. The cost of production of maize exceeds revenue generation of maize. This make farmer to keep their field barren rather than to cultivate maize. This is scenario of many Terai districts of Nepal where farmers are withdrawing hands from maize cultivation. Many farmers are using Chloropyrifos based insecticide which are high of cost and have to spray several times in 10 days interval. There is no availability of biological control measure in rural area of Nepal and cultural method are not working for controlling these pests. There is no provision of crop insurance in rural part of Nepal in spite of crop failure. These all factor demotivating farmer in cultivation of Maize.