REGIONAL PRIORITIES OF SOIL HEALTH FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES Mr. Krishna Bahadur Thapa

1. “Regional Conference on Soil and Plant Health
Towards Achieving Sustainable Development
Goals in Asia-Pacific”
November 21st to 23rd, 2018
Bangkok, Thiland
WELCOME

2. REGIONAL PRIORITIES OF SOIL HEALTH FOR RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES
Mr. Krishna Bahadur Thapa
Co-ordinator/Senior Scientist
Government of Nepal
Nepal Agricultural Research Council
Coffee Research Program, Gulmi,
Nepal
November 21 -23, 2018

3. Fig. Physiographic regions of Nepal (Topographic Survey Branch, Department of Survey, GoN, 1983.)
Land coverage in Percentage
1. H. Himalayan- 23.7%
2. H. Mountain - 19.7%
3. M. Mountain - 29.5%
4. Siwalik - 12.7%
5. Terai region - 14.4%
Total land area: 147,181sqkm

4. Background
• Agriculture is mainstay of Nepalese economy which contributes 28% to the GDP.
• Systematic study of soil in Nepal was started from 1957 AD with the establishment of Soil science
section under Department of Agriculture and renamed as Soil Science Division (SSD)under
organizational structure of NARC in 1992.
• Research activities related to soil was handled by SSD and Development related to soil science
was handled by Department of Agriculture (DOA).
• Soil fertility in Nepal is largely maintained by the application of compost and farm yard manure,
but in recent years a decline in soil fertility has been reported (e.g. Shrestha et. al., 2000).
• Historical trends : increasing crop intensification, decreasing livestock numbers, increasing use of
chemical fertilizers, reduced labor availability and change in the climate over the last 30-40 years)
showed a decline in soil productivity (Desbiez, et. al., 2004).

5. 62.18
28.35
9.47
53.32
32.30
14.38
57.89
26.32
15.79
47.72
39.96
12.32
8.72
32.04
59.24
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
less Medium Excess less Medium Excess less Medium Excess Acidic Neutral Alkaline High Medium Low
Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium pH Organic matter
Samplein
percentage
Sample size: 12661 for N, P, K, pH and 6729 for OM analysis
Major nutrients, pH, organic matter and their status
Source: Annual report, SMD 2015/016
Note: Nitrogen: Low :< 0.1%; Medium: 0.1-0.2%; High: >0.2%; Phosphorus: Low: <26kg/ha; Medium: 26-55kg/ha; High:
>55kg/ha; Potash: Low: <110kg/ha; Medium: 110-180kg/ha; High: >280kg/ha
Status of major soil fertility parameters
of Nepal

6. Soil health issues and challenges in Nepal
Key issues
• Acidity
• Soil Erosion/land degradation
• Poor organic matter, NPK and micronutrients
• Polluted with agrochemicals
• Reduced water holding capacity
• Low beneficial organisms and high harmful
organisms
• Low soil fertility
• Climate change
Challenges
• Capacity (human and capital
resources)
• Infrastructure for research
(laboratory buildings and
equipment)
• Extension (Good linkage
between Education, Research
and Extension)
• Policies (NAP 2004, National
Land use policy 2013 etc.)

7. Recent initiatives in soil health management
• By farmer: Soil fertility management through agricultural practices such as
green manuring, use of bio-fertilizers, INM techniques, adoption of agroforestry
with NF tress species and other soil conserving techniques.
• By Extension agents: promotion of technologies related to sustainable soil
management such as training on improved composting technology, vermi-
compost, agroforestry and trainings related to INM.
• By Researchers: Research focused on increasing soil fertility, organic matter,
bio-fertilizer and reclamation of polluted soil and techniques for soil
conservation.

8. Priority areas of Soil Health Research in Nepal
• Mostly focused on soil fertility and nutrient management.
• Special focus on micronutrient research (specially in B and Zn).
• Developed about 200 technologies through joint effort from
Soil Science Division and various research stations.
• Improvement of local technologies for sustainable soil
management is focused in research.

9. Facilities for Soil Research in Nepal
• Laboratory facility with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), Spectro-
photometer, Flamephotometer, ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma), pH, OM,
texture, major nutrients (N, P and K), secondary nutrients (Ca, Mg and S) and
micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Zn, B, Mo and Mn) analysis for soils and plants.
• Facility to conduct research on isolation, identification, authentication and
production of various bio-fertilizers (Rhizobium, Azotobactor, Cellulose
decomposing organisms etc.)
• GIS for land resource management and sustainable agricultural development.
• Bacterial fertilizer for cereal, grain, fodder and pasture legumes, earthworm and
trichoderma for faster decomposition of organic farm waste and quality
composting.
• Trained manpower for district level soil survey.

10. • Till the date, around 200 soil related technologies has been
generated.
• 56 districts of Nepal have been surveyed and a generalized
national soil fertility map prepared.
• Organic fertilization enhanced by recommending organic
fertilizer company products.
• Under BNF program Rhizobium, Azotobactor and Azolla
technologies are tested and verified.
Achievements so far in Soil Science

11. Organizational units and their activities
within SSD
a. Soil fertility
- Soil fertility management technologies
- Identify approaches to increase fertilizer
use efficiency
- To recommend the site specific plant
nutrients
- To combat soil and water pollution for
environmental protection.
b. Soil survey
- Conduct soil surveys for soil identification,
description, analysis, mapping using GIS
and Remote sensing.
c. Soil Chemistry
- To diagnose and identify the plant nutrient
problems.
d. Soil Physics
- Carry out research works related to soil
physical properties
e. Soil microbiology
- To identify and study on the locally
available and organic resources like green
manure, organic manures and bacterial
fertilizer and increasing soil health.

12. Way forward
Soil research in Nepal needs to be addressed
• Acidity
• Micronutrients
• Organic nutrient sources
• Enhancing bio-fertilizers
• Soil test based fertilizer recommendation
• Land degradation/erosion/conservation
• Climate change
• Bioremediation
• Other recently developed technologies such
as Soil genomics, Soil hybridization, soil
resilience and nano technology.
• Further strengthening laboratory
facility.
• Good linkage between Education,
Research and Extension.
• Upgrade laboratory facility to Soil
pollutant, heavy metals and
micronutrient analysis.
• Strengthening human resource and
manpower.
• Qualified trainer to demonstrate the
verified technologies to the farmers.

13. A case from Coffee Research Program, Gulmi, Nepal
Land management through agroforestry approach and Coffee orchard establishment in Gulmi in 2014
Before 2014 AD. In 2018 AD.