A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar spray of ethephon doses and pruning intensities on the performance of Bhaktapur local cultivar of cucumber in Kaski, Nepal from Feb- May 2021. The study was laid out in Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with 2G and 3G cutting, and four different doses of ethephon (@125ppm, @250ppm, @375ppm @500ppm) as six treatments against control and were replicated four times with 28 plots each of 20.8 m2 size having 4 rows with 4 plants per row. The data regarding plant height, leaf number, largest leaf area, days to 1st male and female flowering and fruit harvest, the total number of male and female flowers per plant, M: F flower ratio, fruit length, circumference, weight/fruit, fruit number per plant, fruit set % and yield were recorded and analyzed using MS-Excel and R-studio. The result revealed that growth and yield were significantly influenced by the levels of ethephon and pruning. Highest yield was recorded with ethephon @125ppm (83.54 t ha-1) which is as par with 3G (72.57 t ha-1) which was accompanied by a significantly higher number of fruits per plant {(125ppm=18.33), (3G=15.67)}, average fruit weight {(3G=674gm)}, (125ppm=608gm)}, and fruit set % {(3G=30.66 %)}, (125ppm=24.93 %)}. Significantly higher plant height (149.78 cm), and the highest number of leaves per plant (40) were recorded in control and Ethephon @125ppm at 50 DAT, respectively. The largest leaf area (626.84 cm2) was recorded in 2G which is at par with 3G (613.31 cm2) at 50 DAT. Higher dose of ethephon @500ppm (47.87 days) and 375 ppm (47.17 days) delayed days to 1st male flowering while all ethephon doses (T4=31.83 days, T5=32.5 days, T6=34.81 days, and T7=34.83 days) hastened female flowering than control and pruning. A significantly higher number of male flowers were obtained in the control (89.75), while the number of female flowers and M: F flower ratio increased with increasing ethephon level than in pruning (2G and 3G) and control. Hence, appropriate ethephon (125ppm) dose and pruning (3G) were highly conducive for better growth, sex expression, and yield of cucumber using Bhaktapur Local variety of cucumber in the hilly region of Nepal has a climatic condition similar to Kaski.

The effect of different organic and inorganic fertilizers had a significant effect on the yield of spring rice. A field experiment was carried out to determine the effects of different organic and inorganic fertilizers on the yield of spring rice var Hardinath-1 at Siranchowk rural municipality-4, Gorkha during the spring season of 2021 with four replications and five treatments: T1[Recommended inorganic fertilizer Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium (@100:30:30 kg/ha)], T2[75% recommended inorganic fertilizer + 25% recommended organic fertilizer: i.e. (Farm Yard Manure (6 ton /ha)], T3(50% recommended inorganic fertilizer + 50% recommended organic fertilizer), T4(25% recommended inorganic fertilizer + 75% recommended organic fertilizer ), and T5 (Recommended organic fertilizer) using simple Randomized Complete Block Design with 3*3 m of individual plot size. A biometrical observation like plant height (95.33 cm), and the number of tillers (340.75/ m2) were found significantly highest on T2. Similarly, yield attributing characteristics like the number of effective tillers (315.75/m2), several filled grains per panicle (150.25), and highest panicle length (25.06 cm) were also significantly highest on T2. The highest grain yield (8.27 ton/ha), straw yield (12.14 ton/ha), and harvest index (0.40) were also observed on T2. Total net return was found highest on T2: 287330 Nepalese Rupees(NPR) incurring the cost of fertilizer Rs NPR 18940 per hectare returning the gross return of NPR 268390 per hectare. In conclusion, T2 was the best combination of other biofertilizer combinations. So, the spring rice productivity can be enhanced via the adoption of 75% recommended inorganic fertilizer + 25% recommended organic fertilizer in fertilizer management practice at Chorkate, Gorkha.

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