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Aims: Production of chili (Capsicum annuum Linnaeus; Solanaceae) in rain-fed regions of Nepal during the winter is constrained by the limited availability of soil moisture. Mulching has been a proven tool to conserve soil moisture and enhance yield. A field study was conducted in the winter of 2019 to identify the most suitable mulch that enhances the yield and yield attributing parameters of chili. Study Design: Seven treatments with three replications were evaluated under the randomized complete block design. Among the treatments, rice straw (5 kg/plot) and water reed (5 kg/plot) were used as natural mulches. While, plastic mulches: transparent (25 µ), silver (25 µ), black (25 µ), and black thick (50 µ) (double thickness) were used as synthetic mulches. Only soil with no mulch was the control. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Bangau, Dang, Nepal from November 2019 to May 2020. Methodology: We measured soil temperature at 10 cm depth using soil thermometer, and calculated soil moisture through oven dry method. Similarly, weight of ten fresh and ten dry fruits was recorded from each plot using an electronic scale. Number of fruits per plant was also counted. All the data were analyzed using ANOVA and means were separated following a post hoc test. Results: The highest soil moisture (18.38%), number of fruits per plant (24.91), fruit fresh weight per ten fruits (59.86 g), and fruit dry weight per ten fruits (14.65 g) were recorded in black thick plastic mulched plots. Furthermore, the lowest fresh weed weight (95.30 g) was also measured in black thick plastic mulched plots. Whereas, the highest soil temperature (18.92°C) was recorded in transparent plastic mulched plots. Conclusion: This study concludes black thick plastic as the most effective among the treatments tested in this study in enhancing yield and yield attributing parameters of chili.

A field investigation was carried out during wheat season of 2019-2020 under normal and late sowing conditions at the research farm of the Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal to evaluate the agro-morphological and yield related traits of spring wheat. A set of thirty elite spring wheat genotypes were evaluated. The experiment was laid out in an Alpha lattice design with three replications. Each replication consisted of 30 treatments of wheat with altogether 90 treatments in three replications. Wheat was sown in two sowing dates that normal sowing date (22nd November, 2019) and late sowing date (23rd December, 2019). Significant differences were observed between two sowing dates for heading and maturity days, plant height, grains spike-1, thousand kernel weight, grain yield, biomass yield, harvest index and SPAD reading. Generally, almost all the traits manifested superiorly on normal sowing date. The mean plant height was 92.71 cm for normal and 88.3 cm for late sown condition. The mean grain yield was 2.94 t ha-1 in normal and 1.91 t ha-1 in late sown condition. Gautam had maximum grain yield that 3.84 t ha-1 followed by Bhrikuti, Vijaya and Aditya under normal sown condition. Bhrikuti had maximum grain yield (2.34 t ha-1) followed by Vijaya, Gautam and NL 297 under late sowing conditions. Significant positive correlation was found between grain yield and investigated attributes. Days to maturity, plant height, spikes per m2, grains per spike, and thousand kernel weight showed significant positive correlations with grain yield. SAARC J. Agric., 21(1): 167-174 (2023)

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of urinary inconsistency, haematuria, and inappetence. Radiography and ultrasonography revealed the presence of calculus in the urinary bladder. Cystolithotomy was performed and the dog responded to the intervention and recovered uneventfully.