International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 18-30 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 26 2.5.2 Planting material It was observed that about 62.2% of the respondents took the record of the nursery from where they bought the planting material (Table 9). About 58.2% of the respondents knew about the background certification of the contacted nursery while 41.8%% of the respondents were with no idea of the certification. Inspection of planting material was done by 70.4% of the respondents for any sign of disease and pests. Table 9 GAP standards related to buying the Planting Material in the survey area, 2022 Description Frequency (Yes) Frequency (No) Record maintenance of nursery Certification of nursery Inspection of planting material 61 (62.2%) 57 (58.2%) 69 (70.4%) 37 (37.8%) 41 (41.8%) 29 (29.6%) Source: Field Survey, 2022 2.5.3 Soil nutrient management The results showed that none of the farmers assessed the chemical and biological risk at Mandarin orchard (Table 10). About 36.7% of respondents performed soil tests before the establishment of the Mandarin orchard, and 24.5% of the respondents were known to use micronutrients. None of the respondents applied biofertilizers and treated FYM before use. About 12.2% of the respondents used green manure crops in the field. Out of the total, 33.7% and 15.3% of the respondents practiced crop rotation and intercropping respectively. During storage, 69.7% of the respondents seemed to store produce separately from the stored chemical fertilizer. In the context of record management, 71.4% were found to maintain the record of fertilizer use. Table 10 GAP standards related to Soil Nutrient Management in the survey area, 2022 Description Frequency (Yes) Frequency (No) Assessment of chemical and biological risk 0 98 (100%) Soil analysis 36 (36.7%) 62 (63.3%) Micronutrient 24 (24.5%) 74 (75.5%) Treatment of FYM before use 0 98 (100%) Well prepared FYM 98 (100%) 0 Bio-fertilizers 0 98 (100%) Green Manure 12 (12.2%) 86 (87.7%) Crop rotation 32 (33.7%) 66 (67.3%) Intercropping 15 (15.3%) 83 (84.6%) Storing produce separately from chemical fertilizer. 68 (69.4%) 30 (30.6%) Fertilizer Use Record 70 (71.4%) 28 (28.6%) Source: Field Survey, 2022 2.5.4 Irrigation About 61.2% of the respondents had their source of irrigation (Table 11). Testing of water before application was not done by any of the farmers, while repairing irrigation equipment was done by the majority of the respondents (89.8%). Table 11 GAP standards related to Irrigation in the survey area, 2022 Description Frequency (Yes) Frequency (No) Owned source of irrigation 60 (61.2%) 38 (38.7%) Water test 0 98 (100%) Repair of Irrigation equipment 88 (89.8%) 10 (10.2%) Source: Field Survey, 2022
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