Plant clinics get introduced in Nepal and taking up its momentum with technical guidance and help from the Global Plant Clinic. Started with training on-field diagnosis and operation of clinics under training course How to become a Plant Doctor? Module 1 in Lamjung, SECARD Nepal replicated the experience in its project areas in Dhading and Kathmandu in technical support from District Agriculture Development Office, the government body for agriculture development in Nepal. The concept is, by word, very appealing and is of great importance in surface observation but very little is known in its operation particularly in contextualizing the principle of plant clinics into practice. Plant clinics are successful in having the farmers’ reception and stakeholders’ support. Being a relatively new concept, numerous aspects are still not properly understood mainly integration with existing government services, sustainable operation of plant clinics and development of community-based plant doctors. Development of trained manpower through exposure and training, the establishment of laboratories with minimum facilities to diagnose fungal and other simple diseases and publication of relevant color charts and materials like fact sheets, posters, pamphlets and initial support for clinic establishment is highly felt. Collaboration through resource sharing in the abovementioned issues through national, district and village level consultation meting among actors and with Global Plant Clinic can boost up the initiative in Nepal.
This report summarises how Plant Clinics were introduced into Nepal and took up momentum with technical
guidance and help from the Global Plant Clinic. Global Plant Clinic (GPC) provided the first module of how to become a plant doctor and facilitated the ever first (pilot) plant clinics in the Lamjung district of Nepal in support of World Vision International Nepal.