Abstract

Maize productivity in the flood-prone area of Udayapur, Nepal is influenced by various independent variables. This paper delves deeper into the economic viability and strategic framework for farming in such conditions. The B:C ratio for maize production in flood susceptible areas was 0.986 which imply that enterprise is not profitable. The factors governing crop yield in the study area differ from rest of Nepal due to flood invasion during monsoon, by disrupting the water table. This study investigates different predictors that significantly affect crop yield.  Information from farmers were collected through a semistructured questionnaire. Multiple linear regression model was employed to identify significant independent variables affecting crop yield. The results indicate that irrigation (p=0.002) and pesticide application (p=0.013) share negative significant relation with the crop yield with unstandardized coefficients of -7.084 and -4.070 respectively. Similarly, the use of synthetic fertilizers demonstrated statistically significant (p= 0.002) relation and had positive impact on crop yield. SWOT analysis is done to identify strength, weakness, opportunity and threats to maize farming in the research area. These findings highlight the importance of rapidly nutrient-releasing synthetic fertilizers, especially in anaerobic soil caused by water-logged conditions. Based on our study, site-specific risk management, crop diversification and water management strategies, must be tailored to ensure farmers' resilience and enhanced productivity.