Location: Nepal

A team from CIMMYT and the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) recently conducted the first extensive monitoring of off-season wheat crops, in the Mude and Nigale (Sindhupalchok district) and Ziri region (Dolakha district) of Nepal. The survey was suggested in light of the risk posed by a major inoculum load of yellow rust spreading from the hills of Nepal to the north-western Gangetic plains of India and the Terai of Nepal. By studying the presence of off-season wheat crops and barberry plants (an alternate host of wheat rusts), the team hoped to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of their role in yellow rust epidemics in the main season.

During the trip of 23-24 August, the group (made up of Sarala Sharma, plant pathology division, NARC; Madan Raj Bhutta, NARC; and Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder) found that off-season wheat was grown on around 5,000ha, with farmers taking two wheat crops per year. Whereas previously the popular ‘red wheat’, Sonalika, was grown, most farmers now grow an unknown variety of white wheat. Farmer Kaila Shrestha said that most producers prefer a variation with a shorter duration (120 days) for the off season, as opposed to the main, winter season, when they grow varieties with a longer duration (135-140 days). Many of the farmers surveyed expressed interest in trying new varieties and learning the skills of seed production, and NARC and CIMMYT hope to disseminate new varieties to these areas next growing season.

Approximately 80% of wheat in the surveyed area was in the tillering stage, with sporadic presence of selfgrown adult plants. Yellow rust was found in some fields, and in some barberry plants, which numbered thousands in the 200km route between Kathmandu and Ziri. Substantial rainfall during the survey meant that most rust appeared washed out, but samples were successfully collected from more than a dozen sites, and will be analyzed at the Khumaltar station of the NARC. It is hoped that a more comprehensive study can be conducted in October (in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research), when the crops will be at a more suitable stage for analysis (in term of plant development and inoculums load).

Food security cannot be achieved until food grains or seeds reach consumers or farmers. This issue was addressed during a training course on post-harvest management of wheat seeds, which was held at the National Wheat Research Program (NWRP), Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) in Bhairahwa during 4-6 July 2011, in collaboration with CIMMYT.

Participants included scientists and technical officers from various NARC research stations and resource personnel from NWRP, seed companies and other institutions – all of whom are actively involved in collaborative wheat seed production programs at their research stations. The course aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of collaborators participating in wheat seed production and postharvest management in Nepal, especially those engaged in dissemination of newly developed Ug99 resistant varieties.

Arun Joshi, Regional Wheat Breeder, CIMMYT South Asia, launched the course by congratulating the organizers on behalf of CIMMYT for organizing a training program on this important aspect. This sentiment was reiterated by the chair of the inaugural session, National Wheat Coordinator Janmejai Tripathi, who emphasized the fact that seed supply and distribution play a major role in food security in Nepal, where 80% of the population are engaged in agriculture.

Theory and practical sessions addressed the most current issues concerning aspects of post-harvest management. Participants learnt how to achieve safe harvest and storage of seed including proper cleaning-grading, bagging, labelling and testing for minimum seed standards; they were also taken to four public and private sector seed storage and processing plants in Bhairahwa to practice seed sampling and testing. The fundamentals of an efficient marketing strategy for complete use of the seed produced by farmers were also an important part of this program.

Participants responded positively to the course, saying that it improved their ability to achieve safe storage of wheat seeds without sacrificing its minimum seed standards. They were also able to update their knowledge on the most current NARS-CIMMYT wheat seed production programs and seed laws in Nepal.

On 29 April a wheat participatory variety selection (PVS) day in Nepal attracted 50 farmers interested in preventing yield loss due to rusts and other diseases; learning about quality seed production; and raising wheat production and profitability. The event was organized by the Plant Pathology Division of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), the National Agricultural Research and Development Fund (NARDF), Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, and CIMMYT. The objectives of the day were to 1) generate awareness among farmers for new agronomically superior Ug99 resistant varieties, and 2) involve farmers in the participatory selection of varieties and the planning for the next crop cycle seed dissemination.

The event took place in the village Dhandi in Kathmandu, where there are two mother-baby trials of eight wheat varieties, including newly CIMMYT-developed Ug99 resistant varieties, and the local check WK1204. Sarala Sharma, NARC wheat pathologist and project leader, opened the event with an explanation of the importance of new resistant varieties, especially with the emergence of new rust virulence, such as that of stem rust Ug99. Then, a team of scientists from NARC, CIMMYT, and state extension department officials took farmers around the wheat plots and introduced each variety to the group, detailing the characteristics, qualities, and differences between each one. All the attendees had received an information sheet that included varietal information such as maturity duration, yield potential, and resistance to diseases, and many of the farmer carried these around throughout the presentation to make additional notes.

Following the introduction of the varieties, NARC scientists M.R. Bhatta and D.B. Thapa explained the steps involved in participatory selection and farmers were divided into two groups and asked to score wheat varieties in the mother trial according to their own preference. The variety Danphe emerged as the favorite, followed by BL2879 and Francolin. Overall, greater amounts of grain and straw yield, absence of diseases, maturity duration, and grain physical quality were given high preference by farmers.

All farmers expressed a deep interest in growing new varieties in the next crop cycle and said that they expect around a 10% higher yield from the selected varieties compared to the local check WK1204. Several participants wanted to know how long the seed can be maintained without any loss in its characteristics, so CIMMYT wheat breeder Arun Joshi explained the general principles of quality seed production and NARC entomologist S.B. Pradhan explained the principles of safer seed storage.

“I never thought that a variety could be maintained for many years if certain preventive measures were taken to avoid seed mixing,” said Rekha, one of the numerous female farmer attendees. Roughly 90% of event participants were female, and community-based organization of female farmers that work with seed production made up part of the participants.

Overall, the PVS day helped with selection of farmer-identified preferred varieties; improved farmer understanding of the importance of resistant varieties and seed dissemination; the planning new variety promotion for the next crop cycle; and increased interested for further collaboration between farmers, scientists, and development agencies. Similar programs were also organized in 10 other locations in Nepal, some of them in remote areas.