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Improved maize varieties and partnerships welcomed in Bhutan

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CIMMYT E-News, vol 5 no. 11, November 2008

nov02Sandwiched between China and India, the Kingdom of Bhutan is a small country that relies on maize in a big way. But maize yields are typically low due to crop diseases, drought, and poor access to seed of improved varieties, among other reasons. CIMMYT is committed to improving Bhutan’s food security by providing high-yielding, pest-resistant maize varieties to farmers and capacity-building for local scientists.

“If there is no maize there is nothing to eat,” says Mr. S. Naitein, who farms maize on half a hectare of land in Bhutan. But it’s not easy to grow, he says, citing challenges such as animals (monkeys and wild boars), insects, poor soil fertility, drought, poor access to improved seed varieties, and crop diseases like gray leaf spot (GLS) and turcicum leaf blight (TLB).

But since planting Yangtsipa—an improved maize variety derived from Suwan-1, a variety introduced from CIMMYT’s former regional maize program in Thailand—Naitein has seen a real improvement in his maize yields. The local maize variety yielded 1,700 kilograms per hectare, whereas Yangtsipa gave him 2,400 kilograms per hectare, a 40% yield increase.

“It’s no wonder that Yangtsipa is by far the most popular improved variety among Bhutanese farmers,” says Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, CIMMYT regional cereal breeder posted in Nepal. “Nonetheless, many local varieties of maize still occupy large areas of the country and don’t yield well.”

Maize is a staple food in Bhutan. Many people eat Tengma (pounded maize) as a snack with a cup of tea and Kharang (maize grits) are also popular. “Among the food crops, maize plays a critical role in household food security, especially for the poor,” says Ortiz-Ferrara. About 38% of the rural Bhutanese population lives below the poverty line and some 37,000 households cultivate maize. It’s estimated that 80% of this maize is consumed at the household level, according to Bhutan’s Renewable Natural Resources Research Center (RNRRC).

Leaf us alone: CIMMYT maize varieties help combat foliar diseases

Many farmers in Bhutan have been struggling with crop diseases that cut maize yields. “The recent outbreak of gray leaf spot and turcicum leaf blight affected 4,193 households and destroyed over 1,940 hectares of maize crop,” says Thakur Prasad Tiwari, agronomist with CIMMYT-Nepal. He estimates that maize is grown on 31,160 hectares in the country.

Gray leaf spot is a devastating leaf disease that is spreading fast in the hills of Bhutan and Nepal. To deal with this threat, CIMMYT sent more than 75 maize varieties with possible resistance to GLS and TLB to Bhutan in 2007. Tapping into the resources of its global network of research stations, CIMMYT sent seed from Colombia, Zimbabwe, and Mexico that was planted in GLS and TLB ‘hot spot’ locations in the country.

Ortiz-Ferrara and Tiwari then worked with Tirtha Katwal, national maize coordinator-Bhutan, and his team to evaluate these materials for their resistance.

“Together we identified the top performing lines for gray leaf spot and turcicum leaf blight which will be excellent candidates for Bhutan’s maize breeding program,” says Ortiz-Ferrara. “We are now combining their disease resistance with Yangtsipa, because we know it is high-yielding and well-adapted to Bhutan.”

Kevin Pixley, associate director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, helped to develop a detailed breeding scheme or work plan for Bhutan’s national GLS breeding program. “We want to provide capacity-building for local maize scientists so they themselves can identify and breed varieties that show resistance to crop diseases,” he says.

“We feel more confident in moving forward with the next steps in our breeding program,” said Katwal. He and his team also attended a training course on seed production, de-tasselling, and pollination given by Dr. K.K. Lal, former CIMMYT maize trainee and former chief of the Seed Quality Control Center at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) in Nepal.

nov03

That’s what friends are for: CIMMYT, Nepal, and Bhutan collaboration

In 2001, Bhutan began collaborating on maize research with CIMMYT-Nepal, the National Maize Research Program (NMRP) of Nepal, and the Hill Maize Research project (HMRP) funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Nepal. The terrain and agro-climatic conditions of Bhutan and the Nepalese highland are similar, meaning that technologies adapted for Nepal will likely work well in neighboring Bhutan.

CIMMYT aims to facilitate regional and national partnerships that benefit farmers. For instance, during the past 7 years CIMMYT-Nepal has worked with NMRP and RNRRP to introduce 12 open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) to Bhutan. These modern varieties yield more than the local varieties whose seed farmers save to sow from year to year. Included in these 12 OPVs were several quality protein maize (QPM) varieties; these have nearly twice as much usable protein as other traditional varieties of maize.

nov04“Our CIMMYT office in Nepal has assisted Bhutan with maize and wheat genetic material, technical backstopping, training, visiting scientist exchange, and in identifying key consultants on research topics such as grey leaf spot and seed production,” says Tiwari.

Simply put, CIMMYT has useful contacts. For example, at the request of Bhutan’s Renewable Natural Resources Research Center (RNRRC), CIMMYT-Nepal put forward Dr. Carlos De Leon, former CIMMYT regional maize pathologist, to conduct a course on identifying and controlling maize diseases in February 2007. In September 2008, CIMMYT and HMRP also recommended two researchers (Dr. K.B. Koirala and Mr. Govinda K.C.) from Nepal’s NMRP to give a course on farmer participatory research that has been successful in the dissemination of new technologies.

“Ultimately, our goal is to improve the food security and livelihood of rural households through increased productivity and sustainability of the maize-based cropping system,” says Thakur Prasad Tiwari.

For information: Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, cereal breeder, CIMMYT-Nepal (g.ortiz-ferrara@cgiar.org) or Thakur Prasad Tiwari, agronomist, CIMMYT-Nepal (tptiwari@mos.com.np)

New greenhouse supports research on yellow rust in Nepal

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December, 2004

On December 1, CIMMYT handed over a greenhouse to the Plant Pathology Division of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC). Built with the support of CIMMYT’s project on foliar pathogens and funded by Belgian Development Cooperation (DGCD), this greenhouse will help sustain research on wheat diseases, despite Nepal’s current social conflict.

At a ceremony in Khumaltar, CIMMYT regional pathologist Etienne Duveiller delivered the greenhouse keys to T.K. Lama, Chief of the Plant Pathology Division. The new facility will help NARC scientists screen for resistance in wheat against yellow rust, a potentially devastating disease in the hill areas of Nepal. Grain losses can soar to 30% when early outbreaks occur, as demonstrated by last year’s severe epidemic in parts of the Kathmandu Valley.

Replacing Outmoded Resistance

Due to the breakdown of resistance in popular varieties like Sonalika, which date back to the Green Revolution, yellow rust epidemics have occurred in Nepal since the mid-1980s. In 1997, a new strain of the rust pathogen became prevalent in the Nepal hills—a strain that is virulent against Yr9, a gene from rye that has conferred resistance to yellow rust in many improved wheats.

To develop disease resistant plants, breeders artificially inoculate fields of experimental varieties and select the individuals or families that survive and produce grain. With help from CIMMYT, advanced lines from Nepal are tested annually in Pakistan to ensure that promising genotypes are exposed to new pathotypes of yellow rust from western Asia. But research of this type in Nepal has suffered in recent years, mainly from a lack of inoculum to apply to experimental plants. First, insecurity in Nepal has caused severe financial constraints and reduced operations for national agricultural research scientists. Second, there is a lack of proper facilities to produce rust inoculum for the timely inoculation of breeders’ fields. An alternate approach used—collecting natural inoculum that survives in off-season wheat crops—became nearly impossible after a series of dry years eliminated this source of the pathogen and security restrictions made travel impossible in remote hilly regions. Finally, less than optimal moisture in the screening fields of Khumaltar, where the Plant Pathology Division is located, has necessitated repeated applications of fresh inoculum.

The timely production of inoculum in the new greenhouse will improve this situation. This greenhouse has a robust and simple cooling system to control temperature, as well as a misting system that guarantees proper humidity. It will allow both screening against yellow rust under optimal conditions and the multiplication of inoculum. Since the wheat season is just starting, researchers working on other diseases and crops will benefit from having inoculum ready for breeders’ plots in January.

Preserving Spores and Global Partnerships

In an important recent accomplishment, according to Duveiller, Senior Wheat Pathologist Sarala Sharma was able to produce fresh inoculum directly from leaf samples collected last season, using local methods and dried leaves. “This is the first time that she was able to preserve inoculum from last March,” says Duveiller. “Yellow rust must be kept alive for multiplication in the greenhouse and cannot be grown on artificial media. The main problem is that it is very sensitive to high temperatures. In Nepal, power failures, poor refrigeration, and no possibilities of vacuum preservation make it hard to keep spores.”

During the greenhouse opening ceremony, Sharma underlined the importance of the long-standing collaboration between NARC and CIMMYT. She acknowledged CIMMYT’s continuous support, initiated by former CIMMYT wheat pathologists Jesse Dubin and the late Eugene Saari, who encouraged scientists to collect inoculum from rust-prone areas as a way to record the disease’s incidence and spread. These surveys had continued with support from Duveiller until recently, when traveling by road became difficult. Also recognized at the ceremony were the benefits of training on yellow rust pathotyping that Nepali scientists had received at IPO-Wageningen, the Netherlands, and Shimla, India.

CIMMYT wheat pathologist, Etienne Duveiller, with colleagues in Nepal.

Similar work may become possible now in Nepal, according to Duveiller. “This greenhouse, built with Indian technology and including inexpensive but sturdy polyethylene sheets for siding, is another example of the importance CIMMYT ascribes to rust diseases on wheat in Nepal and south Asia,” says Duveiller. The center recently funded the installation of a sprinkler system for use in disease resistance experiments at Bhairhawa farm in the Tarai Plains, where the Nepal Wheat Research Program is based.

The greenhouse handover ceremony was combined with the farewell party for two NARC pathologists who retired recently, K. Shrestha and C.B. Karki. A recognized rust pathologist and longtime CIMMYT friend, Karki received his Ph.D. from Montana State University and attended the second Regional Yellow Rust Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, in March 2004. Dr. K. Shrestha attended CIMMYT’s conference on helminthosporium blight in Mexico.

For more information: e.duveiller@cgiar.org

Community seed promoters trained in sustainable maize seed production and marketing in Nepal

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Ensuring a market for maize seed produced using community based seed production (CBSP) in the value chain system, and enhancing management and marketing competencies of local partners are among the strategic activities in Phase IV of the Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP), supported by SDC and USAID. The HMRP, in collaboration with the National Maize Research Program (NMRP), completed a 20-day training course on maize seed production technologies (15 days) and seed business plan development and marketing (5 days). The course took place at NMRPRampur, Chitwan, from 27 March to 16 April 2012. A total of 31 participants (11 women) attended the course; they were selected from CBSP groups collaborating with HMRP and are expected to work as community seed promoters in their respective groups afterwards.

The first course component on maize seed production technologies covered diverse topics, such as agronomic practices in maize seed production, farmers’ practices in maize varietal development, source seed production technologies, crop management technology (including insect pest management), improved seed production through CBSP, quality control, and truthful labelling. The second component covered HMRP seed marketing strategies, agricultural marketing, seed production costs, maize seed value-chain analysis, seed business plan development, bookkeeping at the CBSP group level, potential sourcing of local state funds by CBSP groups, the importance of gender equity and social inclusion in the CBSP approach, an introduction to cooperatives and private companies, and the basic legal requirements to establish them.

Each trainee developed a comprehensive action plan and presented it on the last day of the course. Participants were evaluated before and after each course component and the first-ranked candidate was recognized. Speaking at the closing session, Dr. K.B. Koirala, NMRP National Coordinator, expressed his appreciation to the HMRP and emphasized the importance of this type of training for empowering local communities. Dr. G. Ortiz-Ferrara, HMRP Team Leader, thanked the course participants, training coordinator, and resource persons for their help and cooperation in making the course a success. Finally, Dr. Koirala and Dr. Ortiz-Ferrara jointly distributed certificates and training kits to all participants.

HMRP-2012-Photo-Community-Seed-Promotors-Training-Rampur1

CIMMYT lauded for outstanding technical support and partnership in Nepal

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On 04 April 2012 CIMMYT received an “Award of Honor” from the Society of Agricultural Scientist of Nepal (SAS-N). The award, in a form of a plaque, was handed over by Mr. Om Prakash Yadav, Chief Guest and Honorable Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives. “This recognition is given to CIMMYT International for the many contributions in maize and wheat research and development in Nepal,” said Yadav.

The-awardReceiving the prize on behalf of CIMMYT, Nepal country representative Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara thanked the Society for the recognition. “On behalf of the director general of CIMMYT, Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, the center’s management, and colleagues who have been based in Nepal and the region for more than 26 years, we thank SAS-N for this great honor,” he said. “I would like to give special thanks to the government of Nepal and the MoAC for hosting CIMMYT’s regional office. Finally, we thank the many government and non-government organizations for their long-standing partnership and collaboration.”

SAS-N is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to agricultural research and development in Nepal. It serves as a shared forum for agricultural scientists and researchers throughout the country and in various agricultural and related institutions. The Society aims to safeguard their professional integrity and improve research standards, thereby fostering economic development through agriculture growth. Some 300 participants in the meeting presented 135 papers on food security, agro-biodiversity, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, nutrition, plant breeding, pathology, crop and soils management, physiology, micro nutrients, irrigation, agro forestry, climate change, and socioeconomics.

In a personal message to Dr. Hira Kaji Manandhar, President of SAS-N, Lumpkin sent his regrets for not being able to attend the event and said: “CIMMYT is very honored by your award. The agriculture research and farmer community of Nepal has been of priority importance to CIMMYT for over 40 years. Many Nepali scientists and staff are and have been part of the CIMMYT team. In recent years we have been expanding our portfolio of development projects in Nepal and are even planning construction of a building, perhaps as Nepal’s part of CIMMYT’s Borlaug Institute for South Asia, near Kathmandu”.

In a message of congratulations to SAS-N, Marianne BĂ€nziger, CIMMYT deputy director general for research and partnerships, said: “We are very honored indeed for CIMMYT to receive this prestigious Award of Honor from the Society of Agricultural Scientists in Nepal. It should be testimony to the extremely fruitful and highly-valued collaboration that we have with scientists and institutions in Nepal for more than two decades. It is a partnership of mutual respect, complementary skills, joint leanings, and successes. We highly appreciate the support, hospitality and friendship that our staff experience, both those that are posted in Nepal as well as when others who visit. Without our collaboration with Nepal, CIMMYT and its programs would be less.”

Helping farmers select varieties in Nepal

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Nepal98A training program on wheat participatory variety selection (PVS) was held in Nepal during 28-29 February 2012. Organized by the National Wheat Research Program (NWRP), Bhairahawa, Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and CIMMYT, the event attracted 17 scientists, technical officers and seed technicians from NARC’s research stations and private seed companies. The two-day training program focused on current challenges of wheat breeding and production in Nepal, wheat diseases, and participatory selection of varieties.

The field training was held at Sukaurali Village, Rupendehi District. Participants visited three mother-baby trials of eight wheat varieties, including CIMMYT’s newly-developed Ug99 resistant varieties, and the local check, Gautam. Janmejai Tripathi, wheat coordinator, NWRP, opened the event with an explanation of the importance of new resistant varieties. Touring the wheat plots, the group observed varieties’ qualities and differences, including maturity type, yield potential, and resistance to diseases.

Nepal27NARC scientists SR Upadhyay and NR Gautam explained the steps of participatory selection and participants scored varieties in the mother trial.

In addition to the technical knowledge gained, there was an increased interest in collaboration among farmers, scientists, and development agencies. The training is also expected to improve the quality of data from research stations and of PVS trials for seed release and multiplication.

Second Wheat Improvement and Pathology course focuses on South Asia

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The second “Wheat Improvement and Pathology” course took place during 16-29 November 2011 in Nepal. Organized by Arun Joshi, CIMMYT Regional Wheat Breeder, in conjunction with the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), the course welcomed 22 early- and mid-career wheat breeders and pathologists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.

The importance of a multidisciplinary approach to wheat improvement was emphasized through lectures on modern breeding methods and approaches, genetic diversity, wheat pathology, experimental design and statistical analysis, hybrid wheat, biotechnology, bioinformatics, wheat quality, breeding for physiological traits, conservation agriculture, participatory variety selection (PVS), and data sources and knowledge management for wheat scientists.

Dinesh Pariyar, NARC Executive Director, opened the program and spoke of the emerging challenges for wheat breeding in South Asia and the potential to build capacity under the CSISA project by bringing together early-career field scientists from different nations. Ravi Singh, CIMMYT Wheat Breeder, then gave introductory sessions on “Breeding wheat for current and future needs of South Asia” and “Breeding for durable resistance to rust diseases of wheat”, elaborating on the wheat breeding tools and technologies that will enable the development of drought- and heat-tolerant wheat varieties whilst retaining quality and yield potential.

Participants also visited the NARC research station in Khumaltar, Lalitpur, the regional agricultural research station in Lumle, and PVS villages, to engage in discussions with the various stakeholders and undertake practical sessions in field experimentation and sowing. The participants were also shown the tools and techniques for creating artificial epiphytotic rusts and spot blotch.

The diverse range of participants were able to share their experiences and the highlights of their work. Four women scientists were included in the group, and Sabina, who travelled outside of Pakistan for the first time for this course, hopes that her visit “will show the way forward to other women scientists of Pakistan.” Joshi echoed this sentiment, saying: “Our endeavor is to work together in South Asian countries and to produce an environment capable of supporting the needs of talented future scientists and wheat researchers. Future generations of scientists need to keep pace with new science and this course provides them with the most recent knowledge, tools, and methodologies to meet the challenges of the future.”

Overall, the course improved the participants’ understanding on new tools and techniques for wheat breeding, pathology, and their related subjects. It also sparked interest in further collaborations between farmers, scientists and development agencies. Resource personnel for the course included CIMMYT’s Medha Devare, Andrew McDonald, and Bharat Adhikary; NARC’s B.N. Mahto, M.R. Bhatta, D.B. Thapa, and Sarala Sharma; P.K. Gupta, S.M.S. Tomar, Ratan Tiwari, V. Tiwari, C.P. Srivastava, Ramesh Chand, G.C. Mishra, and R.P. Singh from India; and KD Joshi (CARIAD, UK). Special thanks also to the staff of NARC for providing a great venue and logistical support, and to Surath Pradhan for administering the course.

Traveling seminar exhibits maize research and development in the hills of Nepal

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Travelling-SeminarDuring 19-21 August 2011, a travelling seminar on “Maize Research and Development in the Hills of Nepal” was organized by the CIMMYT-led Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP), Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), and the Nepal Department of Agriculture (DoA). The seminar offered policy makers first-hand information on maize varietal development, seed multiplication, technology dissemination, and HMRP’s efforts to improve food security and livelihoods of small-scale and disadvantaged farmers in the region. The 25 participants included representatives from the National Planning Commission, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, National Seed Board, NARC, DoA, donors (SDC and USAID), and NGOs.

The first day included visits to participatory variety selection (PVS) and community-based seed production (CBSP) sites, and women’s CBSP cooperatives in Fulbari and Buluwa villages, 60km east of Kathmandu in the Kavre district. HMRP Leader, Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, described the work of HMRP, highlighting the increasing role of CBSP groups and the private sector in seed production and marketing, participation of multi-stakeholders, focus on gender equity and social inclusion, and continuation of farmers’ participatory adaptive research, including maize germplasm introduction and testing. Nanu Ghatani, Chairperson of the cooperatives, was one of the 45 members of the women’s cooperative and farmers who gathered to welcome the participants. She described the accomplishments of the CBSP cooperatives and their impact on enhancing food security; since the introduction of the new maize varieties and improved crop management technologies “maize yield has been doubled, and by selling improved seed, farmers could fetch NRs 35/Kg in 2010, when the price of maize grain was NRs 17/Kg. In value terms our land has been tripled,” she said. This has enabled women farmers to substantially increase their savings, she added. USAID representative Kip Sutton commended HMRP and partners for reducing poverty and food insecurity in the area, but participants also learned that there are further needs to improve yields, storage facilities, credits, inputs, and training.

Travelling-Seminar21The following day featured a visit to the Hill Crop Research Program (HCRP), Kabre, Dolakha. Participants observed the onsite maize research and development activities, such as source seed production of improved maize varieties, and had the opportunity to interact with scientists at the station. N.P. Adhikari, Director of Crops and Horticulture, NARC, and D.B. Gurung, National Maize Coordinator, complimented the scientists for their accomplishments in maize research and development, both at the station and in the field.

Station Chief, K.B. Koirala, gave a presentation on “Present status, priority, and challenges of maize research and seed production in HCRP Kabre”, highlighting that the work of the station has improved maize source seed production and quality, and reached thousands of poor farmers in the target area. The team then visited one of the farm cooperatives, which is conducting maize CBSP on 7ha. In later feedback, Adhikari commented that the seminar provided experiences which could only be appreciated by observations at the field level.

On the final day, participants visited the Hariyali Seed Company, a community-managed private seed company promoted by HMRP in Sindhupalchowk district. Company Coordinator, D.B. Bhandari, and the President of Sindhu-Tuki Seed Producers’ Cooperative, Gunda Bahadur Thami, outlined the progress of the cooperative so far; from the first maize PVS and intercropping trials in 2004, to the formation of a CBSP group in 2005, transformation into a cooperative in 2008, and culminating in the formation of the community-owned seed company in 2010, with maize seed being multiplied in 50ha.

The feedback from participants was very positive, with Bharat Upadhyaya, Executive Director of Nepal’s Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension, and Development, commenting that “my 30 years of professional career in agriculture development in Nepal would have been incomplete if I would have missed this visit.” It was suggested that the event should be conducted annually during the main maize season.

Spotlight on maize seed marketing in Nepal

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Since 1999, the CIMMYT-led Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP) has been analyzing the maize seed value chain, increasing market assurance for seed from community-based seed production (CBSP) projects, and enhancing management and marketing competencies of stakeholders. The project covers 20 hill districts across Nepal and is funded by SDC and USAID-Nepal. Now in its fourth phase, the overall goal remains improving the food security and income of farm households, particularly of the poor and disadvantaged.

Seed marketing is a major component of this goal, and HMRP Phase IV aims to improve this by enabling seed producers to get sustainable, best possible returns through reliable, on time market information and pre-sowing contracts; encouraging farmers to sell a maximum quantity of seed by providing seed revolving funds to CBSP groups; increasing market efficiency to reduce the price gap between seed producers and buyers; making seed of farm origin available at a reasonable price by ensuring quality through accurate labeling; and enabling seed businesses to become sustainable enterprises.

Marketing-Workshop-Chitwan
On 25 August 2011, HMRP held a “Maize Seed Marketing Workshop” in Nepalgunj, Banke, to facilitate the marketing of maize seed and help establish links between CBSP groups, partners, and seed traders, to improve efficiency and sustainability. The 66 participants represented both seed suppliers and buyers or traders. Lila Ram Poudel, Deputy Director General, Department of Agriculture, Nepal, chaired the workshop, with training assistance from D. Bhandari, Chief of the Seed Quality Control Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Suroj Pokharel, Program Director, Crop Development Directorate, Durga Adhikari, General Secretary, Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal, and Ram Chandra Bhusal, Seed Value Chain and Marketing Specialist, Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension, and Development.

Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, HMRP Leader, introduced the workshop, with subsequent technical sessions focusing on HMRP’s approaches to seed production and marketing, with particular reference to government seed programs, and sustainable strategies for maize seed marketing with a value chain approach. Participants were also able to share their own experiences of seed trading in open discussions.

The workshop resulted in several recommendations: that local Agrovets participate in seed trading with CBSPs, ideally distributing seed in cooperation with the Seed Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal and the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO); allocation of Village Development Committee block grants to enable the purchase of seed from CBSPs, with other social groups also encouraged to purchase the improved seed; DADOs to increase informal research and development kits and improve seed coverage in remote areas, to facilitate access to improved seed for poor farmers; and the investment of a proportion of the government’s seed subsidy to purchase seed from CBSP groups, rather than importing.

A second workshop was conducted on 22 September 2011 for 69 public and private stakeholders from the mid-western and eastern hills of Nepal. Chaired by Dil Bahadur Gurung, National Maize Coordinator of Nepal, this workshop also encompassed problem identification and recommendations for efficient and sustainable maize marketing (Group 1), and the recommendation of guidelines for seed revolving funds (Group 2).

Group 1 recommended that seed availability information be disseminated via local radio and newspapers; seed should be produced under the pocket area concept; DADO should enforce a code of conduct, with mandatory seed packaging and labeling; a seed bank should be established at the district level, with infrastructure support; and seed revolving funds and transportation subsidies should be provided to seed producers. Group 2 added that these seed revolving funds should be monitored, with training given for management of the funds.

NARC and CIMMYT survey off-season wheat in Nepal

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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).

Managing yellow rust disease in Nepal

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From 2008-11 a Nepal Agricultural Research and Development Fund (NARDF)-funded project was conducted to try to minimize wheat losses caused by yellow rust in ten highly affected districts of Nepal, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, CIMMYT (Nepal) and the Seed Quality Control Centre, Nepal. Following this project, a one-day interaction program organized by the Plant Pathology Division, CIMMYT (Nepal) and NARDF was held at the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Khumaltar, Lalitpur on 14 July 2011. There were 52 participants, including members of NARDF, CIMMYT, Regional Agricultural Research Centers (Lumle), Agriculture Research Station (Dolaka and Pakhribas), National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) of NARC, and District Agricultural Development Officers of the ten affected districts.

Yellow-rust-meeting-14-July-1

In his opening address, chief of the Plant Pathology Division, Hirakaji Manandhar, thanked NARDF for funding the yellow rust project and CIMMYT (Nepal) for providing valuable support in terms of supplying new germplasm and organizing training, farmer’s field days, and this interaction program. Project coordinator Sarala Sharma went on to describe the achievements of the project, including the excellent performance of the CIMMYT varieties in the field. Farmers have been able to select seven rust-resistant wheat genotypes (BL2879, BL3235, BL3503, WK1182, WK1481, NL1064, and NL1073) within different domains and cropping systems of Nepal. The high-yielding genotypes NL1064 (Danphe) and NL1073 (Frankolin) also conveyed good resistance to the stem rust race Ug99, and high demand for the Danphe variety could lead to larger seed multiplication in the coming cycle.

Participants felt that the project enabled an increase in genetic diversity and wheat production through the introduction of improved varieties and effective control of yellow rust disease. Publications were distributed to farmers in order to increase awareness of the new varieties and 580 farmers received training in yellow and stem rust management and quality seed production. Subsequently, the farmers found that they obtained good prices for their seeds and farmer-farmer seed dissemination increased the coverage of resistant varieties.

The next step is to ensure promotion and uptake of the improved wheat varieties. Participants emphasized that because yellow rust is not only a regional problem, but a global one too, the new CIMMYT varieties should be integrated into the official release process by NWRP. Dhurba Bahadur Thapa, Sr. Wheat Breeder (NARC) promised to take action to assist this progression and Arun Kumar Joshi, Regional Wheat Breeder (CIMMYT) assured that CIMMYT will also continue varietal testing and seed multiplication with farmers in the ten districts, to aid sustainability of the project once NARDF funding ceases. Janaki Prasad Khanal, Member Secretary of NARDF said that he hoped projects such as this will help to make Nepal a food-secure country in the future.

Improving food security in Nepal

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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.

Exploring wheat improvement

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Nepal-training1The Wheat Research Center (WRC) in Bhairahawa welcomed 20 early and mid-career wheat breeders from four CSISA countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan) to its scenic campus in Nepal’s Terai region to participate in a two-week regional Wheat Improvement and Pathology course which was organized in collaboration with Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) from 29 November- 12 December 2010.

The course, the first of its kind, was prepared and led by Arun Joshi, CIMMYT-Nepal wheat breeder, to stress the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to wheat improvement. The program was officially opened by NARC Executive Director Bhartendu Mishra, and included lectures on modern breeding methods and approaches, genetic diversity, wheat pathology, experimental design and statistical analysis, conservation agriculture, participatory variety selection, literature and data sources for wheat scientists, e-learning, and knowledge management. Diversity was prevalent among the participants, visible in their backgrounds, levels of experience and the variety of organizations which they represented. Resource persons represented CGIAR centers, NARS institutions and NGOs of the region. It was also great to see several young women scientists among the participants. Special thanks to staff of NARC/WRC Bhairahawa for providing a great venue and logistical support; and to Mr. Surath Pradhan for course administration.

First Ug99 tolerant wheat variety released in Nepal

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On 02 September 2010, Nepal gave the go-ahead to release a new wheat variety with resistance to Ug99. BL3063—given the common name “Vijay” meaning Victory—has CIMMYT parental lines in its pedigree, good resistance against variants of Ug99, and impressive agronomic performance under both normal and late sown conditions in the Terai region of Nepal.

13“NL 3063 yielded 7% higher than the current most popular variety, Gautam, in three years of multi-location testing in Nepal,” said Madan Raj Bhatta, wheat breeder at Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), adding that it also performed better than other varieties in on-farm testing.

Because of its notable performance under late-sown conditions, BL 3063 is believed to have terminal heat tolerance. It also performs exceedingly well under zero tillage, said Janmejai Tripathi, wheat agronomist in Bhairahwa, Nepal. Additionally, BL 3063 has large, bold, amber colored grains, high protein content (12.5%), and good quality for baking industries. Recently, Yue Jin of the United States Department of Agriculture reported that this variety possesses adult plant resistance for Ug99.

In Nepal, under the guidance of the National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) and CIMMYT, BL 3063 was under demonstration and multiplication on 22 hectares of farmers’ fields. This resulted in 50 tons of improved seed for the coming year, according to Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder. This important step toward mitigating the threat of Ug99 was made possible in part by a USAID seed multiplication famine fund program in which six countries are currently multiplying wheat varieties resistant to Ug99. The NWRP of the NARC and CIMMYT-Nepal are working together under this program to identify suitable Ug99-resistant varieties, seed production, and seed delivery.

USAID Famine Seed Project meeting held in Nepal

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17On 30 June 2010, a USAID Famine Seed Project meeting was organized at CIMMYT’s South Asia Office in Kathmandu, Nepal. Seventeen participants, including those from the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), CIMMYT-Nepal, CIMMYT-Bangladesh, and Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) HUB partners in Nepal, attended the meeting. The objectives of the day were to: (1) review 2009-10 crop cycle work and progress, (2) to develop a work plan for the upcoming 2010-11 cycle and, (3) to strengthen collaboration with technology-delivering stakeholders.

Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder, opened the event with an overview of the progress and on-going challenges facing the six countries involved in the USAID project (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Nepal). He identified the project’s major activities as: (1) identification of suitable Ug99 resistant varieties and their pre- and post-release seed production, and (2) delivery of seed to farmers and rapid dissemination. CIMMYT, ICARDA, the BGRI, and national wheat programs are jointly implementing these activities.

This year, 2010, marks 25 years of strong partnership between CIMMYT and NARC, a milestone highlighted by NARC Executive Director B. Mishra, who also pointed out that the Famine Fund meeting was the first major NARC-CIMMYT meeting this year. Mishra said that Nepal is doing its best to produce sufficient amounts of Ug99 resistant seed, with a goal of producing enough to replant at least 5% of Nepal’s wheat area within the next two to three years. He happily announced that the new Ug99 resistant variety BL 3063 (GS348/NL746//NL748) has been approved by NARC’s technical committee, and will soon be released for cultivation.

Next, NARC scientists J. Tripathi, S.R. Upadhyay, and N.R. Gautam presented the specifics of Nepal’s work and efforts from the 2009-10 crop cycle, and outlined a potential 2010-11 work plan. They said that the estimated seed production of resistant lines in 2010–11 will be sufficient to meet 7.3% of the effective seed market, and to cover 2.4% of the total wheat area in Nepal. M.R. Bhatta and Sarala Sharma highlighted the importance of farmer participatory research for successful dissemination of new resistant seed varieties in Nepal.

The following presentation included explanations and deatils about the progress of the field demonstrations overseen by Nepal’s CSISA HUB. D.P Sherchan, CSISA HUB manager, and A.P. Regmi, agronomist, said that field demonstrations are important for the delivery of Ug99 resistant seed and seed resistant to other rusts, and that in large-scale trials, the yield of newly obtained resistant varieties (BL 3063 and Francolin) under zero tillage was significantly superior to the local checks.

Toward the end of the meeting, K.D. Joshi, South Asia regional coordinator for CAZS Natural Resources, part of Bangor University, UK, explained ways to enhance linkages with NGOs and newly emerging private sector companies to promote seed production and dissemination. T.P. Tiwari, CIMMYT-Bangladesh cropping system agronomist, summarized his experiences with particular agronomic interventions that could benefit field trials in Nepal.

The discussion outcomes led to the development of similar agronomic plans for Nepal and Bangladesh to harness the potential of Ug99 resistant lines. The meeting also provided a good update on progress in the USAID seed project, and provided ideas on how to strengthen ties between CSISA, NGOs, and the private sector, as well as providing suggestions on new agronomic innervations that could be integrated into trials in the upcoming crop cycle.

Ug99 resistant wheat variety promotion continues in Nepal

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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.

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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.