Abstract only

Wheat is the major staple cereal of Nepal contributing 26% to national food requirements. It is cultivated on about 0.76 million ha with 1.85 million tonnes of production and average productivity of 2.4 tonnes per ha. Wheat is cultivated in a wide range of environments at altitudes ranging from 60 to 2,500 masl. Summer sown (late June ? early July) wheat is also grown in the high hills. Summer wheat may have a role in rust survival during the off-season. Among the biotic stresses, leaf rust, stripe (yellow) rust and leaf blight are major yieldlimiting factors. Stripe rust epidemics during the 1980s, mid 1990s, and in 2004-05, caused yield losses of 50 ? 80%. Leaf rust epidemics are sporadic and less damaging. Early wheat breeding efforts in Nepal involved trials on introductions from CIMMYT and India, and resulted in the release of important varieties such as Sonalika, Kalyansona and UP 262 during 1970s, and Nepal 297, Triveni, Siddhartha and Nepal 251 in the mid 1980s. These varieties contributed to both expansion of the wheat area and production. With establishment of National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) in 1972, systematic wheat breeding work was initiated. The NWRP worked closely with CIMMYT and developed agronomically superior rust resistant wheat varieties (Bhrikuti, Gautam, WK 1204, Aditya and Nepal 791) that helped to mitigate rust epidemics. Leaf rust has been under control since 1985 and no yellow rust epidemics have been reported since 2005.Following the occurrence of Pgt race Ug99 in Africa, we worked in close collaboration ith CIMMYT and BGRI in development, and rapid dissemination, of superior Ug99 resistant varieties through participatory variety selection (PVS) with farmers. A cross (NL748/NL837) made in 1996 resulted in varieties BL 3063 and BL 3064 with adult plant resistance to race Ug99. BL 3063 was released in 2010 and named ?Vijay? meaning victory. This variety now covers around 5% of the wheat area. In addition, NARC received several Ug99 resistant genotypes in 2008-09 through the USAID Famine Seed Project coordinated by CIMMYT and BGRI. The best-adapted genotypes were evaluated through PVS and on-station trials throughout the country. Pre-release seed multiplication involved both the public and private sectors. CIMMYT varieties Danphe and Francoline were identified for release, and seed is already disseminated throughout the country. Currently the NWRP is well supplied with sources of durable rust resistance from CIMMYT and is making effective use of them in the breeding program.

Global Wheat Program

Text in English

INT2917

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection