Introduction
The National Maize Research Programme (NMRP), Rampur is located 10 km west of Bharatpur, the district headquarter of Chitwan, in inner terai region of Nepal. The geographical location is 27o 40′ N latitude, 84o19′ E longitude at an altitude of 228m above mean sea level. It has humid and subtropical climate with cool winter (2-3oC) and hot summer (43oC). The annual rainfall is over 1500 mm with a distinct monsoon period (>75% of annual rainfall) from mid-June to mid-September. The soil on station is a sandy loam and is slightly acidic to strongly acidic.
Vision for NMRP
Increase production and productivity of maize and maize-based cropping system for improving the food and feed security in Nepal.
Mandate
- Collect, characterize, utilize and conserve different local and exotic maize germplasms
- Develop high yielding, disease and insect resistant early, extra early, and full-season open pollinated varieties (OPVs) of maize suitable for different agro-environments
- Develop high yielding disease and insect tolerant single cross, double cross and top cross hybrids for Terai and low hills
- Undertake basic, applied and adaptive research work on maize and maize based cropping system
- Work as national institute for research, training and education in maize and maize-based cropping system
- Serve as repository of information on maize and maize-based technologies
- Disseminate maize and maize based technologies to the different stakeholders through electronic media, booklets, folders, leaflets and posters
- Establish and strengthen national and international linkages for exchange of knowledge, research materials and collaborative research work
- Produce source seeds of maize (Breeder Seed, Foundation Seed & Certified Seed), rice and wheat (FS & CS) and distribute to different clients/stakeholders (balance sheet of NSB)
- To publish research findings, recommend verified technologies and collaborate with disseminating partners for its wider dissemination
Research Strategy
High and mid hills
- Develop drought tolerant, disease and insect resistant OPVs suitable for rainfed production environments
- Develop OPVs with enhanced nutritional quality (QPM varieties)
- Develop top-cross hybrids of both yellow and white kernel types for hills and valleys.
- Develop and disseminate profitable maize-based intercrops strategies
- Expand and strengthen community-based seed production (CBSP) for quality seed production and marketing
- Verify promising maize and maize-based technologies through participatory approaches and partnerships
- Popularize manual and bullock-drawn farm tools and implements for reducing women’s drudgery and
- addressing labor shortages
- Popularize agriculture machinery like power tillers, seed drills, corn shellers, and improved storage structures
- Promote, popularize and disseminate recently released maize varieties including quality protein maize (QPM) for improving malnutrition prevalent in the hills
Terai and Inner Terai
- Develop top cross hybrids in the short-term and single-cross hybrids for long term
- Promote OPVs with enhanced nutritional quality (QPM) for improving the feed quality of poultry and pigs
- Expand and strengthen CBSP
- Encourage private sectors for hybrid seed production
- Generat and verify the Resource Conservation Technologies for maize based system
- Popularize tractor operated agriculture machineries like maize planter, threshers, cleaners, graders and improved storage structures
- Verify promising maize and maize-based technologies through participatory approach
Strengthen collaboration and coordination with research and development partners.
Activities
- Hybrid maize development: Single, double, three-way, and top-cross hybrid development for Terai, inner
- Terai, and foothill valleys. Emphasis is given for early maturing hybrids. More than 405 hybrids are being tested under 10 different field activities. About 500 inbred lines are developed and maintained under this activity.
- Open pollinated maize varietal development and improvement: Long duration and short duration varietal development and testing for hill and Terai environments. Maize germplasm collection (local and exotic) and evaluation are being carried out for developing high yielding, disease and pest tolerant/resistant.
- Quality protein maize development: QPM Hybrids as well as OPVs for the hill and Terai environments.
- Crop Management: Development of resource conserving crop management technologies for maize-based cropping systems and verification in farmers’ field
- Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management: Nutrient management and fertilizer dose recommendation for hybrid maize, early and full season maize varieties. Use of precision technology on nutrient management. Soil and plant sample collection and analysis to enable judicious use of chemical as well as organic fertilizer for sustainable soil fertility management in maize-based cropping system.
- Disease Management: Lab and field experimentation for disease and insect tolerant maize line selection and the recommendation of effective control methods.
- Insect Management: Screening of maize varieties against major insects/pests, use of Trichogramma for the control of maize stem borer; management of storage pests through botanical pesticides, insects monitoring and forecasting
- Agri-engineering research: On-station research on mechanization, resource conservation technologies, and post harvest technologies.
- Coordinated Research Program: Genotypes received from different commodity programs are tested under this activity in different environments.
- Outreach: Varieties/technologies found superior in on-station experiments are verified under farmers’ field condition at outreach sites of NMRP (Nawalparasi, Makwanpur and Chitwan districts).
- Source Seed Production and distribution: NMRP produces source seed of different released varieties of maize, rice, and wheat and distributes it to different seed producing government organizations, NGOs and CBOs for improved seed production.
Developed Technologies
Varieties: Twenty-four total maize varieties including two hybrids (Gaurav and Rampur hybrid 2) and one QPM (Poshilo Makai-1) have been released so far. Recommended varieties for different agri-environment are:
High hills: Ganesh-1&2
Mid-hills: Manakamana 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6, Deuti, Shitala, Poshilo Makai-1
Terai and Inner Terai: Rampur Composite, Arun-1& 2, hybrid “Gaurav and Rampur Hybrid-2
Pipeline hybrids: RML 32 x RML 17, RML 4 X RML 17, RML 95 X RML 96, RML 95 X RML 86 and RML 57 X RL 174. These hybrids have 8 to 10 ton/ha yield potential.
Around 500 different inbred lines are maintained and preserved at this program, which will serve as important materials for the hybrids and other varieties development.
Profitable maize based intercrops: Ginger, soybean, Rajma, tomato, cabbage and radish.
Community based seed production (CBSP) has been initiated and more than 200 groups are in operation. CBSP is being milestone for improved seed production and distribution at local level for maize production increment.
Disease resistant/tolerant varieties/germplasms: Shitala, Deuti, Manakamana 5 and Manakamana 6 are tolerant to Northern Leaf Blight (NLB) while Ganesh1, Deuti, Shitala and Manakamana-3 are tolerant to Gray Leaf Spot (GLS)
Maize production technologies are developed for winter and summer season which made year round available of green cob at market.
Conservation tillage (No tillage with residue retention up to 50%) under maize based system performed equally to conventional tillage system that saves 60% cost of production without yield penalties.
Insect resistant/tolerant varieties/germplasms: Rampur Composite and Gaurav are tolerant to stem borer.
Source seed production: In maize varieties (Arun 2, Manakamana 3, Manakamana 4, Shitala, Deuti, Poshilo Makai 1 and Rampur composite) likewise wheat and rice crop. All seeds are distributed to different clients/stakeholders according to their demands (balance sheet of NSB).
Researchers
- Dr. Rajendra Darai, Principal Scientist (S-5)/Coordinator
- Mr. Bhim Nath Adhikari, Seenior Scientist (S-4)
- Dr. Saraswati Neupane, Senior Scientist (S-4)
- Dr. Mahendra Prasad Tripathi, Scientist (S-2)
- Mr. Balram Bhandari, Scientist (S-2)
- Mr. Suk Bahadur Gurung, Scientist (S-2)
- Mr. Govinda Bahadur Hamal, Technical Officer
- Mr. Sailendra Thapa, Technical Officer
- Mr. Ramesh Shrestha, Technical Officer
- Mr. Gopal Bhandari, Technical Officer
- Mr. Manoj Kandel, Technical Officer
- Mr. Pragya Pokhrel, Technical Officer
- Mr. Dhruba Regmi, Technical Officer
Contact Address
Nepal Agricultural Research Council
National Maize Research Program
Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal
Phone:+977-56-591001
Fax: +977-56-592548
E-mail: nmrp2012@gmail.com