News from the Drylands
 
Lentil Research Benefits Nepal's Farmers

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Farmers selecting elite lentil lines in Rampur, Chitwan district, Nepal.
entil production and productivity in Nepal has significantly increased in the last 15 years, contributing to food security in the country as well as income generation for many small-scale farmers, agro-industries, traders, and exporters. Total lentil production in Nepal has risen from 63,000 tonnes in 1986 to 150,000 tonnes in 2003. Its productivity has increased from 593 kg/ha in 1986 to 818 kg/ha in 2003. According to Mr R.K. Neupane, the Ex-Coordinator of the Grain Legume Improvement Program (GLIP) of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), the country has produced a cumulative amount of more than 13,000 tonnes of lentil worth US$ 45 million over the 1995/96 to the 2002/03 cropping seasons.

In a recent meeting with Dr Ashutosh Sarker, ICARDA Lentil Breeder, Mr Neupane expressed deep gratitude on behalf of NARC to Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, DG, and Dr William Erskine, ADG (Research), for ICARDA's continuous support to the Nepalese farmers. ICARDA has been working with GLIP since the early 1980s and has provided genetic materials, technical backstopping, human resources development, and financial support for research and development through external funding.

Mr Neupane said that some of the newly-released varieties, originating from ICARDA-supplied germplasm, have been adopted by the farmers in Terai and mid-hills, where there was no lentil earlier. Two recently-released varieties, 'Shekar' and 'Sital,' yield around 1.2-1.5 t/ha and are preferred by farmers for their large seeds and resistance to wilt root-rot complex. Many elite lines selected from ICARDA international nurseries are awaiting release for different agro-ecological niches. Examples of these include ILL 7723, ILL 6829, and ILL 7982 which yield around 1.9-2.9 t/ha and are resistant to multiple diseases.

Mr Neupane also appreciated ICARDA's technology transfer activities that follow a participatory approach. With the development and adoption of more new technologies, lentil cultivation should get a further boost in Nepal.
 
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