Food Legumes Research and Production in Nepal1

N.K.YADAV2, A. SARKER3, R. DARAI 2 and B.N. ADHIKARI2

NEPAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, NEPAL2

ICARDA, SYRIA3

Introduction Agriculture is predominant in Nepal; where 66% of populations

depend on Agriculture for their livelihood and shares 38.81% GDP (MOAC, 2004)

Grain legumes usually called pulses in Nepal Grain Legumes covers(316010 ha )about 10% total cultivated land

(3091000ha)and ranked 4th in terms of area and production after Rice, Maize and Wheat

National average productivity is 840 kg/ha (MOAC, 2004) Lentil, chickpea and grass pea in winter and black gram ,pigeon

pea, soybean, horse gram, mung bean and cowpea in summer are major legumes in Nepal

Lentil is the single legume export to overseas

Trend of area and production of major cereals and food legumes

Rice, maize and wheat are major cereals and are cultivated in 1559436 ha, 834285 ha, 664589 ha with production 4455722 mt, 1590097 mt, and 1387191 mt, respectively

Food legumes are cultivated in 316010 ha with production 265360 mt and productivity 840 kg/ha

Poster presented in 4th IFLRC, held on 18-22 october, 2005,New Delhi, India Over the past one decade(1993/94-2003-04) the area under pulses

cultivation has been increased by 2.74%, while production

increased by 31.32% and the productivity gained by 28.24% over the same period.

In winter legumes Lentil accounts 60%, chickpea covered 3% and grass pea covered 2% of the total area and production in the country.

In summer legumes black gram accounts 10% , while pigeon pea and soybean each covered 7% and horse gram covered 2% of area and production of total legumes in the country.

Other important grain legumes include cowpea, broad bean, rice bean, mung bean and phaseolus bean etc those accounts for 9% area and production.

Terai contributes 76%, hill 20% and mountain 4% of the total legumes area in Nepal, (MOAC, 2004).

Area and production % of legumes Distribution of legumes area Distribution of the legumes under development region revealed that

highest area (34%) and production (37%) remained in central development region followed by mid western (21 & 21%), eastern (19 & 19%), western (15 & 13%) and far western (11 & 10%) in area and production respectively

Legumes area and production pattern according to developmental regions of Nepal

Area Production

Mountain4%

Hills20%

Terai76%

Present status of production and demand of cereals and legumes

During 2001/02 as compare to 2000/01 productions of cereals and legumes has increased by 1.42 and 2.94 % while demand increases in that period by 1.81 % and 5.24% respectively.

Production and demands situation of cereals and legumes in Nepal (scale: Cereals production and demand 000' mt and legumes production and demand 00' mt)

With the rise in income levels and change in consumption pattern, the domestic demand of food legumes would have risen up to 329 & 450 thousand metric tons by the year 2010 and 2020 respectively. Based on the demands projection of food legumes in Nepal, needs to increase the area by 0.4%, production by 4.7% and productivity by 4.2% annually.

Export and Import of pulses

Nepal has exported pulses to India and overseas worth of 8.21 and 4.20 million US $, respectively during 2003/04, while at the same period Nepal has imported pulses of 8.55 and 3.84 millions US $ from India and overseas respectively. Thus the export import differences in terms of monitory value is 0.03 million dollars (i.e. 2.1 million Rs).

Lentil is the single commodity exported to overseas.

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1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02

Cereals Production Cereals Demand Pulses Production Pulses Demand

Legumes based cropping system

Cropping system in terai and inner teraia. Lowland

Rice/Lentil-Fallow Rice/Lentil + MustardRice /Lentil-MaizeRice /Lathyrus-Maize Rice-Rice-ChickpeaRice-Rice-Lentil or Lathyrus + LinseedRice-Wheat or Mustard-MungbeanRice + Pigeonpea(On bunds)-fallow

b.UplandMaize-Lentil + Mustard Maize-Chickpea + Mustard Maize-Chickpea + Barley or WheatMaize + cowpeas- Mustard or Wheat Maize + Soybean- Mustard or Wheat Pigeonpea – FallowMaize + Pigeonpea-Fallow

Cropping system in the hills and valleys

a) LowlandRice +Soy bean (on bunds)-WheatRice +Black gram (on bunds)-Wheat or BarleyRice +Rice bean (on bunds)-Wheatb) UplandMaize+Soybean-Mustard or WheatMaize +Cowpea-Mustard or WheatMaize +Beans-Mustard or BarleyMaize/Blackgram-Mustard or Wheat

Prospective of legumes in Nepalese Agriculture

Cereal-legumes multiple cropping patterns is adopting traditionally, is a distinguished feature of Neplease agriculture especially in bariland farming. There is huge area to extend this practice to enhance sustainable production.

Integration of legumes in the existing cropping system has the only way to increase the cropping intensity and restore the soil fertility.

About o.5 million hectare such fallow areas can be occupied by the inclusion of short duration crops like mungbean, cowpea that helps to recover the soil fertility, ensure the better income for farmers' livelihood & long run soil sustainability.

The quantum jump in production is only possible when the crops intensification and diversification increased tremendously in the system

His Majesty Govt. of Nepal has being implemented crop diversification projects through the department of agriculture in mid and far western part of Nepal so as to break the cereal monocropping.

Present situation of legumes production, research and development in Nepal

Research efforts in the past have resulted in the recommendation of 28 varieties of grain legumes: 8 in lentil, 6 in chickpea, 7 in soybean, 3 in cowpea and 2 in pigeonpea and one each in mungbean and black gram. Along with the varieties, suitable package of practices for the cultivation of these crops have been recommended.

There is big gap among research results (3 t/ha ), yield obtained at the farmers’ field under well managed condition(1.5 t/ha,and national productivity 0.84mt/ha.and that is due to of the poor-adoption of recommended varieties , technologies and number of biotic, abiotic ,socioeconomic, and technological constraints.

Research efforts in recent years have been focused on participatory evaluation and generation of location specific varieties/technologies through participatory approach.

Lentil Leading pulse crop of Nepal. Its cropped area is increased from

119490 ha to 187380 ha (1990/91 to 2003/04). The productivity has also increased from 611 kg/ha to 847 kg/ha during that period.

The importance of lentil in Nepal is also increasing due to export market to Bangladesh and other foreign countries and also due to the ban on the trade of grasspea since 1991/92 in Nepal (Yadav et. al. 1998).

Lentil crop is usually grown as a relay crop or sequential crop in rice based cropping pattern. It is also grown as an inter-crop and mixed crop with wheat or mustard.

Eight varieties have been recommended for general cultivation. NGLRP is paying more attention to introduce breeding materials for the development of high yielding, medium and bold seeded cultivars. Crossing program is initiated to achieve this objective.

Chickpea Fifth important legume in terms of both area (9560 ha) and

production (8114 Mt). Its national average yield is 849 kg/ha. Chickpea is one of the potential crops that could be successfully grown in rice fallow in Nepal with yield levels of 1.5-2 t/ha

Main problems of chickpea growing are wilt complex, Botrytis gray mould and pod borer infestation.

The cross lines ICCX 840508-36 (Dhanush x K 850) is very promising and proceeds for the variety releasing by the name of Tara

Grasspea

Third winter crops in area and production .It occupies 2% area and production of total pulses.

It is mainly used as human food as well as cattle feed though its trade is banned by the government due to the presence of presumed neurotoxin ODAP [3-(N-Oxalyl)-L-2, 3-di amino propionic acid] that causes neurological disorder called lathyrism

Pigeonpea It is one of the important summer legume crops of Nepal. Its area is

22459 ha and production is 19468 mt in Nepal. It is being grown as sole and/ or mixed crop with maize and sesame

in upland farming condition. In the central and eastern zone, planting on rice field bund is the most common practice.

Major biotic constraints are wilt and sterility mosaic disease (SMD) and pod borer and pod fly insects.

The genotypes Pusa-9, Lalbandi Local, Bahar and Pusa-14 have been identified for post rainy pigeon pea after maize or early rice

The genotype ICP7035 is one of the promising lines that is resistant to wilt and sterility mosaic diseases and can grow successfully both in summer and Rabi seasons for grains as well vegetables

Black gram It has 2nd position in area (32152 ha) and production (25501) with

the productivity (793 kg /ha) and is the major pulse of hilly peoples of Nepal.

Only one variety, Kalu has been released and is out dated variety. There is an urgent need to identify and release suitable high yielding varieties of black gram. At present, selection and testing from local landraces is conducting at Rampur.

Mungbean Grown mainly in a rice-wheat-mungbean cropping pattern in

irrigated or partially irrigated area of terai, inner terai and foothill of the valley.

Pusa Baisakhi is the only recommended variety for general cultivation in irrigated areas of terai.

In collaboration AVRDC and FORWARD, NGLRP has identified the genotypes NM-94 and VC6372 (45-8-1) resistant/ tolerant to MYMV, more or less synchronous maturity with higher yield levels than Pusa Baisakhi and proposed to the National seed board for release.

Cowpea It is one of the important summer grain legumes of Nepal and is

grown in marginal land with little or no inputs .It is being grown from Terai to mid hills for various purposes such as vegetable, dal and green manuring.

It is estimated that it occupies 8000 ha and produces 5660 Mt with the productivity of 700 kg/ha. The area and its production are increasing trend

Cowpea is planted as sole crop as well as inter/ mixed crop with maize.

Three varieties Aakash, Prakash and Surya were released for commercial cultivation.

Groundnut The most important income generating summer oil seed legume

crops of Nepal. It is used both for oil and confectionary purposes. Area under groundnut is estimated to be 15000 ha and the trend

is increasing due to the development of high yielding varieties, adoption of improved technologies and spreading it's cultivation in new areas of western hills.

Six groundnut varieties namely B-4, Janak, Jyoti, Jayanti, Rajarshi and Baidehi were officially released for commercial cultivation in Nepal. Varieties Rajarshi and Baidehi have been recently released ( in 2005 July) for cultivation.

National oil seed research program(NORP) and ICRISAT is jointly working for identifying the suitable genotypes for spring planting and explore the potential of inter or mixed cropping with cereals especially with maize.

Table: 1 List of legumes varieties released so far in Nepal.SN Varieties Year of

ReleaseOrigin Yield

Potential (mt/ha)

Days to maturity

Recommendation Domain

LENTIL1 Sital 2004 ICARDA 1.18 133 Terai & mid hills2 Khajura Masuro-

21999 Nepal 2.1 134 Terai of mid and far

western developmental region

3 Khajura Masuro-1

1999 Nepal 1.5 128 Terai of mid and far western developmental region

4 Shikhar 1990 PAK 3.5 143 Terai, Inner terai, mid hills

5 Simal 1990 India 4.1 143 Terai, Inner terai, mid hills

6 Sisir 1979 India 2.0 150 Terai, Inner terai, mid hills

7 Simrik 1979 India 1.5 143 Terai, mid-hills8 Sindur 1979 Nepal 1.5 148 Terai, mid-hillsChickpea1 Kalika 1990 India 1.4 152 Terai, Inner terai2 Koseli 1990 India 1.6 154 Terai, western & Inner

terai3 Sita 1987 India 1.5 140 Terai4 Radha 1987 India 1.6 142 Terai5 Trishul 1979 Nepal 1.7 144 Terai6 Dhanush 1979 Nepal 1.8 144 TeraiSoybean1 Lumle-1 1996 Nepal 1.7 142 Mid Hill (400-1600 m)2 Cobb 1990 USA 2.5 123 Terai, Inner terai3 Seti 1990 Taiwan 1.2 150 Mid Hill, Valley 4 Ransom 1987 USA 1.0 145 Mid Hill, Valley5 Hill 1978 USA 1.7 166 Hill6 Hardee 1978 USA 2.4 124 Terai, Inner Terai7 Tarkari

bhatmas Valley ,Mid hills

PIGEONPEA1 Bageshwari 1992 Nepal 2.0 261 Terai, inner terai

(Dhanusha, Sarlahi CDR) & Banke of mid western region

2 Rampur Arahar-1

1992 India 1.5 197 Terai, inner terai (CDR Makwanpur, Sarlahi)

Blackgram1. Kalu 1989 India 1.2 79 Mid hills, valley

Cowpea1 Surya 2004 Nigeria 1.4 65-96 Terai, inner terai2 Prakash 1990 Nigeria 0.8 60 Terai, inner terai3 Aakash 1990 Nigeria 1.0 73 Terai, inner terai

Mungbean1. Pusa Baisakhi 1975 India 1.5 60 Terai

Constraints to production

A.Biotic Yellow mosaic virus (YMV) in soybean, mungbean, blackgram, cowpea,

phaseolus bean Pod borer in chickpea, pigeonpea, soybean Powdery mildew in mungbean, blackgram, pigeonpea, lathyrus ODAP in Lathyrus Leaf spot in soybean, mungbean Wilt / root rot in lentil, chickpea and pigeonpea Pod blight in soybean, cowpea Hairy-caterpillars in soybean, mungbean, blackgram BGM in lentil, chickpea Stemphyllum blight in lentil

B.Abiotic constraint Crops grown in poor marginal lands. Non-availability of quality seeds and inputs in time, place and quantity as

needed. Lack of awareness among farmers in improved technology in grain

legumes.Many species of grain legumes.

C. Socio-economic constraints Grain legumes receive secondary priority. Yield instability over years risky. High losses in storage. Production technologies for all the legumes have not still fully developed.

Research Strategy for Pulse Improvement

National Grain Legumes Research Program (NGLRP) under Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) has mandate to generate suitable technologies for increasing the production and productivity of major legumes crops grown in different agro-ecological zones of the country. To accomplish such mandate NGLRP has kept following short term and long term research strategies.

Immediate/short term Obtained segregating materials from IARCs, and evaluate, select and

recommend lentil, chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and mungbean varieties.

Collect, evaluate and select suitable varieties from local materials. Identify sources of resistance for major diseases & pests of major grain

legume crops. Verify the on-station proven technology in farmer’s field through on-

farm trials and recommend it.

Long term Initiate breeding for resistance to major biotic constraints of important

grain legumes. Collaborate with IARCs for collaborative breeding. Research on integrated pest and disease management for major insect

pests and diseases Research on integrated nutrient management system through

inclusion of legumes in the cropping pattern. Fine tuning the agronomic management practices for major food

legumes and production systems. Research on post- harvest, handling, drying, threshing, storage and

utilization of legume products. Initiate research on horse gram, field pea, phaseolus bean and rice

bean. Develop appropriate low cost technology for higher yield. Seed production of different grain legumes. Collaborative research works on grain legumes with other research

organizations in Nepal. Determine the economic/action threshold levels for sustainable soil

management.Conclusions

Food legumes plays crucial role in attaining the food & nutritional security and alleviating poverty by raising farm income. It also improves the soil health, which ultimately secure the sustainable agriculture. Food legumes occupy 9% of the total cultivated lands of Nepal (MOAC, 2004). Still there are many challenges both biotic and abiotic constraints to increase production of pulses. Integration of legumes in the existing cropping system have the only way to increase the cropping intensity and restore the soil fertility. Crop intensification and diversification with legumes either as relay cropping in rice/ maize, intercropping or after cereal crops is identified as one of the strategy and opportunities to maximize the use of land and ensure the land productivity. His Majesty Govt. of Nepal has being implemented crop diversification projects through the department of agriculture in mid and far western part of Nepal so as to break the cereal monocropping and conserve the bio-diversity and maximize food availability. The

quantum jump in export is only possible when the crops intensification and diversification increased tremendously in the system.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to Dr.M.C. Khadakbal. Secretary, 4th International Food legumes conference to give opportunities to participate and present this paper. Our gratitude is also to Mr. D.S. Pathik, Executive Director, Dr. S.L. Maskey, Director, Crops and Horticulture Research, NARC for providing the valuable suggestion and excellent support. Authors are grateful to CLIMA, Australia, ICARDA, Syria and ICRISAT,India for providing technical, financial support and breeding materials for successful implementation of this program.

References

MOAC, 2004. Statistical information on Nepalese Agriculture 2003/04.HMG, Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operative. Business promotion and agriculture statistics division, Kathmandu, Nepal.

NGLRP, 2002. Annual report of NGLRP, F.Y .2001/02.

Yadav, NK. 2003. Status of Grain Legumes Research and Production in Nepal Pp.102-114 Role of Legumes in Crop Diversification and Poverty Reduction in Asia. Proceedings of the joint CLAN steering Committee Meeting 10-12 November 2003 ICRISAT-Patancheru. (Edited by CLL Gowda and S Pande).