General background information about the leguminous crops found in Nepal.

1. Presented by:-
Milan Regmi
IAAS, Lamjung
 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
 ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY
 AREA OF PRODUCTION
 BREEDING OBJECTIVE
 RECOMMENDED AND PIPELINE VARIETY
 CONSTRAINTS
 PRESENT RESEARCH STATUS
 PROSPECTS OF FUTURE RESEARCH

2. INTRODUCTION
 Derived from Latin word ‘legere’ meaning ‘to gather’
 Belonging to family Leguminosae
 Supply the major part of the dietary protein (20-25%) which is 2-3 times that
of wheat and rice
 Ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil via symbiosis with Rhizobium
bacteria.
 Nepal contributes about 0.4% of world pulse area and production.
 Grown in 319,472 ha with production and productivity of 262,357 and 821
kg/ha, resp
 Contribute 2.72% in Agricultural GDP

3. ORIGIN & DISTRIBUTION
SN Name Scientific 2N Origin Distribution
1 Lentil Lens esculenta 14
South East Asia and
Medeiterrian Region
Europe, than to India
and China
2. Chick Pea Cicer arietinum 16
South Western Asia and
Europe
Europe, India, Iran,
Egypt
3. Pigeon Pea Cajanas cajan 14
Primary-India
Secondary-Africa
Asia, Africa and
America
4 Green Gram Vigna radiate 22 India and Central Asia
SE Asia, S-Asia,
Australia, S-America,
Africa
5 Black Gram Vigna mungo 22 India and Central Asia
SE Asia, S-Asia,
Australia, S-America,
Africa
6 Soyabean Glycine max 40 NE-China
USA, Brazil, China,
India, Canada, Mexico
7. Horse Gram
Dolicus
uniflorus
20, 22,
24
SE-Asia Tropic Region
India, Iran, Southern

4. AREA, PRODUCTION & PRODUCTIVITY
SN Name
Area of
(Ha)
Production (Mt)
Yeild
1 Lentil 205939.2 226830.3 1101
2. Chick Pea 9340.56 9380.36 1004
3. Pigeon Pea 17005.6 16415 965
4 Black Gram 23312 19382.8 831
5 Soyabean 23757 28237 1189
6. Horse Gram 6232.8 5662 908
7 Grass Pea 11495 14103 1227
8 Others 30644.4 32817.1 1071
Others:- Field Pea, Cow Pea, Broad Bean, Phaseolus, Masyang,
Mungi

5. BREEDING OBJECTIVE
 Tolerant to water logging and
salinity condition
 Resistant to flower drop
 Development of short duration
variety
 Development of variety with
Synchronous maturity and
determinant growth
 Pods with non-shattering character
 Photo and thermo insensitive
 Responsive variety with high
 Disease and Insect Resistant
 Plants with
 Low height
 High Leaf area per plant
 High root volume per plant
 Greater Number of productive
branch, nodes per plant
 Higher number of pod/branch and
seeds/pod
 Longer pod length
The major objectives should be the development of
following characters:-

6. RECOMMENDED VARIETIES
 Lentil:- Maheshwor Bharati, Sagun, Shital, Khajura Musuro-2,
Khajura Musuro-1, Shikhar, Simal, Shishir, Simrik, Sindur
 Chickpea:- Tara, Avrodhi, Kalika, Kosheli, Sita, Radha, Dhanush,
 Soybean:- Puja, Tarkari Bhatmas-1, Lumle-1, Cobb, Seti, Ransom,
Hardee
 Pigeonpea:- Bageshwari, Rampur Arahar-1
 Blackgram:- Kalu
 Cowpea:- Malepatan-1, Surya, Prakash, Akash
 Mungbean:- Pusha Baishakhi, Pratikshya, Kalyan

7. PROMISING AND PIPELINE VARIETIES
 Lentil:- ILL 2508(1626/ha) & ILL 4402 (1612/ha) (recommended for terai
and Inner terai which is BGM and wilt tolerant), ILL 7163, ILL 6819, LN
00136, Jutpani
 Chick Pea:- ICCX840508-36, ICCX840508-33, ICCX840508-41, ICCL 87322
 Grasspea :- CLIMA Pink, 19B, 20A and Bari 2, Sel-1959, Sel-290, Sel-2119,
Sel-2177, Sel-387, Sel-299, Sel-449 and Sel-1942
 Fababean :- Sel.98 Lat.11135, F6/1437/03-2
 Soybean:- LS-77-16-16, Iang Beaking, CM 9125, SB0065
 Cowpea:- IT83S 899, IT86F-2062-5-PKR
 Mungbean:- Bari mung, VC 6153B20G, NIMB 101
 Blackgram:- BLG0003-2; BLG0072
 Pigeonpea:- ICPL86005, ICPL88039, ICP7035
 Kidneybean:- PDR 14, Black Queen; PB0002; PB0048

8. CONSTRAINTS
 Varietal Constraints:- Lack of high yielding variety; low harvest index;
susceptible to disease and insects; indeterminate growth
 Seed Constraints:- Poor quality seed; Inadequate availability; high
price; untimely supply
 Agronomic Constraints:- Improper sowing time; Low seed rate;
inadequate irrigation; insufficient intercultural operation
 Neglected use of rhizobium culture
 Inadequate extension facility
 Socio-Economic Constraints:- Resource poor farmer; unassured
market; insufficient credit facility
 Inappropriate use of fertilizers:- Seldom use of N; less use of P; No
use of S and Ca; improper method of fertilizer application
 Inadequate Research Infrastructure
 Some other constraints :- Non-availability of inputs on time, Low
adoption of improved POP, yield instability over years, high losses in
storage etc.

9. PRESENT RESEARCH STATUS
 NGLRP established in 1985 work on research activities as
 Variety development
 Crop management (agronomical and integrated pest and disease management)
 Outreach (testing and up scaling of promising genotypes through RARS, ARS, NGOs,
DADOs/ NGLRP command areas)
 Source seed production
 Dissemination of technology (training, field visit and fair).
 NGLRP in collaboration with
 National Organization:- DOA, NGO, INGO, farmers groups, seed company etc
 International Organizations:- ICRISAT, India (pigeonpea/ deshi chickpea, groundnut);
ICARDA, Syria (lentil, Kabuli chickpea, fababean, and grasspea), AVRDC, Taiwan
(vegetable soybean, mungbean), CLIMA Australia, IITA, Nigeria (grain type soybean,
cowpea), IIPR Kanpur India for germplasm exchange, funding, technical support,
human resource development.

10. CONTD….
 Germplasm collection and evaluation
 Total of 2936 accessions are maintained at National Agriculture Genetic Resources
Center
 1118 accessions comprising of lentil, ricebean, blackgram, grasspea, cowpea,
broadbean and adzuki bean had been rejuvenation and characterized
 Varietal improvement program
 35 varieties have been released for general cultivation
 Lentil with high Fe and Zn, high yield and BGM and podborer tolerant variety of
chickpea, mungbean yellow mosaic virus resstant soyabean, green tender long pod
cowpea, Fusarium wilt and SMD resistant piegionpea
 Rhizobium culture;- collection, production and distribution
 Integrated Crop Management (ICM) technology
 Seed production & Cropping System
 Development and identification of high yielding varieties of pulses for
sustainable agriculture
 Biofortification of lentils

11. PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
 Systematic breeding program.
 Varietal development
 Crop management practices to mitigate adverse effect of drought and heat –
relating climatic variables to crop growth stages
 Effective transfer of technology to reduce yield gaps between research farms
and farmers fields.
 Quality seed production and Post harvest technologies
 Diversification of value added products
 Promotion of Grain legumes in degraded land and Agro-forestry system
 Impact of grain legumes mixed cropping on the yield and attributes
 Development of appropriate resource conservation technology
 Verify and validate the bio-fertilizer management