To identify superior quality protein maize genotypes for grain yield under different agro climatic conditions of terai and hill districts in Nepal, the coordinated varietal trials (CVT) were conducted at Dailekh, Doti, Salyan, Lumle and Pakhribas in 2013 and Salyan, Pakhribas and Kabre in 2014 during summer season and coordinated farmer's field trials (CFFT) at Surkhet and Dailekh in 2013 and Salyan, Pakhribas and Khumaltar in 2014 during summer season. The experiment was carried out using randomized complete block design with three replications for CVT and CFFT. Across the locations and years the superior genotypes found under CVT were S01SIYQ, S01SIWQ-2 and Poshilo Makai-1 where as S99TLYQ-HG-AB, S99TLYQ-B and Poshilo Makai-1 were found superior genotypes under CFFT. The superior genotypes derived from CFFT will be promoted further for similar environments across the country.

This is a follow-up study of two previous papers in this series in which we discussed the effectiveness of participatory varietal selection (PVS) and community-based seed production (CBSP). In this paper we present from survey results the impact of new, improved varieties on food security of farmers who had previously participated in PVS or CBSP, or both. A total of 230 households from eight locations, representing different social classes (A, B, C), castes (Dalit, Janajati, BCTN; referring to Bahun, Chhetry, Thakuri and Newar) and gender (male-or female-headed households) were randomly surveyed to assess changes in household food security after the adoption of improved varieties. Use of improved varieties, on average, increased production by 50%, compared to the existing local cultivars (2.4 tha −1 ) and this was reflected in the improvement of food security by 1.6 months (24% increase) in the year for all farmers. Food security for maleheaded households increased from 7.4 to 9.1 months and for female-headed households from 6.4 to 7.9 months (by 23% in both). The average food security of all castes improved by 23%-31% but the increased food availability of the underprivileged castes of Dalits (from 5.1 to 6.4 months) and Janjati (from 5.8 to 7.6 months) from lower food security levels is more important than that for BCTN (from 7.5 to 9.2 months). Similarly, food deficit households (C and B) had higher food availability over the food surplus households (A). The results indicate that the targeted participatory approach can reverse the findings of past maize research and development efforts which benefited only the elite farmers.

Participatory varietal selection (PVS) led to the identification of Population-22 and its later release as Manakamana-3. Subsequently further mother-baby trials tested five unreleased open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), ZM-621, Shitala, Population-45, Hill Pool White, and Hill Pool Yellow to compare them with Manakamana-3. Farmers again preferred Manakamana-3 as well as ZM-621 for their stable, higher grain yield, and for other traits such as stay-green, non-lodging, large white grains, and tolerance to foliar diseases. However, Manakamana-3 and ZM-621 both had late maturity, open husks and dented grain. Both were tested with farmers on-farm coordinated farmers field trials (CFFTs) and had not been identified as this was more contractual type of participatory research. Individual traits were measured but overall farmers' preferences were not elicited. In the more collaborative participation of the mother-baby trials the overall preference was determined and farmers traded-off the late maturity and dented grains of Manakamana-3 and ZM-621 against other favorable traits. Depending on location, these genotypes yielded 15-45% more grain than the local varieties in the mother-baby trials. These results led to the release of ZM-621 as Deuti in 2006. Farmers had adopted Manakamana-3 (released in 2002) and ZM-621 (Deuti) as a direct result of PVS trials and increased area under them year after year. Farmers awareness of the varieties has increased and seeds of these varieties are under community-based seed production (CBSP). Involving farmers through a collaborative mode of participation in varietal selection overcame bottlenecks to finding new varieties that had occurred with more contractual on-farm research.

The objective of this study was to estimate grain yield stability of early maize genotypes. Five early maize genotypes namely Pool-17, Arun1EV, Arun-4, Arun-2 and Farmer's variety were evaluated using Randomized Complete Block Design along with three replications at four different locations namely Rampur, Rajahar, Pakhribas and Kabre districts of Nepal during summer seasons of three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012 under farmer's fields. Genotype and genotype × environment (GGE) biplot was used to identify superior genotype for grain yield and stability pattern. The genotypes Arun-1 EV and Arun-4 were better adapted for Kabre and Pakhribas where as pool-17 for Rajahar environments. The overall findings showed that Arun-1EV was more stable followed by Arun-2 therefore these two varieties can be recommended to farmers for cultivation in both environments.

Hybrid plays an important role in production and productivity increment of maize in potential pockets of middle hills. With an objective of identifying potential hybrids for middle hill environments, coordinated varietal trials on maize hybrids were conducted using randomized complete block design with three replications in various hill stations during summer of 2014/15 and 2015/16. During 2014/015, significant differences were recorded among the genotypes at Khumaltar and Pakhribas, where non-significant at Kabre for grain yield. Combined results of hill stations for grain yield revealed highly significant differences for genotypes, environments and, genotype by environment interactions indicating existence of variability among the tested genotypes at each site except at Kabre, and site specific nature of the tested hybrids was recorded. JM-8 produced the highest grain yield of 8356 kg ha-1 followed by RL-153/RL-105 (8006 kg ha-1), RML-95/RL-105 (7940 kg ha-1) and Khumal Hybrid-2 (7788 kg ha-1), respectively. In 2015/16, among the experimented hybrids highly significant grain yield differences were observed at Pakhribas and Khumaltar, and significant at Dailekh. Combined results over locations showed that RML-95/RL-197 (7365 kg ha-1) outyielded others and followed by RML-95/RL-105 (7010 kg ha-1), RML-151/RL-111 (6717 kg ha-1) and RML-87/RL-105 (6580 kg ha-1). Hybrids having higher grain yield in coordinated varietal trials will be promoted to Coordinated Farmers' Field Trial on Hybrid and these hybrids might be the potential hybrids in future for potential pockets of middle hills of Nepal.