An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy farm of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Rampur, Nepal in 2008/09. The experiment was laid out in factorial design in spit plot arrangement consisting of date of sowing as main factor and wheat genotypes as sub factor. Wheat genotypes were sown in 22 November for normal sowing and 29 December for late sowing condition. These were assessed against Helminthosporium leaf blight and leaf rust severity in a naturally inoculated environment. Result showed that wheat genotypes differed significantly with respect to flag leaf area, flag leaf duration and plant height. Genotype BL-3064 showed the lower decline (624.9 to 615.1) in chlorophyll content whereas RR-21 showed highest decline (471.2 to 360.4) in chlorophyll content from normal to late sowing, possibly contributing to resistant to the disease. The AUDPC value revealed that genotypes BL-3625 and BL-3623 had increased level of resistance due to lower AUDPC value and higher flag leaf duration. The results of this study suggest that genotypes BL-3623, BL-3625, BL-3063 and BL-3064 could be the option in warm and humid regions of Terai condition so far as resistant to Helminthosporium leaf blight and leaf rust are concerned. Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN) Vol. 3. 2013, Page 109-116 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajn.v3i0.9012

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the world’s most important legumes, both in subsistence and commercial agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Global warming, an increasing threat, is expected to increase the water scarcity in the environment, affecting plant growth and metabolism. Groundnut yield in rain-fed areas has been limited by drought stress because pod yield and other growth parameters have been severely affected. Twenty five groundnut genotypes including four local checks (B-4, Rajashri, Baidehi and Jayanti) were composed and an experiment was conducted during 2010 and 2011at the National Oilseed Research Program (NORP), Nawalpur, Sarlahi, Nepal. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design in three replications. The objective of the study was to determine the genetic variability in different groundnut genotypes to drought tolerance. The analysis of variance indicated highly significant differences for most of plant the characters. Remarkable levels of variability have existed among the groundnut varieties that are essential in groundnut improvement. The genotypes ICGV-99171, ICGV-98089, ICGV-97100, Baidehi, ICGV-00440 and B-4 were observed better for drought tolerance with high pod yield. It is suggested that these genotypes could be grown under regions of limited rainfall and may be used as parents in breeding programmes for developing drought tolerant groundnut cultivars. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 14, No. 1 (2013) 41-50 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v14i1.8877

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An experiment was conducted at Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Rampur, Nepal during July 2011 to September 2011 with an objectine to determine phenotypic variability of Nepalese finger millet landraces using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. F- Value of REML procedure of mixed model analysis revealed that highly significant variation was observed in all studied 17 traits. Grain yield per plant was positive and highly significant correlated with grain yield per ear (0.769**) followed by plant height (0.529**), productive tillers number (0.473**), days to maturity (0.471**), days to heading (0.460**), days to flowering (0.457**), straw yield per plant (0.348**), finger number per ear (0.320**), thousand kernel weight (0.281**), flag leaf sheath width (0.230**) and finger length (0.211**). The ear shape (H’= 3.42) followed by grain color (H’= 3.35) showed high genetic diversity after estimated by using Shannon- Weaver index. 46% open type ear shape, 40% light brown grain color, 66% non-pigmentation, 70% absence of inflorescence branch and 54% absence of finger branch were found dominant to other on studied accessions. The distribution pattern was observed by using Ward’s minimumvariance method into five clusters. The number of accessions in a cluster was ranged from 18 in cluster IV to 1 in cluster V. The cluster V (accession no. 10996) and III (accessions no. 431 and 11024) showed early phenological traits, lowest in finger length, finger width, finger number per ear, thousand kernel weight, grain yield per ear and grain yield per plant. The cluster II and IV showed late maturity type, long finger length and width, high in finger number per ear, grain yield per ear, grain yield per plant and plant height. The first five principal components accounted for 74.9% of total variance among 50 accessions. Most of variation was contributed from phenological characters, plant height, grain yield per ear, finger length, finger width, finger number per ear and productive tillers number. These traits were positively correlated with grain yield and can be used in selection for breeding programs.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 285-290 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12413

Nepalese yellow maize inbred lines were characterized for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of their crosses and parents were identified having high combining ability for determining the heterotic effects on yield and other quantitative traits of hybrids. A line x tester mating design was used for making the crosses in the winter season of 2008 and the hybrids along with their parents and four checks were evaluated in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications in the spring season of 2009 at the experimental farm of the National Maize Research Program, Chitwan. Significant variations were found among the treatments for grain yield and other traits which indicated presence of high magnitude of genetic variations among tested inbred lines. The cross between RML-32 and RML-17 produced the highest grain yield (15870 kg/ha) among the crosses. Hybrids such as RL-194 x RL-84 (10770 kg/ha), RML-21 x RML-17 (9270 kg/ha), RL-180 x RML-17 (9270 kg/ha) and L-1 x RL-84 (8785 kg/ha) were found superior grain yielder. Thirty-nine hybrids showed positive mid-parent heterosis for grain yield among 40 crosses. The highest positive mid-parent heterosis for grain yield was found 880% in cross between RML-32 and RML-17, followed by RL-98X RML-17 (507%), RL-103 x RML-17 (403%), PUTU-18 x RML- 17 (351%) and RL-180 x RL 84 (316%). Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN) Vol. 3. 2013, Page 172-180 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajn.v3i0.9020