Skip to main content

Participatory crop improvement and formal release of Jethobudho rice landrace in Nepal

Euphytica volume 176, pages 59–78 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Jethobudho is an aromatic rice landrace of the Pokhara valley in middle hills of Nepal. Although local consumers are willing to pay a high price for its purchase, the landrace has a problem with quality variation. Decentralized participatory population improvement for specific market-identified traits was conducted on “Jethobudho” populations collected from farmers’ fields in seven geographic regions of the valley in Nepal. The preferred post harvest quality traits, field tolerance to blast and lodging, and superior post harvest quality traits of Jethobudho were established by a consumer market survey. These traits were used for screening the materials. 338 sub-populations of Jethobudho were evaluated for yield, disease, lodging resistance, and post harvest quality traits. Significant variation was found for culm strength, neck blast tolerance, awn characteristics, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, test grain weight and post harvest quality traits, whereas no significant variation was found in grain yield, plant height, tiller number, maturity period and leaf blast. Based on these identified traits and micro-milling evaluations, 183 populations were screened in on-farm and on-station nurseries, and in succeeding years populations were further screened by plant breeders and expert farmers in research trials, resulting in the selection of 46 populations for post harvest quality traits. Six accessions with similar agronomic traits, field tolerance to blast and lodging, and superior post harvest quality traits, were bulked and evaluated on-farm using participatory variety selection (PVS). The enhanced Jethobudho accessions were also evaluated for aroma using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and found to have unique aromatic genetic constitution. Community based seed production groups were formed, linked to the Nepal District Self Seed Sufficiency Programme (DISSPRO), and trained to produce basic seeds (truthfully labeled) of Jethobudho. The National Seed Board of Nepal released the enhanced landrace in the name of “Pokhareli Jethobudho” in 2006, as the first bulk variety of traditional high quality aromatic rice improved through participatory plant breeding to be formally released in Nepal for general cultivation under the national seed certification scheme. Landrace improvement is shown as an important option for supporting programmes for in situ conservation of landraces on-farm.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Notes

  1. Rice in upland is dry seeded during pre-monsoon in Ghaiya khet whereas bunds (mud walls around terrace) are created to retain water for transplanting rainfed or irrigated rice (Rana et al. 2007a, b).

  2. A technical group of the National Seed Board of Nepal.

  3. Of the 183 accessions only 143 accessions had sufficient seeds for micro-milling.

  4. Cumulative weightage indicates superior organoleptic properties of the accessions.

References

  • Almekinders CJM, Elings A (2001) Collaboration of farmers and breeders: participatory crop improvement in perspective. Euphytica 122:425–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almekinders CJM, Thiele G, Dabial L (2007) Can cultivars from participatory plant breeding improve seed provision to small scale farmers? Euphytica 153:363–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aw-Hassan A, Mazid A, Salahieh H (2008) The role of informal farmer to farmer seed distribution in diffusion of new barley varieties in Syria. Exp Agric 44:413–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bajracharya J, Gyawali S, Sthapit BR, Jarvis DI (2005) Jethobudho landrace enhancement V: molecular evaluation of enhanced populations for aroma by single sequence repeats (SSR). In: Sthapit BR, Upadhyay MP, Shrestha PK, Jarvis DI (eds) On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity in Nepal. Managing diversity and promoting its benefits. Proceedings of the second national workshop 25–27 August 2004, Nagarkot, Nepal. IPGRI/NARC/LI-BIRD, vol II

  • Baniya BK, Subedi A, Rana RB, Tiwari RK, Chaudhary P (2003) Finger millet seed supply system in Kaski district of Nepal. In: On-farm management of agricultural biodiversity in Nepal. Proceedings of a national workshop, April 24–26, 2001, Lumle, Nepal. NARC/LI-BIRD/IPGRI, Kathmandu, Nepal, pp 171–175

  • Barry MB, Pham JL, Courtois B, Billot C, Ahmadi A (2007) Rice genetic diversity at farm and village levels and genetic structure of local varieties reveal need for in situ conservation. Genet Resour Crop Evol 54:1675–1690

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellon MR, Berthaud J, Smale M, Aguire JA, Taba S, Aragon F, Diaz J, Castro H (2003) Participatory landrace selection for on-farm conservation: an example from the central valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Genet Resour Crop Evol 50:401–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bezancon G, Pham J, Deu M, Vigouroux Y, Sagnard F, Mariac C, Kapran I, Mamadou A, Ge′rard B, Ndjeunga J, Chantereau J (2009) Changes in the diversity, geographic distribution of cultivated millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties in Niger between 1976 and 2003. Genet Resour Crop Evol 56:223–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brush SB (2004) Farmers’ bounty: locating crop diversity in the contemporary world. Yale University Press, New Haven

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush S, Meng E (1998) Farmers’ valuation and conservation of crop genetic resources. Genet Resour Crop Evol 45:139–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brush S, Kesselli R, Ortega R, Cisneros P, Zimmerer K, Quiros C (1995) Potato diversity in the Andean center of crop domestication. Conserv Biol 9:1189–1198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli S (1994) Adaptation to low/high-input cultivation. Euphytica 92:203–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli S, Grando S (2007) Decentralized-participatory plant breeding: an example of demand driven research. Euphytica 155:349–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli S, Grando S, Tutwiler R, Baha J, Martini AM, Salahieh H, Goodchild A, Michael M (2000) A methodological study on participatory barley breeding I. Selection phase. Euphytica 111:91–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli S, Grando S, Bailey E, Amri A, El-Felah M, Nassif F, Rezgui S, Yahyaoui A (2001) Farmer participation in barley breeding in Syria, Morocco and Tunisia. Euphytica 122:521–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli S, Grando S, Singh M, Michael M, Shikho A, Al Issa M, Al Saleh A, Kaleonjy G, Al Ghanem SM, Al Hasan AL, Dalla H, Basha S, Basha T (2003) A methodological study on participatory barley breeding II. Response to selection. Euphytica 133:185–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen X, Temnykh S, Xu Y, Cho YG, McCouch SR (1997) Development of a microsatellite framework map providing genome-wide coverage in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Theor Appl Genet 95:553–567

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiffoleau Y, Desclaux D (2006) Participatory plant breeding: the best way to breed for sustainable agriculture? Int J Agric Sustain 4(2):119–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland DA, Soleri D (2007) Extending Darwin’s analogy: bridging differences in concepts of selection between farmers, biologists, and plant breeders. Econ Bot 61(2):121–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson JC, Murphy KM, Jones SS (2008) Decentralized selection and participatory approaches in plant breeding for low-input systems. Euphytica 160:143–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devkota KP, Tripathi MP, Joshi KD, Shrestha PK, Witcombe JR (2008) Community based seed production groups in Chitwan, Nepal. In: Thijssen MH, Bishaw Z, Beshir A, de Boef WS (eds) Farmers, seeds and varieties. Supporting informal seed supply in Ethiopia. Wageningen International, The Netherlands, pp 263–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Dudnik NS, Thormann I, Hodgkin T (2001) The extent of use of plant genetic resources in research––a literature survey. Crop Sci 41:6–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duvick DN (1984) Genetic diversity in major farm crops on the farm and in reserve. Econ Bot 38(2):161–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Eyzaguirre PB, Dennis EM (2007) The impacts of collective action and property rights on plant genetic resources. World Dev (Oxford) 35(9):1489–1498

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1998) The state of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2010) Second report on the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy (in press). ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/017/ak528e.pdf

  • Finckh MR (2008) Integration of breeding and technology into diversification strategies for disease control in modern agriculture. Eur J Plant Pathol 121:399–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler C, Hodgkin T (2004) Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture: assessing global availability. Ann Rev Environ Res 29:143–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frankel OH, Eennett E (1970) Genetic resources in plants-their exploitation and conservation. Blackwell Scientific Publ, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Gauchan D, Smale M, Maxted N, Cole M (2006) Managing rice biodiversity on-farms: the choices of farmers and breeders in Nepal. In: Smale M (ed) Valuing crop biodiversity: on-farm genetic resources, economic change. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, pp 162–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Gepts P (2006) Plant genetic resources conservation and utilization: the accomplishments and future of a societal insurance policy. Crop Sci 46:2278–2292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gyawali S, Joshi KD, Tiwari RK, Sthapit BR (2003) Diversity assessment for the enhancement Jethobudho rice landraces of Kaski. In: Sthapit BR, Upadhyay MP, Baniya BK, Subedi A, Joshi BK (eds) On-farm management of agricultural biodiversity in Nepal. Proceedings of a national workshop, 24–26 April 2001, Lumle, Nepal, NARC, LI-BIRD and IPGRI, pp 262–266

  • Gyawali S, Bhandari B, Bhandari R, Bajracharya J, Tripathi M, Sthapit BR (2005) Jethobudho landrace enhancement III: post-harvest quality traits. In: Sthapit BR, Upadhyay MP, Shrestha PK, Jarvis DI (eds) On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity in Nepal. Managing diversity and promoting its benefits. Proceedings of the second national workshop 25–27 August 2004, Nagarkot, Nepal. IPGRI, NARC, LI-BIRD, vol II

  • Gyawali S, Sunwar S, Subedi M, Tripathi M, Joshi KD, Witcombe JR (2007) Collaborative breeding with farmers can be effective. Field Crop Res 101:88–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harlan JR (1975) Our vanishing genetic resources. Science 188:618–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haugerud A, Collinson MP (1990) Plants, genes and people: improving the relevance of plant breeding in Africa. Exp Agric 26:341–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes AG (1971) Point spectra of some mutually exciting point process. J R Stat Soc B 33:438–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgkin T, Rana R, Tuxill J, Dibier B, Subedi A, Mar I, Karamura D, Valdivia R, Colledo L, Latournerie L et al (2007) Seed systems and crop genetic diversity in agroecosystems. In: Jarvis DI, Padoch C, Cooper D (eds) Managing biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems. Columbia University Press, New York, pp 77–116

    Google Scholar 

  • IRRI (1996) Standard evaluation system for rice, 4th edn. International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis DI, Hodgkin T (2008) The maintenance of crop genetic diversity on farm: supporting the convention on biological diversity’s programme of work on agricultural biodiversity. Bioversity 9:23–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis DI, Brown AHD, Cuong PH, Collado-Panduro L, Latourniere-Moreno L, Gyawali S, Tanto T, Sawadogo M, Mar I, Sadiki M et al (2008) A global perspective of the richness and evenness of traditional crop variety diversity maintained by farming communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:5326–5331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johns T, Sthapit BR (2004) Biocultural diversity in the sustainability of developing country food systems. Food Nutr Bull 25:143–155

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi A, Witcombe JR (1996) Farmer participatory crop improvement. II. Participatory varietal selection, a case study in India. Exp Agric 32:461–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi KD, Sthapit BR, Witcombe JR (2001) How narrowly are the products of decentralized breeding? The spread of rice varieties from a participatory plant breeding programme in Nepal. Euphytica 122:589–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi KD, Sthapit BR, Subedi M, Witcombe JR (2002) Participatory plant breeding in rice in Nepal. In: Cleveland DA, Soleri D (eds) Farmers, scientists, plant breeding integrating knowledge, practice. CABI Publishing, UK, pp 239–268

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lammerts van Bueren ET, Verhoog H, Tiemens-Hulscher M, Struik PC, Haring MA (2007) Organic agriculture requires process rather than product evaluation of novel breeding techniques. NJAS Wagen J Life Sci 54:401–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mariac C, Robert T, Allinne C, Remigereau MS, Luxereau A, MSeyni O, Bezancon G, Pham JL, Sarr A (2006) Genetic diversity and gene flow among pearl millet crop/weed complex: a case study. Theor Appl Genet 113:1003–1014

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCouch SR, Chen X, Panaud O, Temnykh S, Xu Y, Cho YG, Huang N, Ishii T, Blair M (1997) Microsatellite marker development, mapping, and application in rice genetics and breeding. Plant Mol Biol 35:89–99

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nagaraju J, Kathirvel M, Kumar RR, Siddiq EA, Hasnain SE (2002) Genetic analysis of traditional and evolved basmati and non-basmati rice varieties by using fluorescence-based ISSR-PCR, and SSR markers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:5836–5841

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poudel D, Johnsen FH (2009) Valuation of crop genetic resources in Kaski, Nepal: farmers’ willingness to pay for rice landraces conservation. J Environ Manag 90:483–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rana RB (2004) Influence of socio-economic and cultural factors on agrobiodiversity conservation on-farm in Nepal. PhD Thesis, The University of Reading, UK

  • Rana RB, Garforth C, Sthapit BR, Jarvis DI (2007a) Influence of socio-economic and cultural factors in rice varietal diversity management on-farm in Nepal. Agric Hum Value 24:461–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rana RB, Garforth C, Sthapit BR, Subedi A, Chaudhary P, Jarvis DI (2007b) On-farm management of rice genetic diversity: understanding farmers’ knowledge on rice ecosystems and variety deployment. Plant Genet Resour Newsl 155:58–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Rana RB, Garforth C, Sthapit BR (2008) Farmers’ management of rice varietal diversity in the mid hills of Nepal: implications for on-farm conservation and crop improvement. Plant Genet Resour Charact Util 28:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Rani NS, Pandey MK, Prasad GSV, Sudharshan I (2006) Historical significance, grain quality features and precision breeding for improvement of export quality basmati varieties in India. Indian J Crop Sci 1:29–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Rijal DK (2007) On-farm conservation and use of local crop diversity: adaptations of taro (Colocasia esculenta) and rice (Oryza sativa) diversity to varying ecosystems of Nepal. PhD Thesis, University of Life Science (UMB), Norway

  • Rijal DK, Sherchand KK, Sthapit BR, Pandey YR, Adhikari N, Kadayat KB, Gautam YP, Chaudhary P, Poudyal CL, Gupta SR, Tiwari PR (1998) Strengthening the scientific basis for in situ conservation of agrobiodiversity: findings of site selection in Kaski, Nepal. NP Working Paper 1/98.NARC/LI-BIRD, Nepal and IPGRI, Rome, Italy

  • Singh BK (2003) Role of Government and non government and community organizations in quality seed supply in Nepal. In: Proceeding of national workshop on quality seed production and supply in Nepal. Organized by National Seed Board, HMG, Nepal

  • Singh RK, Singh US, Khush GS, Rohilla R (2000) Genetics and biotechnology of quality traits in aromatic rices. In: Singh RK, Singh US, Khush GS (eds) Aromatic rices, pp 47–70

  • Smale M (2006) Valuing crop biodiversity: on-farm genetic resources and economic change. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Smale M, King A (2005) Genetic resource policies: what is diversity worth to farmers? Briefs 13–18. IPGRI and IFPRI

  • Smale M, Bellon MR, Jarvis D, Sthapit B (2004) Economic concepts for designing policies to conserve crop genetic resources on-farms. Genet Resour Crop Evol 51:121–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith ME, Castillo FG, Gomez F (2001) Participatory plant breeding with maize in Mexico and Honduras. Euphytica 122:551–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperling L, Ashby JAQ, Smith ME, Weltzien E, McGuire S (2001) A framework for analyzing participatory plant breeding approaches and results. Euphytica 122:439–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperling L, Cooper HD, Remington T (2008) Moving towards more effective seed aid. J Dev Stud 44:586–612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sthapit BR (1992) Cold injury of rice crop in Nepal: a review. J Inst Agric Animal Sci 13:1–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Sthapit BR, Rao VR (2009) Consolidating community’s role in local crop development by promoting farmer innovation to maximise the use of local crop diversity for the well-being of people. Acta Hort (ISHS) 806:669–676

    Google Scholar 

  • Sthapit BR, Joshi KD, Witcombe JR (1996) Farmer participatory crop improvement. III: participatory plant breeding, a case study for rice in Nepal. Exp Agric 32:479–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sthapit BR, Joshi KD, Rana RB, Upadhaya MP, Eyzaguirre P, Jarvis D (2001) Enhancing biodiversity and production through participatory plant breeding: setting breeding goals. In: An exchange of experiences from South and South East Asia. Proceedings of the International symposium on PPB and participatory plant genetic resource enhancement, Pokhara, Nepal, 1–5 May 2000, PRGA, CIAT, Cali, pp 29–54

  • Sthapit B, Rana R, Eyzaguirre P, Jarvis D (2008) The value of plant genetic diversity to resource-poor farmers in Nepal and Vietnam. Int J Agric Sustain 6(2):148–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subedi A, Chaudhary P, Baniya B, Rana R, Tiwari R, Rijal D, Jarvis D, Sthapit B (2003) Who maintains crop genetic diversity and how: implications for on-farm conservation and utilization. Cult Agric 25:41–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teklu Y, Hammer K (2006) Farmers’ perception and genetic erosion of tetraploid wheats landraces in Ethiopia. Genet Resour Crop Evol 53:1099–1113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teshome A, Brown AHD, Hodgkin T (2001) Diversity in landraces of cereal and legume crops. Plant Breed Rev 21:221–261

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tripp R (2001) Seed provision and agricultural development. Overseas Development Institute, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandermeer J (1995) The ecological basis of alternative agriculture. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 26:201–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weltzien E, vom Brocke K (2000) Seed systems and their potential for innovation: conceptual framework for analysis. In Sperling L (ed) Targeting seed aid and seed system interventions: strengthening small farmer seed systems in east and central Africa, pp 9–13. Proceedings of a workshop, June 21–24, 2000, Kampala, Uganda. CIAT, Kampala

  • Witcombe JR, Joshi A, Joshi KD, Sthapit BR (1996) Farmer participatory crop improvement. I: varietal selection and breeding methods and their impact on biodiversity. Exp Agric 32:445–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witcombe JR, Joshi KD, Gyawali S, Musa AM, Johansen C, Virk DS, Sthapit BR (2006a) Participatory plant breeding is better described as highly client oriented plant breeding. I. Four indicators of client orientation in plant breeding. Exp Agric 41:299–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witcombe JR, Gyawali S, Sunwar S, Sthapit BR, Joshi KD (2006b) Participatory plant breeding is better described as highly client oriented plant breeding. II. Optional farmer collaboration in the segregating generations. Exp Agric 42:79–90. http://www.actahort.org/books/806/806_83.htm

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeven AC (2000) Traditional maintenance breeding of landraces: 1. Data by crop. Euphytica 116:65–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was carried out with the support from the NEDA, Netherlands, the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The authors express their sincere gratitude to the in situ project team members from 1998 to 2006, including farmers and their local institutions of Pokhara Valley. Thanks are due to Dr. KD Joshi, Indra Poudel, Shree Ram Subedi, Mahendra Chaudhary, and Mahesh Shrestha from LI-BIRD and Radha Krishna Tiwari, Gopal Parajuli, Bimal Baniya and Ramesh Bhandari from NARC for their technical assistance. Thanks also to Chiara Boni for her assistance in editing the references. We also thank the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and their staffs for their support in variety release and community based seed production program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Local Initiative for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), PO Box 324, Pokhara, Nepal

    S. Gyawali, B. Bhandari & P. K. Shrestha

  2. Bioversity International, Sub-Regional Office for Asia Pacific and Oceana, New Delhi, India

    B. R. Sthapit

  3. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Khumaltar, Kathmandu, Nepal

    J. Bajracharya & M. P. Upadhyay

  4. Bioversity International, Maccarese, Italy

    D. I. Jarvis

Authors
  1. S. Gyawali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. R. Sthapit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Bhandari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Bajracharya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P. K. Shrestha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. P. Upadhyay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. D. I. Jarvis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. I. Jarvis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gyawali, S., Sthapit, B.R., Bhandari, B. et al. Participatory crop improvement and formal release of Jethobudho rice landrace in Nepal. Euphytica 176, 59–78 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-010-0213-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-010-0213-0

Keywords

  • Traditional variety
  • Landrace enhancement
  • On-farm conservation
  • Participatory plant breeding
  • Community based seed production
  • Genetic diversity