Evaluation of performance and genetic parameters in quality protein maize genotypes

Quality protein maize (QPM) contains opaque-2 mutant genes that increases lysine and tryptophan level which are not normally found in maize. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of QPM genotype based on their yield, yield attributing and other relevant characteristics. A varietal trial on QPM was conducted in the research field of Lamahi municipality-3, Dang, Nepal from February to June 2021. This experiment was performed in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Thirteen genotypes of QPM and one standard check (Poshilo Makai-2) were evaluated. Each genotype was assigned an area of 3m × 3m with a net plot area of 452.5m2 per block. Analysis of variance revealed significant data for the most of the genotypes. Four genotypes Rampur-S13FQ-02 Rampur-SO3FQ-02, Rampur-S13FQ010 and Rampur-S13FQ-08 were found superior with a yield of 4.32 t/ha, 3.97 t/ha, 3.89 t/ha, 3.63 t/ha respectively in comparison to the standard check Poshilo makai-2 (2.66 t/ha). Significant and positive correlation were observed for the ear length, ear diameter, number of kernels per ear, number of kernel row per ear, ear weight whereas negative for ear aspect with grain yield was observed. Ear weight without husk had the highest contribution to grain yield. For all observed traits, the coefficient of phenotypic variation (PCV) was found to be higher than that of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV). The highest GCV, PCV, genetic advance and heritability were observed in ear aspect, thousand grain weight, ear height, plant height respectively. As a result, breeding programs can be further improved by selecting these traits

Entrepreneurial behavior of large cardamom growers: A case study in Lamjung district of Nepal

Study on entrepreneurial behavior of large cardamom growers in Lamjung District, Nepal was conducted from December 2017 to June 2018 in Marshyangdi Rural Municipality of Lamjung district. The Rural Municipality was selected purposely for the study due to the recent establishment of Cardamom Zone under the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project in the Municipality focusing on large cardamom development. Altogether 80 large cardamom growers were selected randomly from 454 large cardamom growers of the study site. Data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, personal observations, and other secondary sources. Results showed that a greater proportion of large cardamom growers were found to have medium level of innovativeness (45%), decision-making ability (51.2%), information-seeking ability (48.8%), risk orientation (46.2%), leadership ability (43.8%), achievement motivation (46.2%) and low management orientation (56.3%) which contributed to the overall medium entrepreneurial behavior (47.5%) of large cardamom growers in the study area. About 35 percent of farmers were belonging to the low entrepreneurial behavior and only a few numbers of farmers (17.5%) were under the high entrepreneurial behavior category. The high number of farmers with low and medium entrepreneurial behavior and a low number of farmers with high entrepreneurial behavior has resulted in poor commercialization of large cardamom in the study area. Educational status, landholding, extension participation, economic motivation, experience in large cardamom farming, and area of large cardamom cultivation were found to have a significant correlation with the entrepreneurial behavior of large cardamom farmers while age had a negative and significant effect. There is still scope to increase the number of large cardamom farmers with high entrepreneur behavior for commercializing large cardamom in the study area but programs should be designed and implemented accordingly

GENETIC VARIABILITY, HERITABILITY AND GENETIC ADVANCE ESTIMATES IN MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) GENOTYPES IN NEPAL

Eleven early maize and ten winter maize  genotypes were evaluated in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the research field  of Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Lumle, Kaski and National Maize Research Program (NMRP), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal respectively  to assess the magnitude of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield contributing traits during summer (Kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons of 2016-2017. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for 10 characters studied among the genotypes. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) is higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) recorded for all traits. High GCV and PCV was recorded for grain yield, thousand kernel weight and ear height. Heritability was  moderate to high  except thousand kernel weight in Kharif whereas number of kernel per ear showed lowest heritability in winter season. Genetic gain as percentage of mean (GAM) was greater for grain yield, thousand kernel weight, plant height and ear height.  As grain yield had higher genetic advance along with high heritability in both the seasons that indicated the presence of large proportion of additive gene action for deciding this trait

Implementation of Collaborative E-learning System for Unstable Environment

We design a collaborative e-learning system for stable operation in an unstable environment of developing countries. The proposed system is used for providing a collaborative learning among local schools of rural area in Nepal. The stable operation of the system is realized by the redundant robustness in three different levels: network arrangement, energy management, and replicative database. In this paper, we present an overall design of the system and its use case. Then, methods adopted for achieving the redundancy in each level are described

Genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance and correlation among yield and yield components of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

This study was conducted during summer 2015 at Regional Agriculture Research Station, Dipayal, Doti, Nepal to estimate the genotypic and phenotypic variability, heritability, genetic advance and correlation on grain yield and yield associated traits using 26 advance genotypes of lowland irrigated rice. Analysis of variance revealed the existence of significant difference for days to flowering, maturity, plant height, panicle length, thousand grain weight and grain yield. High heritability was estimated for days to flowering (0.88), maturity (0.79), thousand grain weight (0.48) and plant height (0.43) suggesting these traits are under high genetic control. High phenotypic variation was observed for grain yield (24.87%), number of grains/panicle (22.45%), number of panicles/m2 (20.95%) and straw yield (20.75%) while grain yield had medium (12.02%) and remaining traits showed low genotypic coefficient of variation (<10%). High phenotypic coefficient of variation estimated as compared to genotypic coefficient of variation showed environmental influence on the expression of traits. Grain yield (11.98) and days to flowering (10.32) showed medium and remaining traits sowed low genotypic advance as percent of mean. High to low heritability with moderate to low genotypic advance as percent of mean suggested these traits were governed by non additive gene thus direct selection is not beneficial. Further improvements on yield potentiality and yield traits on these genotypes are suggested by creating variation and selection. Panicle length (r = 0.230), days to flowering (r = 0.247), effective tillers (r = 0.488) and straw yield (r = 0.846) manifested significant positive association with grain yield indicating that yield can be increased if selection applied in favor of those yield components