here - First Legume Society Conference (LSC1)

Book of Abstracts First Legume Society Conference 2013: A Legume Odyssey Novi Sad, Serbia, 9-11 May 2013
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Enhancing the productivity of soybean through the exploitation of host resistance
breeding against the virus diseases in Nepal
Rajendra Darai, Dhan Bahadur Gharti
NGLRP/NARC, Nepal
Soybean is a miracle legume crop of Nepal with 9% out of total legume production and ranks 2 nd
after lentil (MOAC, 2010/11). Being a highly nutritious legume crop aids to food & nutritional
security and sustainable soil management in the system niches. It has great potential for
commercial cultivation in terai/inner terai, as soybean is becoming one of the important
ingredients of poultry feed which is well thriving in Nepal. However, the national productivity of
soybean was very low due to vulnerability to virus diseases. Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus
(MYMV) an important disease of soybean in terai/ inner terai region of Nepal. White fly (Bemisia
tabaci Genn.) transmission of MYMV has been a serious threat to soybean production. Yield losses
up to 21% have been reported due to MYMV in soybean. Farmers have been using a variety of
fungicides indiscriminately, which has serious hazardous effects on environment and human
health. Durable resistance to MYMV is scanty in soybean. Released varieties have more or less
smaller seed size, susceptibility to different foliar diseases Like YMV and longer maturity period
(135-145 days), which farmers usually do not prefer. Chemical control measures are not
environmentally friendly. Under such situation use of resistant varieties and manipulations in
cultivation practices are important options for the management of grain legume diseases. In this
context, the main objective of the study was to identify high yielding and resistant soybean
germplasm suited for the existing cropping system. For this, many local landraces and exotic lines
were evaluated at Rampur. Three years research results (2009-2011) revealed that soybean
genotypes CM9125, G8754, LS-77-16-16, SB0065 and SB0095 showed resistance to MYMV and
Chaing Maw 60-63, CM9133, Dhankuta and SJ-4 were moderately resistant. These genotypes
were promoted in participatory trials in farmers’ fields and in seed increase programs at the farm
level of different eco-systems. In addition, legume breeders using the lines as a parent material in
the crossing program at the station.
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