Research Highlights of the CIMMYT Wheat Program 1999-2000

Based on farmers’ preferences, 12 wheat varieties
with contrasting differences for the identified traits
were planted in a replicated farmer-managed trial.
At physiological maturity, farmers in both gender
groups were asked to individually select wheat
genotypes based on their preferred traits and to list
the traits they preferred in the selected genotypes.
Women farmers gave priority to such traits as
disease and insect pest resistance (Table 3), and then
to chapati making quality and high grain yield.
Male farmers’ top priorities were late heat stress
tolerance, large white grain, and shattering
tolerance. Chapati making quality was a low
priority for this group. The preferences of these two
groups may indicate the need for developing
varieties based on how they are used in the
household. Women farmers are usually in charge of
making bread and storing grain at home, while men
farmers are more concerned with “filling the sacks.”
Both gender groups ranked recently released BL
1473 at the top (Table 4) due to its early maturity,
lodging tolerance, and bold, white grain. Based on
these results, NARC will speed up seed
multiplication of BL 1473. It will also take into
account farmers’ feedback in planning crosses and
selecting populations in the breeding program.
Kotounge Village, Bahtapur District, Kathmandu
Valley (mid-hills). During the 1999-2000 season, a
PVS exercise was conducted in this village, located
at approximately 1500 masl (mid-hills). The main
wheat variety is the old, low yielding, and disease
susceptible variety RR-21 (=Sonalika).
A set of 10 improved wheat lines and/or varieties
was grown in a farmer-managed trial. A participatory
field day was organized at physiological
maturity to allow farmers to quantitatively assess
the cultivars. Thirty farmers (men and women)
ranked the wheat variety BL-1473 as the top
performer in that set of genotypes. Farmers
preferred the variety due to its early maturity, bold
seed, good straw yield, high fertility, and lodging
tolerance. BL-1473 yielded 30% more grain than
RR-21.
Based on these results, about 1.2 t of foundation
seed of BL-1473 were distributed to 60 farmers a
few days before the 2000-2001 crop season began.
We are optimistic that RR-21 will shortly be
replaced by the new variety.
Results of a survey conducted a few days before
the PVS exercise began showed that the ratio of
new, improved vs old varieties (mainly disease
susceptible RR-21) in the area was 10% to 90%. We
are optimistic that this ratio will be reversed in
2001-02 and that the new variety will be adopted
by farmers in the mid-hills, since 95% of seed
dissemination occurs from farmer to farmer.
Pakistan
Lack of improved varieties, poor technology
transfer, and a deficient seed multiplication system
are mainly responsible for low wheat productivity
in the northern hill region of Pakistan. Ten wheat
varieties and elite lines developed by NARC’s
NWRP and the Turkey/CIMMYT/ICARDA Winter
Table 3. Ranking of farmer-preferred traits based on gender
criteria, Bankatti Village, Rupandehi District (Terai), Nepal,
1999-2000.
Table 4. Ranking of farmer-preferred varieties based on
gender criteria, Bankatti Village, Rupandehi District, Nepal,
1999-2000.
Women:
• Disease resistance
• Pest resistance
• Good chapati-making
• High yield
• High tillering
• Medium height
• White-bold seed
• Lodging tolerance
• Large spikes
• Shattering resistance
• Short awns
Men:
• Late heat stress tolerance
• Large, white grains
• Shattering tolerance
• Disease resistance
• Lodging tolerance
• Early maturity
• High yield
• Medium height
• Good chapati-making
Women:
• BL 1473
• Nepal 297
• NL 731
• BL 1724
• Bhrikuti
Men:
• BL 1473
• NL 731 and NL 297
• Bhrikuti
• BL 1724 and BL 1692
• NL 753
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