Kathmandu, September 10:

The Agricultural Research Directorate at Khajura of Banke district has started hybrid paddy seed production. It is said the production of hybrid paddy seeds has been started within the country in the context of Nepali farmers being cheated as they were dependent on India for hybrid paddy seeds before this. The Directorate has developed and started producing seeds of the Hardinath Hybrid-1 ‘F 1’ and the Hardinath Hybrid-3 ‘F 3’ variety of paddy, Directorate’s Province 5 Khajura’s director Janamejaya Tripathi said.

According to Tripathi, if this trial production is successful then Nepali farmers will have access to quality hybrid paddy seed and their dependency on imported seed of paddy would be greatly reduced. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC)’s National Rice Crop Research Programme had developed the hybrid variety of paddy for the first time in the country some time back. The Hardinath Hybrid-1 ‘F 1’ and the Hardinath Hybrid-3 ‘F 3’ varieties were approved by the National Seed Board.

Directorate’s crop scientist Ramdas Chaudhary said these two hybrid varieties have been cultivated on two hectares of land in Khajura with the objective of producing two tonnes seed. The new hybrid varieties are said to have more production capacity and are different from the earlier Hardinath varieties.

Both these varieties have been recommended for cultivation in the Tarai-Madhes as well as in land at an altitude of 700 to 900 metres above sea level. The Hardinath Hybrid -1 ‘F 1’ variety has productivity of 7.5 tonnes per hectare. It ripens in 122 days. The Hardinath-3 ‘F 3’ variety has productivity of eight tonnes per hectares and it ripens in 115 days.