In Nepal, about 73% of the vegetable production area is estimated to be covered by hybrid varieties. Most of the hybrid seeds in vegetable crops are imported from abroad. Considering the demand for hybrid vegetable varieties, the National Horticulture Research Centre (NHRC), Khumaltar, Lalitpur has started hybrid breeding of vegetables using a conventional approach since the fiscal year 2003/04. With this effort, the tomato hybrid ‘Srijana’ was developed and registered in 2010. This variety was estimated to cover about 35% of the total tomato cultivated area. Two tomato hybrids, namely ‘Khumal Hybrid Tomato-2 (HRA14 × HRD7) and ‘Khumal Hybrid Tomato-3’ (HRA20 × HRD2), showed good performance and were released in the National Seed Board in 2021. It was found that the heterosis for the yield was 87% in ‘Khumal Hybrid Tomato-2’ and 95% in ‘Khumal Hybrid Tomato-3’ with a potential yield of 70 MT/ha and 60 MT/ha, respectively, under open field conditions. Similarly, a comparative study of 7 tomato hybrids at different research stations was carried out and it showed that F1 (HRA13 × HRD7) could be a potential hybrid for the western region with a potential productivity of 116.8 MT/ha under a protected cultivation system. Hybrid breeding of cucumber was also initiated in the fiscal year 2007/08. A total of 12 crosses in cucumber were performed and two hybrids F1 (HRDCUC004 x RDCUC001), 107 MT/ha and F1 (HRDCUC009 × HRDCUC003) 150 MT/ha were found promising. Hybrid breeding in brinjal, hot pepper and bitter gourd has also been started. Furthermore, key problems and way forward to strengthen hybrid vegetable breeding in Nepal were also discussed.

This study was carried out to select the suitable and high leaf yielding broadleaf mustard genotypes for the mid-hill conditions of Nepal. We evaluated seven germplasms of broadleaf mustard (Brassica juncea var. rugosa (L.) Czern.) namely, ‘HRDBLM001’, ‘HRDBLM004’, ‘HRDBLM007’, ‘HRDBLM009’, ‘HRDBLM010’, ‘Marpha Chauda Pat’, and ‘Khumal Chauda Pat’ in the field of the National Horticulture Research Centre, Khumaltar under Nepal Agricultural Research Council during the winter season of two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020. The germplasms were collected from the local diversity centres in the country. The experiment was laid out in the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in three replications per treatment. Seeding was done in September, and 28-day-old seedlings were transplanted in the field. The results obtained from the two consecutive seasons revealed that plant vigour was found to be greater in ‘HRDBLM010’ and ‘Khumal Chauda Pat’ (4.7 in the 1 to 5 scale score). The highest leaf weight (65.1 g) was found in ‘HRDBLM010’, followed by ‘HRDBLM007’ (45.6 g) and ‘Khumal Chauda Pat’ (40.9 g). The highest number of leaves was produced by ‘HRDBLM004’ (50 leaves per plant), while leaf weight per plant was the highest in ‘HRDBLM010’ (691.1 g per plant) followed by ‘HRDBLM004’ (535.4 g per plant). Genotype ‘HRDBLM010' produced the highest leaf yield (54.52 MT ha-1), followed by 'HRDBLM004' (44.28 MT ha-1) and ‘HRDBLM007’ (41.65 MT ha-1). Thus, these three germplasms showed superiority among the seven tested germplasms and they could be recommended for cultivation in the mid-hill conditions of Nepal.