Cultivation of inbred rice varieties is not sufficient to meet the food demand of ever
increasing population of the country. National Rice Research Program, Hardinath evaluated
IRRJ bred rice hybrids through INGER networks in 2004, 2005 and 2012 for identifying high
yielding suitable rice hybrids in the country. The field experiments were conducted in
augmented design, consisting of 31 hybrids and eight checks, replicated five times in 2004,
and 63 hybrids and eight checks, replicated thrice in 2005. In 2012, it was conducted in RCB
design with three replications having 25 hybrids and three check varieties. Grain yield
difference was statistically significant among the hybrids in 2004 but it was not significant in
2005 and 2012. However, remarkable high yielding hybrids were identified each year
compared to checks. In 2004, I I genotypes produced higher yield than Sabitri (4.4 tfha) on
the basis of yield of Sabitri plus standard error of the mean (>4.4 t+0.88) but six hybrids
showed >30 % higher yield than Sabitri i.e. IR80786H and IR79140H by 34%, IR79168H,
IR80633H and TR8078 I H by 36.4% and TR80634H by 50% . Based on the yield plus the
standard error of the mean (5 .2 t+0.88) only IR80634H produced the higher grain yield than
international check IR75207H (5 .2tfha). ln 2005, highest yielding genotypes were IR80635H,
IR81962H, TR80627H and IR81247H that produced the grain yield of 5.7 t/ha, 5.7 tfha, 5.4
tfha and 5.1 tfha, respectively and these three superior yields were in order of 42.5%, 35% and
27.5% higher to the yield of Sabitri. Similarly, in 2012 four hybrids that produced the grain
yield >5.0 tfha were IR90872H (5 .6tfha), IR82391 H (5 .3 tfha), IR82366H (5.1 tfha) and
IRRII67 (5.1 tfha) which were 43 .6%, 35.9% and 30.1% higher to Sabitri (3.9 tfha). These
high yielding hybrids had other desirable agronomic traits to fit in prevailing rice cropping
system. Nepal has recently received the membership to international hybrid rice consortium to
strengthen hybrid rice research in the cotmtry and NARC is eligible to get support for
advancing hybrid rice research from IRRI. NRRP-NARC has formulated the short and long
term strategies for hybrid rice research and development. The short term strategy includes the
identification of introduced hybrids and introduction of their A, B and R lines, while the long
term strategy considers the development of A, B and R lines from own germplasm. In
addition to IRRI, NARC is also looking forward for collaboration with Chinese Government
for hybrid rice development in the country.

Cultivation of inbred rice varieties is not sufficient to meet the food demand of ever
increasing population of the country. National Rice Research Program, Hardinath evaluated
IRRJ bred rice hybrids through INGER networks in 2004, 2005 and 2012 for identifying high
yielding suitable rice hybrids in the country. The field experiments were conducted in
augmented design, consisting of 31 hybrids and eight checks, replicated five times in 2004,
and 63 hybrids and eight checks, replicated thrice in 2005. In 2012, it was conducted in RCB
design with three replications having 25 hybrids and three check varieties. Grain yield
difference was statistically significant among the hybrids in 2004 but it was not significant in
2005 and 2012. However, remarkable high yielding hybrids were identified each year
compared to checks. In 2004, I I genotypes produced higher yield than Sabitri (4.4 tfha) on
the basis of yield of Sabitri plus standard error of the mean (>4.4 t+0.88) but six hybrids
showed >30 % higher yield than Sabitri i.e. IR80786H and IR79140H by 34%, IR79168H,
IR80633H and TR8078 I H by 36.4% and TR80634H by 50% . Based on the yield plus the
standard error of the mean (5 .2 t+0.88) only IR80634H produced the higher grain yield than
international check IR75207H (5 .2tfha). ln 2005, highest yielding genotypes were IR80635H,
IR81962H, TR80627H and IR81247H that produced the grain yield of 5.7 t/ha, 5.7 tfha, 5.4
tfha and 5.1 tfha, respectively and these three superior yields were in order of 42.5%, 35% and
27.5% higher to the yield of Sabitri. Similarly, in 2012 four hybrids that produced the grain
yield >5.0 tfha were IR90872H (5 .6tfha), IR82391 H (5 .3 tfha), IR82366H (5.1 tfha) and
IRRII67 (5.1 tfha) which were 43 .6%, 35.9% and 30.1% higher to Sabitri (3.9 tfha). These
high yielding hybrids had other desirable agronomic traits to fit in prevailing rice cropping
system. Nepal has recently received the membership to international hybrid rice consortium to
strengthen hybrid rice research in the cotmtry and NARC is eligible to get support for
advancing hybrid rice research from IRRI. NRRP-NARC has formulated the short and long
term strategies for hybrid rice research and development. The short term strategy includes the
identification of introduced hybrids and introduction of their A, B and R lines, while the long
term strategy considers the development of A, B and R lines from own germplasm. In
addition to IRRI, NARC is also looking forward for collaboration with Chinese Government
for hybrid rice development in the country.