Evaluation of Rice Genotypes for Yield Stability in the Mid-Hill Regions of Nepal: A Two-Year Farmer Field Trial Study with Enhanced Data Analysis and Policy Recommendations

Rice is Nepal's most important staple crop, occupying over 1.5 million hectares of cultivated land and providing a major source of food and livelihood for the population.It contributes significantly to the country's agricultural GDP and food security.The diverse agro-ecological zones of Nepal support a variety of ricegrowing conditions, from lowland Terai to mid-hill regions.This study evaluates six rice genotypes for yield stability across three locations in the Dadeldhura district of Nepal over two consecutive years (2016 and 2017).The trials, conducted in collaboration with the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO) and supported by the Agriculture and Food Security Project (AFSP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aimed to identify high-yielding, climate-resilient rice varieties suitable for marginal environments.Key agronomic traits measured included grain yield (GY), heading days (HD), maturity days (MD), plant height (PH), tillers per square meter (TI/M), and thousand-grain weight (TGW).Genotype IR98786-13-1-2-1 demonstrated a 40% yield advantage at Site 2 (Ajaimeru Rural Municipality, ward no.6-Ghodsela, GPS 29.36N, 80.45E) and stable performance across all sites.A comprehensive economic analysis suggests its large-scale adoption could significantly improve food security and farmer incomes.Further trials across diverse agroecological zones are recommended to confirm these results.