Plant breeding effectiveness in Nepal (Agricola).

Abstract Despite Nepal's considerable progress towards sustainable development goals in recent years, much more needs to be done to address the key development challenges. Agriculture plays an indispensable role in Nepal's development trajectory, but Nepal faces complex challenges in its agricultural landscape. Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated effort and the use of robust scientific evidence to support decision making - knowledge on effectiveness of crop varieties will help to direct support and resources where they are needed most. Despite heavy investment in seed technology, benefits to crop productivity and farmer income have been limited. Changing weather patterns and an overreliance on imported crops have led to a potentially fragile system. There is therefore a need for an overview of what research is being invested in, along with information about the effectiveness of new crop varieties, including imports.