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Objectives A field experiment was conducted to evaluate Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) value in different age and leaf of maize hybrid and correlating with grain yield. Ten maize hybrids were replicated thricely under Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) during winter of 2018. SPAD value was measured by SPAD 502 plus meter. At 30 days interval during vegetative stage SPAD measurement were taken from T1 (top most leaf) and T3 (2nd leaf from top leaf) leaves of five randomly selected plants from one plot and they were averaged. For reproductive phase data taken from eo (leaf attached to ear) and e2 (2nd leaf from eo leaf) leaves at 10 days intervals. Same leaves were used for entire data collection. Results Significantly different SPAD value was observed for different age and leaves of maize during pre and post anthesis. SPAD value increase with increase in age and decrease at the time of maturity. During vegetative phase T3 leaves has more SPAD value than T1. During reproductive stage eo leaves had more SPAD than e2 leaves, so center leaf of maize contributes more to grain yield. Correlation showed that there is strong positive correlation between different stage of SPAD with grain yield.

The rainfed conditions, severe in the terai region, significantly cause reduction in the yield; however improved varieties can give better productivity even in harsh conditions. The experiment was conducted in Rod-Row design at National Maize Research Program, Chitwan for screening of 120 wheat genotypes. Data for yield contributing traits were recorded. Correlation, regression, cluster analysis and PCA were performed to understand yield and its contributing parameters. The first five Principal Components (PCs) accounted 55.67% of the total observed variation. The biomass was strongly and positively correlated with grain yield followed by thousand grain weight (TGW), plant height (PH), spike length (SL) grains per spike (GPS). Multiple regression model explained about 92% of the variability in grain yield which included parameters as following: Biomass alone explained 26% of variation in grain yield followed by HI (15%), PH (3%), RL (1%), GPS (0.6%). The superior genotypes with higher yield and yield contributing parameters were TRCH/3/ROLFO7 (576 g/m2), DANPHE#1*2/3 (572 g/m2), SOKOLL/3/PASTOR//(566 g/m2), WBLL1*2/SHAMA//(552 g/m2). Among the measured parameters, biomass and HI were major yield contributing parameters for the genotypes studied which helped to screen out the superior genotypes among the 120 genotypes and can be helpful in further breeding programs.

Genetic variability and selection are crucial for finger millet breeding programs to maximize genetic gain and productivity. This study evaluated 18 finger millet landraces cultivated in the mid-hills of Nepal, along with 'Kavre Kodo 2' as a check variety, assessing 14 agro-morphological traits. The objective was to identify superior finger millet landraces using a multivariate approach based on the multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI). The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Principal component analysis revealed that the first five components collectively accounted for 80.8% of the total variation, reflecting the genetic relatedness among the landraces. Broad-sense heritability (h 2 ) ranged from 40.4% to 97.5%, with most traits exceeding 60%, indicating a strong genetic influence and promising prospects for effective selection. MGIDI identified 'Seto Kodo', 'Larparey', and 'Dudhey' as ideotype landraces with a selection intensity of 15%. These landraces exhibited positive gains across all traits studied, except for flag leaf area and the number of effective tillers. The strengths-weaknesses analysis emphasized their value for targeted improvement. Overall, the findings highlight MGIDI as an effective tool for selecting superior finger millet landraces and guiding breeding strategies to improve productivity.

Concretion or mass formed of exogenous undigested material in the gastrointestinal tract is called bezoar. Bezoar is a rare condition and can present with clinical features ranging from recurrent abdominal pain to acute presentation with obstruction or gastrointestinal bleeding. Preoperative diagnosis is usually done by imaging studies. They are treated with endoscopic or surgical removal of the bezoar along with treatment of complications and underlying illness. Here, we present two cases of bezoars: first, a case of a duodenal lithobezoar in 35‐year‐old male who presented with features of gastric outlet obstruction. He was found to have duodenal stricture and multiple small lithobezoars in the stomach and duodenum. The bezoars were removed by laparotomy and gastrotomy; and gastrojejunostomy was done to bypass the stricture. The second was a jejunal phytobezoar in 42‐year‐old male who presented with jejunal obstruction. Laparotomy and resection of the involved segment of jejunum and end‐to‐end anastomosis were done. Both the patients improved without postoperative complications.

Knowledge of genetic variability and the degree of association between yield and yield-attributing traits is fundamental for effective selection and yield improvement in breeding programs. Thus, eighteen finger millet landraces and one released cultivar (Kabre Kodo 2) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Ten key agromorphological traits were assessed to study genetic variability and characterize trait associations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences ( p  ≤ 0.05) for all the studied traits among the landraces. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was greater than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the studied traits. Higher heritability (h 2 b ), coupled with genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM), was observed for ear head length, thousand-seed weight, and grain yield. The grain yield was positively correlated with finger width, thousand-seed weight, and ear head weight at both the genotypic and phenotypic levels ( p  ≤ 0.05). Path analysis at both the genotypic and phenotypic levels revealed that the thousand-seed weight and number of fingers had the greatest positive direct effects on grain yield. Thus, future breeding programs should employ selections based on ear head weight, finger width, number of fingers, and thousand-seed weight to improve yield in finger millet.

Drought is a critical abiotic stress that affects rice yield. There is typically a limited and irregular pattern of rainfall in mid-hill regions, resulting in drought conditions that significantly impact rice production. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the best-performing landraces of rice and determine suitable drought indices. For these, 17 different rice landraces grown in the mid-hills were selected. A two-factorial (landrace and moisture stress) completely randomized design with two replications was carried out at the Lamjung Campus in the spring of 2023. Drought stress resulted in a wide range of yield reductions, from 10% to 69%. Our findings revealed significant differences in the agro morphological traits of rice. A strong and positive correlation was found between grain yield and drought indices, tolerance indices (TOLs), mean productivity indices (MPs), geometric mean productivity (GMP), harmonic means (HMs), yield indices (YIs), and stress tolerance indices (STIs) under various drought stress conditions. Among these indices, the Juhari landrace performed well in terms of MP, GMP, STI, HM, and YI. Principal component analysis (PCA) clustered drought indices into two groups (PC1 and PC2). Of these, PC2 was superior due to its high yield potential. Further screening using the ranking method and cluster analysis identified Juhari, Kathe, Manamure, and Pahele as high-quality drought-tolerant landraces. Based on our findings, we recommend cultivating Juhari in drought-prone regions within the mid-hill region. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of indices such as the MPI, STI, GMP, HM, and YI as important instruments for drought screening. Our study highlighted the importance of choosing suitable drought-tolerant landraces that exhibit improved yield and stability under adverse conditions.

Background Improper dietary intake pattern in women of reproductive age in Nepal has resulted in the deficiency of essential nutrients. Adequate nutritional status and proper dietary intake pattern of women improves maternal and child health. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status and dietary intake pattern among the women and associated factors. Methods Data collection at households and health check-up camps were conducted in selected Village Development Committees of nine districts in three ecological regions (Mountain, Hill and Terai) of Nepal from September 2011 to August 2012. Women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) were the study subjects. At the household interview, structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, dietary intake pattern, consumption of junk foods, animal rearing, agricultural products, possession of kitchen garden, pregnancy status and anemia. Dietary intake pattern was determined by information collected through the structured questionnaires comprising of food items-cereals, pulses/legumes, vegetables, meat, fruits and milk and milk products. Health check-up camps were conducted in the local health facilities where qualified doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians performed physical examination of the women, confirmed their pregnancy and conducted hematocrit tests. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS. Results Altogether 21,111 women were interviewed. More than a quarter of the women in Terai were malnourished as indicated by low body mass index (BMI < 18.5 Kg/m 2 ). Among the dietary intake pattern, the majority of women consumed cereals at least once a day in all three ecological regions. The majority of women in Mountain consumed pulses/legumes thrice a week. In Terai, the majority of women consumed vegetables thrice a week. In all three ecological regions, the majority of women consumed meat and meat products and fruits once a week. About thirty percent of women consumed milk and milk products once a day in all three ecological regions. The non-use of iodized salt by Terai women was the highest (5.3 %, n  = 303). In all the ecological regions, cereals and vegetables were produced in the majority of the participants’ households in comparison of fruits, poultry and goat/sheep. The women of age 15 to 24 years were 2.7 times more likely to be malnourished than women of 35 to 49 years age (aOR = 2.7, CI = 2.5,3.0). The unemployed women had nearly two times more chances of being malnourished than women doing manual work (aOR = 1.9, 95 % CI = 1.5,2.2). In Terai, women were five times more likely to be malnourished (aOR = 0.2, CI = 0.1,0.2) and 20 times more likely to be anemic (aOR = 0.05, CI = 0.04,0.07) than women in Mountain. The pregnant women were five times more likely to be anemic than non-pregnant women (aOR = 0.2, CI = 0.2,0.3). Conclusions The nutritional status of women of reproductive age is still poor especially in Terai and the dietary intake pattern is not adequate. It suggests improving nutritional status and feeding habits especially intake of meat, fruits and vegetables focusing on reproductive aged women.

The accelerating impacts of climate change pose significant threats to global food security, highlighting critical vulnerabilities within the agricultural system. As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, global temperatures have increased by 0.6°C over the 20th century, with projections indicating further increases of 0.1°C–2°C per decade. These trends are expected to reduce crop productivity and food availability, potentially leaving up to three billion people undernourished by 2050. Therefore, diversification of agricultural cropping systems is crucial, especially through the incorporation of underutilized and resilient crops like millets. Millets, a group of small‐seeded grasses, exhibit tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stress and can thrive under harsh environmental conditions such as poor soil fertility, low rainfall, drought, and salinity, making them particularly suitable for climate‐vulnerable agro‐ecosystems. As C4 crops, they have high photosynthetic efficiency and shorter growth durations than many C3 staples. These small‐grain cereals are rich sources of gluten‐free proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, and essential minerals, and can contribute to improved nutritional security. Additionally, bioactive compounds present in grains offer therapeutic properties against various disorders and diseases, highlighting their promising nutraceutical potential. Furthermore, advances in biotechnological approaches, including molecular markers and genetic improvement techniques, offer opportunities to enhance stress tolerance and nutritional traits. This review provides insights into millets' role in food security, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals, examines their stress‐adaptive traits, and discusses advances in genomics and biotechnology. Although it integrates findings from previous studies, this review presents a new integrative perspective focused on enhancing millet cultivation within agricultural systems.

Wheat is susceptible to drought during the early seedling stage, often resulting in reduced seedling establishment and vigor. Early seedling stage screening is a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable method for identifying potential drought-tolerant genotypes. The experiment was conducted in a two-factor factorial completely randomized design (CRD) under three moisture regimes: 100% field capacity (FC), 75% field capacity (S1), and 50% field capacity (S2), with two replications. Advanced pipelines and released cultivars were evaluated for eight seedling traits. Analysis of Variance revealed a significant variation for both genotypes and moisture regimes (P ≤ 0.05). The coefficient of variation decreased for root traits with an increase in drought stress. Root and shoot traits were strongly correlated at FC and S1 but not at S2. Root length, specific root length, and root-to-shoot ratio showed stronger responses to drought stress, while shoot traits and biomass responded more to high moisture. Based on relative performance and stress tolerance index (STI) analyses, WK4125, WK4126, and WK3350 were identified as potential drought-tolerant wheat genotypes. Further field screening and validation of drought tolerance using drought-responsive molecular markers will facilitate effective utilization of identified drought-tolerant genotypes in future breeding programs.

Drought severely affects maize growth and productivity, making the identification of tolerant genotypes essential, especially in local maize. Therefore, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in Sundarbazar, Lamjung, from February to April using 30 local maize accessions under irrigated and drought conditions in a completely randomized block design to study nine vegetative traits and screen drought tolerance for upcoming breeding programs. Accession NGRC05570 showed relative tolerance to root length and number, NGRC05586 to shoot length, NGRC05589 to root-to-shoot ratio, NGRC05591 to moisture content in roots, NGRC05578 to moisture in shoot and relative water content (RWC), NGRC05561 to root volume and NGRC05573 to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Accession NGRC05571, although lacking singular dominance in traits, exhibited an overall tolerance for NDVI, root-to-shoot ratio, root number, root length and RWC. Corelation analysis between shoot moisture content and shoot length showed a significant negative correlation under drought (−0.38) but a significant positive correlation under irrigation (0.38). Similarly, a significant negative correlation between the root-to-shoot ratio and shoot moisture content was observed under drought (−0.62) but not under irrigation. The possibility of accession NGRC05571, collected from Surkhet, being used in upcoming breeding studies has been seen, but a study on its ability to tolerate reproductive drought would be more insightful.