Advances and Future Prospects of Climate-Resilient Crop Grasspea Research and Development in Nepal

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a nutritionally important, climate-resilient crop cultivated under stress-prone conditions in Nepal. From two decades of research, significant achievements have been made for the development of low β-ODAP (β-N-oxalyl-l-α, β-diaminopropionic acid), high-yielding new varieties suitable under drought and poor soil conditions. These new varieties have already demonstrated their excellence in terms of yield, biomass, nutritional quality, low ODAP content, and adaptability to changing climatic scenarios. Furthermore, efforts need to be made to raise awareness among the stakeholders about the benefits of growing low-ODAP-content, high-yielding grass pea varieties for their deployment across the country. Continued research, development activities, capacity enhancement, extension services, and collaboration of the research system with stakeholders are essential for advancing the cultivation of grass pea, grass pea can be considered an alternative to lentils and a potential future climate-resilient crop in Nepal. Besides this, changes in government priorities and policies are required for support and investment in grass pea in the coming days so that the crop can play a significant role in ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture.