Abstract

Tomato ranks as the third most important vegetable crop in Nepal based on area and productivity. Tomatoes are
cultivated both seasonally and off-season. The cultivation of tomatoes, both in open fields and plastic houses, is
in increasing trend. Hybrid varieties are widely used, and almost 100% of the tomatoes grown in plastic tunnels
are hybrids. Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) has released three hybrid tomato varieties; Srijana at
2010 and two new hybrid tomato varieties; Khumal Hybrid-2 and Khumal Hybrid-3 recently. These hybrids are
resistant to diseases like blight and suitable for cultivation in both open fields and tunnels. These are also highly
favored by farmers and consumers alike, and about 80% of the tomatoes grown in plastic tunnels in Nepal are
Nepali hybrid varieties. Hybrids have the major advantage of high productivity, earliness, uniformity, better
transport quality, and abiotic and biotic stress resistance. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the
seed production and management techniques for the hybrid tomato varieties; Srijana, Khumal Hybrid-2 and
Khumal Hybrid-3. These hybrid varieties, with their enhanced disease resistance and adaptability to different
climatic conditions, hold great potential for tomato farmers in Nepal. As demand of these hybrid seed is higher,
majority of seeds are produced through private partnership program.
Keywords: Hybrid seed, Plastic tunnel, Seed production, Tomato, Varieties