Legumes in Nepal

Nepal is divided into four major agroclimatic zones, the Terai (part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the south), the inner Terai, mid-hills and valleys, and high mountains (in the north). Soil texture varies from rich alluvial deposits in the Terai to course-textured gravel in the high mountains. Annual rainfall varies from 5500 mm to 3500 mm and temperatures from - 10°C to 35°C. Legumes are important components of Nepalese farming systems and diets. Most of the legumes are grown in different cropping patterns in the Terai. Their yields have remained low, at usually