Khem Raj Pant

Wheat Breeder
National Wheat Research Program in Nepal

Khem Raj Pant is a Wheat Breeder with the National Wheat Research Program in Nepal, where he specializes in wheat breeding and the genetic improvement of wheat varieties for Nepali farmers. Raised in a farming family in Sudurpaschim Province, one of Nepal's poorest regions, he grew up cultivating rice, wheat, maize, and banana — an upbringing that nurtured the connection to agriculture which later shaped his career. After completing his early education in his native village, he earned a merit-based scholarship for his B.Sc. degree and went on to complete an M.Sc. in Plant Breeding at Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU). His professional accomplishments include the development and release of several improved wheat varieties, including three zinc and iron biofortified wheat varieties in 2021 and more recently the varieties Sarus, Badimalika, Bhairab, and Gurans, contributing to both food and nutritional security in Nepal. Mr. Pant has been awarded an FSEP scholarship for his PhD study, "Genetic Dissection of Rust Resistance in a Nepalese Wheat Breeding Panel and Marker-Assisted Pyramiding of Resistance Genes into Elite Backgrounds." He continues to work as a breeder in the national program, climate-resilient, nutrient-dense, and rust-resistant wheat varieties adapted to Nepal’s diverse agro-ecological environments. Mr. Pant's graduate advisor is Dr. Madhav Pandey, Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at AFU.