Growth in hybrid seeds is essential for a resilient and sustainable growth in the agriculture sector. However, in India the use of good quality seeds is way below optimal level. To scale up the usage of certified seeds, it is critical to scale up investment in this sector
Seeds occupy a critical stage in the life cycle of crop plants. In recent years, Hybrid Seed Technology has emerged as a game changer in offering solutions to pressing agricultural challenges and to ensure food security. Research suggests, use of good quality seeds can raise farm productivity by 15 to 20% (Indian Institute of Seed Science, 2021).
A successful seed quality management program requires an integrated approach that incorporates advanced technological applications for efficient management strategies. The Indian Seed Programme occupies a pivotal place in Indian agriculture. The National Seeds Corporation, which is the largest single seed organization in the country with a wide product range, pioneered the growth and development of a sound seed industry in India. The Indian Seed Improvement Programme is backed by a strong crop improvement programme in both the public and private sectors. The Union Budget announced the release of 109 climate-resilient seeds for 32 field and horticulture crops which reiterates the commitment of the government to enhance the seeds sector. The private sector has also started to play a significant role in the seed industry over the last few years. However, the main focus of private seed companies has been on the high value low volume seeds.
The Indian Seeds Programme recognizes three generations of seeds, namely, breeder, foundation and certified seeds. Certified seeds are seen to be directly proportional to crop productivity. However, Seed Replacement Ratio (SRR) – a measure to assess the use of certified or good quality seeds requires significant scaling up in India. The replacement rate in most of the field crops are much below the optimum level, largely due to the huge demand supply gap. Currently, around 15% of India’s total cropped area is planted with freshly obtained quality seeds every year. A huge 85% area is sown with farm saved seeds. This ratio varies from crop to crop, i.e., between 7% in staple crops to maximum 70% in some vegetables and fruits. For wheat and rice, it is between 9 to 18%. Seeds are available for fruits, vegetables, flowers and high value / costly seed crops but not enough seeds are supplied in the case of low value and high- volume crops such as rice and wheat. For oilseeds and pulses; this ratio lies between 20-100% and for some crops such as hybrid cotton, the ratio might be 100%.
Clearly, without achieving the optimal seed replacement ratio, any efforts to get expected yields will be futile. This means for achieving the desired levels of SRR, adequate seeds of good variety need to be produced first. In the last 2 decades, the ICAR and State Agriculture University have made significant strides in meeting the breeder seed requirement. However, production of certified seeds by following an efficient chain is still a major concern. The State Agricultural Departments should step-in to ensure production, multiplication and replacement of seeds to increase the SRR progressively, especially in respect of regionally important varieties.
The strategy should envision the use of modern physiological, biochemical, molecular, and biophysical research techniques so as to generate useful information that can be used as reliable markers for seed quality. The incorporation of seed research with new advancements in molecular biology holds the key to the understanding and integration of multiple mechanisms that can lead to improved seed germination, better stand establishment, and higher crop yield. Most importantly, investment on research for the seed sector should at least double from current 3% of revenue to ~6% of revenue to enable the researchers to develop world class plant varieties with climate resilience and natural resource conservation. Further, investments in infrastructure, capacity building, quality upgradation, will be key for the growth of this sector.
