Hybrid Seeds

• 28 Sep 2023

For Prelims: Hybrid Seeds, Open-Pollinated Variety (OPV) Seeds, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Crop Diversity.

For Mains: Hybrid Seeds, their advantages and concerns pertaining to Agriculture.

Source: DTE

Why in News?

Popularity of Hybrid Seeds has been increasing among farmers in India over a decades due to their quicker harvesting as compared to traditional or Open-Pollinated Variety (OPV) seeds.

• OPV are usually more genetically diverse, causing an amazing variation within plant populations, which ultimately allows them to adapt to local growing conditions and climates every year.

What are the Hybrid Seeds?

• About:
  • A hybrid seed is produced by controlled Cross-Pollination between different varieties of the same plant.
    • The transfer of pollen grains from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another different plant is called cross-pollination.
  • These are chosen to enhance the characteristics of the resulting plants including – better yield, greater uniformity, and disease resistance.
  • Since all hybrid seeds in a packet have the same parent plants, which means they will all grow into uniform plants.
  • These are often easier and faster to grow than Heirloom Seeds.
    • Heirloom Seeds come from open-pollinated plants, meaning the plants were pollinated by natural mechanisms like wind, insects, or birds, rather than through controlled cross-breeding or hybridization.
• Benefits:
  • Farmers can improve their yields and predict fruit maturity through its various benefits, such as drought resilience, pests resistance, and rapid improvement in breeding.
  • The advent of hybrid seeds, use of quality seeds, mechanization, and advanced technology have entirely reshaped the agriculture scenario altogether, which resulted in enhanced farmers’ income as well as the production of all sown crops, leading the government to promote hybrid and high yielding varieties of seeds.
• Need:
  • The rapid increase in population is impelling farmers to adopt hybrid seeds and enhance production.
  • Hybridisation aims to improve the grain qualities, reduce pests incidence and increase the overall crop productivity, contributing to sustainable development goals of food security and nutrition.
  • This potential for adaptation and genetic improvement, driven by plant breeding, can help in addressing the current challenges.
• Origin:
  • The origin of hybrids can be traced to India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s, when the government’s effort was primarily to increase agricultural productivity. For this, the National Seed Corporation was set up in 1963 to develop, store and distribute high yield variety seeds.
• Market Status in India:
  • According to a report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture in 2021, the share of the private sector in India's seed market increased from 57.3% in 2017-18 to 64.5% in 2020-21.
  • A 2019 report by Indian Council of Food and Agriculture, the Indian seed market reached a value of USD 4.1 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a rate of 13.6% from 2019-24, reaching a value of USD 9.1 billion by 2024.
  • Hybrid seeds occupy about 6% of India's 44 million hectares under rice cultivation.
  • Hybrid seeds for paddy (rice) are the primary type of hybrid seeds available in India, occupying about 6% of the rice cultivation area.
  • The majority of India's seed market is occupied by wheat and paddy (rice), accounting for about 85% of the seed market.

What are the Concerns of Adopting Hybrid Seeds?

• Impact on Crop Diversity:
  • Hybrid seeds are sensitive to temperature and rain, posing a threat to India's crop diversity.
  • Unlike traditional varieties that adapt to local climates, hybrids require specific conditions for optimal growth.
    • For instance, a hybrid variety of paddy requires rainfall within 15-20 of sowing.
• Concerns and Crop Failures:
  • Farmers have reported cases of crop failure and reduced yield with hybrid varieties, particularly in maize. Hybrid seeds are also more susceptible to infections, affecting the yield.
    • In 2022, a farmer in Haryana, experienced a significant drop in rice yield due to a Fiji virus infection.
• Price Hikes and Availability:
  • Manufacturers tend to increase prices of hybrid seeds with rising demand. Farmers sometimes feel forced to buy hybrids due to limited availability of traditional seeds, especially from government seed banks.
  • Manufacturers of hybrid seeds also tend to hike prices when the demand rises.
• Decline in Traditional Varieties:
  • The dominance of hybrid seeds has led to a decline in traditional and local varieties of crops. This decline threatens the diversity of crops and their resilience to adverse conditions.
• Genetic Erosion and Crop Replacement:
  • The shift towards hybrid seeds and modern uniform varieties has led to genetic erosion, replacing indigenous crop varieties. This narrow genetic range is focused on profit rather than preserving the extensive diversity of local species.

Way Forward

• There is a need to Invest in research to develop hybrid seeds that are resilient to varied climates and less susceptible to infections. This ensures a higher yield without compromising on crop diversity.
• It is imperative to encourage farmers to continue cultivating traditional and local varieties by providing incentives, technical support, and creating markets for these crops.
• There is a need to facilitate partnerships between the government and private sector to encourage the development of hybrid seeds that align with sustainable agriculture practices and local climate conditions.